Lets see your Panzer crew member Soldbuchs

[Bono]

Here's an interesting Soldbuch I recently acquired. His story is a sad one since he was killed at the end of the war when he was just 17. Panzerschütze Gerard Jenisch resembles the kid from "A Christmas Story" as my friend Lee Luke pointed out. His Erkennungsmarke was issued by Panzertruppen Abteilung G.D. - Staatskanzlei, a rather rare unit. It was formed after 20 July 1944 and was a light Panzerzug (Tank Platoon) of Wachbataillon (Guard Battalion) Grossdeutschland that used Panzer IIs. It was an Alarmeinheit (Emergency Response Unit) to be used in the event of something like 20 July 1944 happening again. Jenisch attended the Offizierbewerber-Schule "GD" (Officer's Candidate School "GD"), but never joined Grossdeutschland's Panzer force. He was thrown into combat as an infantryman within western Germany at the end of the war and succumbed to a bullet wound on 8 April 1945.

Barry

Great soldbuch but sad story...all true about war. Thanks for sharing.

Bono

[JUNGCO]

Barry, interesting unit and picture.
Jeff

[Ian Jewison]

Interesting book Barry,

As no doubt you know he is buried here:

Gerhard Jenisch ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuenkirchen-St. Arnold-Missionsfriedhof. Endgrablage: Reihe 1 Grab 2

Nachname: Jenisch
Vorname: Gerhard
Dienstgrad: Schütze
Geburtsdatum: 18.12.1927
Geburtsort: Wien
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 08.04.1945
Todes-/Vermisstenort: nicht verzeichnet

He was no doubt killed defending Rheine or the surrounding area. I have recently bought Helmuth Spaeter's books on the history of Panzerkorps GD and there is an in depth account of the activation and combat of Ersatz Brigade GD in the last few months of the war.

In summary, attached is an account of their actions when they were merged into Panzergrenadier Regiment 115.

/Ian

[Panzer Rob]

In summary, attached is an account of their actions when they were merged into Panzergrenadier Regiment 115.

/Ian

Awesome

[Stormfighter]

Ian, as Rob said - awesome! Thanks a lot as the battle listing provides great insight into Jenisch's last days. Thanks for posting the death listing from the German War Graves webiste as well. Did you notice that they have his first name wrong? They have Gerhard, not Gerard. One of a million mistakes on the website. I'm hoping to get a photo of Jenisch's grave one day. Anyone live near Neuenkirchen? Or as an old friend, perhaps Ian will go there for me with his camera. There's a beer in it for you Ian

[PanzerElite]

decorations page and I don't believe the German Cross in gold entered 1 MAY, 1945!

i believe all blue ink entries are added.

[Panzer Rob]

In an effort to revive this thread and keep it going here's a Soldbuch I picked up a few years ago to Horst Hornack. Hornack's Soldbuch was issued on 8.December 1942 via Stamm.Kp./Pz.Ers.Abt.5 and shortly afterwards he was transferred to the 7./Panzer-Regiment 6 of the 3.Panzer-Division. It was with this unit that Hornack was wounded in Sept. 1943 for which he was awarded the Black Wound Badge (see page 22). In 1944 Hornack was transferred to 1./Panzer-Abteilung (Panther) 2102 of Panzer-Brigade 102 and in 1945 he was transferred to 2./Panzer-Abteilung (Panther) 2108 of Panzer-Brigade 108.

Notice the nice late-war entry on page 8c indicating Hornack was issued a P.38 on 16.April 1945

Unfortunately I have not been able to find the time to research this Soldbuch. A quick internet search reveals that on 22.March 1945, the 1., 2. and 3. Kompanien of Panzer-Brigade 108 along with the remnants of Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 218 and Panzer-Abteilung Potsdam were ordered to be used to form the Panzer-Abteilung of Panzer-Auffrischungs-Abteilung Krampnitz (which was re-designated Panzer-Ausbildungs-Verband Krampnitz on 17.April 1945) however some records indicate that these three Panzer units were not incorporated and instead used for other purposes (credit Martin Block) which I've yet been able to identify. Other records indicate that Panzer-Brigade 108 was incorporated into Panzer-Regiment 25 of the 7.Panzer Division and ended the war fighting in East Prussia.

If anyone is able to shed some light on Panzer-Brigade 108 during the last few weeks of the war it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Rob

[Panzer Rob]

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[Panzer Rob]

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[Panzer Rob]

Notice the security check on page 17 dated 1.Sept.1944 confirming that as of this date Hornack was still with 1.(Panther)/Panzer-Abt.2012

[Panzer Rob]

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[mufasa]

very nice addition!!!
Oriano

[Admiraal]

Here is a Soldbuch i already showed in the "post your fav. 2014 addition thread", but it has a better place here.
I'm un-able to find more information about it. Maybe one of you panzer loving collectors know more?

Unfortunately the photo was removed. The soldier received his Soldbuch in January 1941.
According to page 19 he set foot in Afrika on 18-8-1941 with Panzer-Regiment 8 of the 15.Panzer-Division.
I don't know from which date, but somehow around 1942 he ended up in Russia with Stab./Panzer-Abteilung 116.
This might be due to a disease he got in Afrika in late 1941.
With this new unit he earned the Pz.Kampfabzeichen in Silber on 30-9-1942.
On 10-8-1943 he received the EK II Klasse while in 2./Panzer-Abteilung 116.
He became an Unteroffizier on 1-9-1943 and on 2-11-1943 he recieved the Pz.Kampfabzeichen in Silber II-Stufe.

He was with this unit when it moved to Normandië to be transformed into the 116.Panzer-Division.
This soldier went to 2 (Panther)./Pz.Rgt.16 of the Division. In September 1944 he got a security check on page 15, still in the 2.Kompanie.
So he survived the Normandië battles and Falaise pocket.

In the middle of September 1944 his Bataillon, I.Panzer-Regiment 16, was attached to Panzer-Brigade 111. Bot equiped with Panthers.
Together they were to mount an attack in the Lorraine area. In late September 1944 they both got attached to the 11.Panzer-Division (Panzer-Regiment 15).
Around 1-3 Oktober they were ordered to leave all the remaining Panther tanks (around 30) at the 11.Panzer-Division.
Panzer-Brigade 111 got disbaned and all the crews were orderd to go to Grafenwöhr in Germany to get new tanks and return to the 116. Panzer-Division.
Somehow this soldier stayed and ended up in the 11.Panzer-Division.

In late 1944 he was with this Division in the Hagenau (Haguenau) region. When the 11.Panzer-Division got relieved, this soldier went missing when they changed positions on 30-11-1944.
The unit send a letter home to his family asking if they knew what happend, believing that he might have been incorperated into another unit.
According to the book "The Lorraine Campaign", the 11.Pz.Div. was relieved and send to Army-Group B, but had left behind a small Kampfgruppe of tanks and supporting infanterie of
the Begleit-Kompanie to re-capture the town of Sarre-Union (France) on 3-12-1944. The attack failed. Maybe this soldier participated in that attack?
The last date in the soldbuch is from 21-11-1944. All pages are in the soldbuch but some glued-in pages have been removed.

He was captured by the Americans, unknown when, and send to a POW camp in France.
His POW number on page 1 is pretty high (31G-1702?00), and when comparing to others it must have been given in the spring of 1945.
This does not give an exact time when he was captured but it does make it look like that was in 1945 instead of late 1944.
He was released in september 1946 and probably worked for the Allied forces as he received an American "Motor Vehicle Operators Permit".

Any info or input is welcome!

[Admiraal]

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[Admiraal]

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