Soldbuch Entry

[Lynton Battrick]

Hi,
Could anyone help with this entry please, I am trying to find out where this Soldier was in 1941 and I think this entry will help.
I can read the Standort Z.B.V Hamburg, but what is the entry above and the 2 below please?
Many thanks,Lynton.

[Larry deZeng]

That's some pretty nasty scribbling. The one above and the one below appear to be Versetzung (transferring). I can't read the second one below. Gerdan or one of the others should confirm this.

--Larry

[Ian Jewison]

That is Versetzung written 3 times in different hands!

[Lynton Battrick]

Many thanks to you both.
That helps but doesn't if you see what I mean.
regards.Lynton.

[Lynton Battrick]

Is it also possible to tell me what 'StandortsKompanie z.b.v Hamburg' is please?

[Larry deZeng]

Is it also possible to tell me what 'StandortsKompanie z.b.v Hamburg' is please?

Garrison Company for Special Purposes Hamburg. Don't let the z.b.V. (for special purposes) throw you, as the Wehrmacht stuck that at the end on many different types of units to label them as "irregular" in some sort of way. It really doesn't mean much. This one was probably used for guard duty for various HQ buildings, etc., in Hamburg.

--Larry

[Ian Jewison]

Theres a unit stamp there as well between the bottom two Versetzung....E.B 47 2 4.....Ersatz Bataillon 47?

Can you show a larger scan of that page Lynton?

/Ian

[Lynton Battrick]

Hi,
Thanks for all the help.
Here is one a close as I can get.
Cheers,Lynton.

[Ian Jewison]

Sorry Lynton, I meant a larger scan showing the whole page!

Is that unit shown any where else ie page 4 or 17?

/Ian

[Lynton Battrick]

Sorry Ian ,
No, that unit is not mentioned anywhere else in the book except there?

[Lynton Battrick]

One more question on this Soldbuch please.
This man joined Panzer Pioneer batl 220 (mot) in late november 1943 as part of 21 Panzer Division when refiiting in France. This is the last field unit in the Soldbuch. I also have his certificate of discharge from a PoW camp from Oct 1945, So, would it be correct to say he either escaped Falaise when the division was destroyed, and fought with the division till the end of the war, evading capture by the russians, or he was captured somewhere in between?
Also, does anyone have info on where in France 21 Pz Div refitted, and when they arrived in Normandy?

[Ian Jewison]

You say that is the last field unit.......are there entries from other units? Leaves, kits issues etc.etc. that provide dates on where he was?

The answer could be there somewhere but 9 times out of 10 you have to find it........or at least show it!

/Ian

[Lynton Battrick]

Hi Ian, I will post so you can have a look.
I can find no other units after Pz Pi Batl 220, which is filled in the field units, and there are stamps elsewhere for 01 dec 43.....in fact i have just spotted one other entry with a later date..his promtion to Stabsgefreiter on 01 Jan 1945 by Pz Pi batl 220.

[Lynton Battrick]

Others.

[Ian Jewison]

in fact i have just spotted one other entry with a later date..his promtion to Stabsgefreiter on 01 Jan 1945 by Pz Pi batl 220.

BINGO!

Thats what I keep saying to people...find out what is in front of you and more often than not you can find the answer yourself.

Also by doing so you will get a better understanding of the document etc.

When doing this you need to check dates and units of promotions, kit issues, hospitalisations, security checks, leaves, awards, pay entries, vaccinations....every page in the Soldbuch!

Part of the interpretation and understanding during the war was to write down each entry by date and build up a list in date order to see exactly what he did! This is explained in the war time publication something like "Exploitation of German Military Documents".......Try it on a word processor and put everything in date order.....easier in modern times!

/Ian