LW soldbuch prohabitionary unit Market Garden

[Erwin L]

Hello All,

I bought in interesting soldbuch of a LW sergeant of a prohabitionary unit. The interesting thing is that this sergeant fought in my town on 17 september 1944. This was the day that Market Garden started. In my place "operation garden" near by the Belgium border. Here were some heavy fights with the Allied forces.

The unit was under command of Major Veith who was killed a few days earlier.

My question is of somebody has more information about this man and the unit he served in

Soldbuch to Alfons Langendorf, Sergeant Airforce Infantry, Special Duties Probationary Unit..

"Spezialpersonal der Luftwaffe".

Entitled to:
- War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords.
- Iron Cross 2nd Class.

He served as ordnance specialist with Lw.Jäg.Btl.z.b.V.6, a special duties probationary unit, May - July 1944 active in Russia (Bessarabia) and Sept. - Oct. On 17 september 1944 fighting in the Valkenswaard area in the Netherlands against the allied.

1945 the unit was active in the east (a.o. Wildflecken).

Punished military personnel were given a change to rehabilitate themselves by serving in probationary units, which carried-out the most dangerous actions such as mine-clearing in the face of the enemy or as in this case, "forlorn hope"close combat assault actions.

He received a military wrist watch from his unit confirmed by his CO.

Oct. 4 to Oct. 21 1944 he was in hospital with clap.

Feldpostnummer 55610, from 18-4-1944 till the end of the war:
Stab und 1.-4.Kompanie Luftwaffe Jäger Bataillon zur besonderen Verwendung 6.



Thanks in advance

Regards Erwin

[Time Bandit]

Oct. 4 to Oct. 21 1944 he was in hospital with clap.

Must of been indulging in a bit of 'close combat' there to pick that 'wound' up....

[Larry deZeng]

Here is what I have on it, although it doesn't add a lot to what you already have:

Lw.-Jäger-Btl. z.b.V. 6


Formed on or about 18 April 1944 in Bessarabia as a Luftwaffe probationary unit from IV./Ausbildungs- und Sammel-Rgt. d. Luftflotte 4.

History
Apr – Jun 44: formation and employment in Bessarabia and Moldavia between the Dniester and Prut rivers. Ordered to northern Italy for use as an anti-partisan unit.
3 Jul 44: assembling in the Venice area but to move to Istria.
Jul 44: engaged in anti-partisan operations in Istria and Adriatic Littoral (northeast Italy).
31 Jul 44: ordered to transfer from the jurisdiction of Luftflotte 2 in Italy to Paris and reassignment to Luftflotte 3.
7 Sep 44: departed Palma/NE Italy and arrived in Helmond/Holland to the northeast of Eindhoven on 12 September.
17 Sep 44: engaged around Valkenswaard at the beginning of Operation Market Garden (the Allied airborne operation around Arnhem).
Oct 44: Still engaged in the Netherlands.
Mar 45: now at Wildflecken, a training and maneuvers ground located in a heavily forested area SSE of Fulda in Germany.

FpN: L 55610

Kommandeur:
Maj. Walter Veit Apr 44 - 13 Sep 44) KIA

Sources:
Tessin, George - Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945, Teil 14: Die Luftstreitkräfte (Osnabrück, 1980); Kannapin, Norbert - Die deutsche Feldpostübersicht 1939-1945, 3 Bde (I – III) (Osnabrück, 1980-82); NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-971 roll 34); RG 226/XL10852 PWIS interrogation report; PRO London: DEFE 3 ULTRA signals for 3 and 31 Jul 44.

--BHS1956

[JUNGCO]

He must have been cadre personel, as all probationary military men were reduced to private before being assigned to these units.
Jeff

[ranville]

Hello Erwin,

The Luftwaffen-J******228;ger-Bataillon zbV 6 is in Italy "PARMA" - Emilia Romagna -
in June 44 (22.06.44)

This is the list of unity of "Infantry" of the "Luftwaffe" present in Italy in 1943-1945

Sonderstab Oberstleutnant Dierich = Luftwaffen-Sicherungs-Regiment Italien
Sicherungsstab der Luftflotte 2 = Luftwaffen-Sicherungs-Regiment Italien
Sondestab des Sicherungskommandos Airasca (1.-4. Einsatzkompanien) = Luftwaffen-Sicherungs-Regiment Italien
Luftwaffen-J******228;ger-Regiment zbV, I. u. II. Btl. (1. FJD)
Luftwaffen-J******228;ger-Regiment Neukum (1. FJD) = ( Luftwaffen-J******228;ger-Regiment zbV )
Ausbildungs- und Sammel-Bataillon der Luftwaffe
Ausbildungs- und Sammel-Bataillon der Luftflotte 2
Luftwaffen-J******228;ger-Bataillon z.b.V. 4
Luftwaffen-J******228;ger-Bataillon z.b.V. 6
Luftwaffen-J******228;ger-Bataillon z.b.V. 7
Luftwaffen-J******228;ger-Bataillon z.b.V. 8
Luftwaffen-J******228;ger-Bataillon z.b.V. 9
Gefechts-Bataillon Schwope
Ausbildungs- und Ersatz-Komp.zbV 3
Ausbildungs- und Ersatz-Komp.zbV 4
Landessch******252;tzen-Zug 372/XI
Landessch******252;tzen-Zug 374/XI
Jagdkommando der Luftflotte 2


Cheers,
ranville

[Erwin L]

Thanks a lot for the replies. Now i know a lot more and it is getting more interesting. I'm probably going to talk next week with a man who wrote a book. The bridge to Market Garden. Maybe he has some more information.

This unit fought with Fallschirm Jager Rgt 6 (Freiherr von der Heydte), Fallschirm Jager Rgt 18 (von Hoffmann), SS kampfgruppe Heinke that day

For BHS1956

Major Walther Veith and his Lieutenant, named Herbeck, were killed on 13 september 1944 when a granate hit their commandopost. This was in Neerpelt a place in Belgium near by the dutch border.

For Jungho

The soldbuch is a replacement issue. On the picture he wears a fliegerbluse with the collar patches of a (ober) feldwebel i believe. I will post some pics as soon as I can. So maybe he is cadre personel

For Ranville and BHS1956,

This is an explanation why they wore tropical uniforms that day. The soldiers who were captured wore tropical uniforms. They wore the tropical uniforms from being in Italy of course.

For time bandit

I got these term "clap" from the discription of the soldbuch.
I don't know what it means i just took it over. But there was some serious heavy fighting that day here. Really close combat fighting. A lot of sherman tanks were destroyed by 88mm Flak, panzerfaust, sturmgeschutze and about 200 Englisch soldiers lost their live that day in a couple of hours. They rest here at the local war cemetry

if somebody knows something please let me know. And thanks guys for your help so far.

Regards Erwin

[Luft 76]

Erwin, you have a interesting soldbook ; can we see it here ?
Personaly, I have a Wehrpass of an Uffz of 14./Fall. Jg. Regt. von Hoffmann who fought at the same place that yours...
I can post it, if you want.

[Erwin L]

Hello Luft,

I have bought it last Saturday. It is on my way. I think it arrives one of these days.
I will make some pictures and post them.

Please feel free to post your pics also. Is there someting said about Valkenswaard?

Regards Erwin

[Luft 76]

I forgot to say that I have also a Soldbuch of a former member of Lw Jäger Batl. z b v 2 who fought in Russia between 42-44. He was a "Stammpersonal" of the unit, as prouved a paper at end of the book. Here is a view ot the page with inscription on the right : I am sorry, the photo is not very good :

[Erwin L]

Hello Luft,

This is what i found from von Hoffmann. I will look for more info for you if you want.

Fallschirm Jager Rgt 18 (Fallschirm Ausbildungs Regiment von Hoffmann
1st Bataillon Major Kerutt ( He made a tank trap on both sides of the road)
The destroyed nine shermans in 2 minutes.
2nd Bataillon Oberst leutnant Stephan
14 th Panzer Jager Kompanie Brockes ( He died that day) All his anti tank guns were destroyed

Cheers Erwin

[Luft 76]

Thanks Erwin ; I knew that.
There is nothing specialy in my Wehrpass (only "Operationsgebiet Holland" on page 32), but I have a paper about fighting of Fj. Regt. in Valkensvaard. And it is speaking sometimes about "Lw Batl. Veith".

[Erwin L]

Thanks for the pictures Luft 76

If the soldbuch and the other paper needs another home
Can you post that other paper?

I will post my pics as soon as possible

Cheers Erwin

[Luft 76]

Here some others pages :

[Time Bandit]

I got these term "clap" from the discription of the soldbuch.

Ahh right...not what I thought then...

Over here 'clap' is a term for an STD and that's why I said...

Must of been indulging in a bit of 'close combat' there to pick that 'wound' up....

Though I suspect the clap in the book isn't the clap I was thinking of...

[Erwin L]

Hello Mike,

What is an STD. Now i'm curious

Cheers Erwin