Sometimes lady luck smiles my way :)

[Simon O.]

Every once in a blue moon you strike lucky in this hobby. This time around it was my turn. A month or so back a docs group came up for sale on ebay which caught my attention, a day or two went by and the item was withdrawn or perhaps more likely fell prey to the German ebay thought police. "Damn" thought i, but on the off chance i mailed the seller and sure enough he still had the group for sale and i could have it for the original starting price and that included postage. Well i nearly bit his arm off in my haste and today i picked up the lot from the post office.
So what's so special about this group? Well i guess this group is really for those interested in either rare units or those units connected to Finland\Norway as i am. It's the Wehrpass, Soldbuch, 10 other documents and the medals to a Feldwebel in Panzer Abteilung 211. Now in Finland the Germans only ever had 2 panzer abteilungen, Pz.Abt. 40 and Pz.Abt. 211 which was equipped with captured French S-35's and H-38's. Pz.Abt. 211 was also the only panzer abteilung in Finland after the end of 1942 and it ended the war in North Norway. So as far as panzertruppen goes this is a pretty rare beast.
To say that i've been grining like a cheshire cat all evening about this little find would be an understatement, baring highly decorated individuals this is as good as it gets for my particular sphere of interest

Enough of the ramblings, let's get on with the pics.

the whole group (pity the award docs weren't with it but you can't have everything right?)


Certificate showing his service with the screening staff at the POW camp of Elvergardsmoen (near Narvik), note his rank.

[Simon O.]

His personal data sheet, note his unit, 2./Pz.Abt.211. Also note the occupational category of G26, anyone know what this code refered to? is it the same as Rechnungsführer?



Small tag showing he passed initial screening



Now here's an interesting doc, note his rank and appointed rank of Hauptfeldwebel, also the name given to this transit staff, von Berlichingen !

[Simon O.]

On to the Soldbuch, no uniform photo unfortunately but look at the date for his promotion to Feldwebel 1.6.45!


From his Wehrpass, note both his parents who lived in Dresden died near the war's end.


His units, Panzer Abteilung 211 was formed from Panzer regiment 201.

[Simon O.]

His decorations as noted in his soldbuch. KvKII m\S, Ost med. and Lappland schild.


His active service page in the Wehrpass


Promotions and decorations in the Wehrpass, but where's the lappland schild?


There it is on another page.


Lastly, the training pages from the wehrpass.



Regards

Simon

BTW, the seller also threw in a CD with 133 great KM photo scans from Norway, which i knew nothing about until i opened the parcel

[erichcraciun]

Very nice Simon!

I have some Wehrmacht newspaper - like a Bierzeitung, entitled Nordlicht. Have you heard of these?

Erich

[Rick White]

Great find, Simon. I am sure you will have fun with this one

Rick

[Denis]

Hello
A nice and interesting group. It's worth noting that he beloneged to the transit staff of Colonel von Berlichingen as it is mentioned by the paper in English from the British camp commandant. I am nearly sure that this colonel was a relative of the famous Götz von Berlichingen whose the name was adopted by the 17. SS Pz. Gre. Div. If my memory serves me, this unit was fristly stationed in France and the "GvB" cuff titles were awarded during a ceremony where, I was said, a relative of this warrior was attending. It might be this very same officer.
Regards
Denis

[Ian Jewison]

Another PZ.Rgt. 211 Soldbuch

Hi Simon,

Here is one in my collection from the same unit for comparison.:

Regards, Ian

[Ian Jewison]

Unit page...prior to 211 he served with Panzer Regiment 203 which apparently used captured tanks!

[Ian Jewison]

Security checks and the formal check for surrendering troops from Norway......

[Ian Jewison]

Awards page....interestingly his last unit was 2 Kompanie according to page 4 so I was looking for the same signatures as your book, however the Lapplandscild was made by a Hauptmann from the Stabskompanie.

[Ian Jewison]

Another picture of Herr Dworaczek

[Simon O.]

Nice Ian, i was hoping mine would have his soldbuch photo in panzer black...

Notice that the lappland schild is awarded on the same day.


The best book on the subject is "Panzers in Finland" by Kari Kuusela. It states the abteilung commander to be a Hauptmann Dettweiler from June '44 to the end. As at 1.11.44 the abteilung was equipped with 16 French S-35, 28 French H-38 and 6 Pz.III (N?) and in other sources the unit had a strength of 437 men of which i believe 14 were officers at the wars end.


Would Rechnungsführer be company clerk or company pay clerk?

As for Berlichingen the 1944 rangliste shows an Oberstleutnant Freiherr von Berlichingen-Jagsthausen but i have no idea as to where he was posted or to what unit.


Regards

Simon

[Ian Jewison]

Hi Simon,

Thanks for that info...

Yes, Rechnungsführer is more like a pay clerk! I can not remember but was this what they called paymasters in the early years? Perhaps a pay clerk with NCO rank but not a Beamten as the latter left military service normally after 12 years and rejoined as pay masters....

I notice that he did not have a Panzer licence...also one of the documents refers to him being the the "Speiß" or Hauptfeldwebel under British command!

Notice that the lappland schild is awarded on the same day.

Also the Russian front medal was awarded on the same day!

Regards, Ian

[Simon O.]

He must have been both cooperative and quite useful to the British. I guess it must have been the orderly paper pusher in him which led him to keep every scrap of paper

Do you know what the G26 special occupational category refered to on the personal data sheet and noted in the soldbuch is? I see it notes "insert appropriate letter and serial number from special occupation index"


Regards

Simon