Panzer-Lehr-Division Soldbuch - Normandy KIA

[Luft 76]

Yes, it's true, there is a big and interesting book in french written by J-P. Perrigault, Heimdal Editions. Perhaps is there one else in other country ?

[Panzer Rob]

Yes, it's true, there is a big and interesting book in french written by J-P. Perrigault, Heimdal Editions. Perhaps is there one else in other country ?

If you're talking about the giant 470+ page hardcover published in 1995, I have own a copy and I would recommend it. Even if you aren't fluent in French the photo captions are dual-language (French and German) so providing you are up to speed on your German it's not just a picture book There are a lot of maps and documents in there, and several photos that were new to me. IMHO definitely worth picking up.

Rob

[bsmith56]

If you're talking about the giant 470+ page hardcover published in 1995, I have own a copy and I would recommend it. Even if you aren't fluent in French the photo captions are dual-language (French and German) so providing you are up to speed on your German it's not just a picture book There are a lot of maps and documents in there, and several photos that were new to me. IMHO definitely worth picking up.

Rob

Sounds like an interesting book. Is there anywhere to buy it for a reasonable price? I see it on Amazon, but for $250.00!

[Luft 76]

Yes, it is. Try directly to :
http://www.editionsheimdal.fr/login.php

[bsmith56]

Somewhat of an update... I had to get this Death Card after seeing the date of death and the regiment he was in. Exact same death date and he was too a Panzer-Pionier! Although I don't know if he was in the same Division as him... I believe there were only 3 Panzer Divisions fighting in Normandy on this date. The 21st, 116th and Lehr. So he might have been in any 3 of them, seeing as they all had a Pionier Regiment. Can anyone tell what is on his left shoulder board? Maybe it will shed some light into what one he was in? It just looks like a circle to me.

[Ian Jewison]

Bledl is buried in La Cambe. I beleive this is around 130 Km from Champigny St. André

[hucks216]

Here are 2 pages from The Western Front 1944: Memoirs Of A Panzer Lehr Officer by Helmut Ritgen that mentions Pz Lehr's Pionier Rgt and is for the 14th June....

[bsmith56]

Very interesting pages, thanks for posting! I bought the book online after reading those. Also anyone have a guess as to what Division Bledl was in?

[bsmith56]

Another update to this thread... I was going through my scans of this book rcently and I thought that the final rifle he took into Normandy with him looked like it said 'Zielfernrohr', but wasn't quite sure and thought I was making something out of nothing. I posted a picture in that translation needed thread and 'Gerdan' agreed with me. Pretty cool surprise, considering I've had this book for over a year and didn't even know he was issued a sniper rifle. Also a first for my soldbuch collection. Another reason these are more fun to collect then medals and such: Just when you think you have all the book figured out, you keep learning new stuff about the soldier.

[Floris]

Nice new "find" in your soldbuch.
I think that if I will double or tripple check my documents I will also find new things in it.
That's the fun side of the hard to read german writtings inside soldbucher/wehrpasses.
Discover new things when you thought you new your stuff good.

[rickenbacker]

Very nice interesting soldbuch to a normandy casualty

[bsmith56]

Thanks guys! I didn't know that an engineer battalion would have a sniper... Thought that might be limited to Infantry/Grenadiers. But then again I don't have any experience with Sniper books

Anyone else seen something like this?

[Luft 76]

Just when you think you have all the book figured out, you keep learning new stuff about the soldier.

Completely agree. Same things happened to me, sometimes 20 years after... We have only a very little part of the real history ot these pieces.
Nice Sb !