Help with translation?

[Ian Jewison]

Gents,
Attached image taken from a Soldbuch to a member of Feld Ersatz Bataillon "Großdeutschland", prior to this he served with 1 Kavallerie Division/24 Panzer Division.

Could someone please assist in the translation? I sort of had it but a few words don't make sense in my version so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Ian

[Ian Jewison]

I get something like:

I have been instructed through Paymaster Salomon, leader of the Supply Squadron, Field Replacement Battalion Großdeutschland on grounds of three judgements of the Divisions court on distance, desertion, self mutilation against the Führer will be punished with the death penalty and the stripping of the military honour

But there are a few words I can not make out and it makes it mean something else!!!!!!

[Terry K.]

Hi,
Unerlaubte is one ? Unauthorized

[Terry K.]

unauthorized distance = leave beyond authorized area

[Terry K.]

Totenstrafe und der aberkennung der wehrwurdigkeit, I translate as death punishment and the elimination of (military)moral

[Ian Jewison]

Thanks very much Terry,

There is one area that I can not make out at all...
Selbstverstümmelung als reubruch ?gegen....

/Ian

[Terry K.]

Sorry Ian,
I'm just trying to help, two heads are better than one.

[Ian Jewison]

They are!!!

Got it "Treubruch"....the typing is a bit hit and miss...so it reads "as a breach of trust"

Thanks all the same!

/Ian

[Terry K.]

Ian,
Is it confession? repenting faults?

[bhholst]

Hello Ian and Terry.
"Unerlaubte Entfernung" means unauthorized absence (known in US military as AWOL-absence without leave). Entfernung has the meaning of both distance and also to distance or remove oneself from some geographical point.
"Selbstverstuemmelung" is selfmutilation, here also construed as an aggravation by being a "Treubruch" (see below)
"Treubruch" here means breach of fidelity towards the Fuehrer.
"Todesstrafe' is sentence of death.
" Aberkennung der Wehrwuerdigkeit" is the removal of the honorable status to bear arms.
Bernhard H. Holst

[Ian Jewison]

Thanks Bernhard and Terry,

I knew someone would correct our mistakes! It reads a little better now......

Reagrds, Ian

[Tommy]

reubruch is Treuebruch...

[Terry K.]

Hi Bernhard,
In the USMC it is known as UA or unathorized absence. We also had a unauthorized distance, which means that different leave periods had different distances a marine could be away from his home unit. I just wonder if they had something like that? Desertion is totally different, one had to be gone over 30 days.

[bhholst]

Hello Terry.
I was unaware of the Marine Corps term. Applied the US Army one thinking the Uniform Military Code of Justice or what the proper nomenclature is, was applicable to all branches of the service.
The German military applied different yardsticks depending on length, circumstances, zeal of the commanders/military judicial prosecutors etc. The German Military Justice system was a sad one. For example:this includes the sentencing to death of a Knightd Cross recipient in late 1944 into 1945 in the second courtmartial (the first sentence was too lenient to the reviewing rear echelon division commander) because of selfmutilation (petroleum injection in one arm) while on special leave in Vienna following the award. Somehow the verdict was not carried out and he died in the 1970's minus one arm.
Bernhard H. Holst