New Battle-Damaged Soldbuch

[Panzer Rob]

I tried the Volksbund list and could n o t find Walter Schuele as KIA or MIA.

Gerdan

Remember, the Volksbund isn't complete, nor is it always 100% accurate.....


Rob

[JBGracing]

Great battle damaged Soldbuchs. I know this is a long shot, but does anyone think that the two light spots on the cover of Barrys could be from Schueles black wound badge(from the hinge and catch), if it was kept in his upper breast pocket?

Jared

I just picked up this Soldbuch and thought I would share it since it has some real character. Walter Schuele was a butcher and lived in Berlin before he entered the service in 1940. He initially served as a butcher, but later served with Artillerie Regimnt 361 and finally with Panzerjaeger-Abteilung 1559 of the 559. Volksgrenadier Division, which served on the Western Front. As you can see, the Soldbuch - and probably Schuele - took a hell of a hit from a piece of shrapnel. I assume it was fatal for Schuele, but who knows. I have already written to Germany to learn of his fate and will keep everyone posted.

Barry

[Stormfighter]

Jochen1000, I have posted the wound/illness pages for your interest. The final shrapnel hit is not lasted in the Soldbuch, suggesting that it may have been fatal. Incidentally, you'll note that his Stammrolle Nr. with Panzerjaeger Abteilung 1559 is dated 1945, so I am assuming that he bought the farm that year. The first step I always take is checking the Deutsche Kriegegraeberfursorge Web site:

Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V. - Arbeit für den Frieden

As Rob said, it's far from complete and not entirely accurate. At the end of the war, thousands of Soldbuecher were simply retrieved from bodies and forwarded to authorities, most of which found there way to the Zentralnachweisstelle in Berlin. If the Soldbuch wasn't sent in with any other information as to where or how it was found, then the soldier's fate remains undocumented and does not appear on the Volksbund Web site. I have had a couple of dozen KIAs that don't appear on the Web site. The Deutsche Dienststelle in Berlin usually can tell you of a soldier's fate; however, in recent times, they haven't been so cooperative. Another method I use is writing the Einwohnermeldeamt or Standesamt (Citizen's Registration Office) of a soldier's town. They can't give much information about a soldier's military service, but they can often at least establish the soldier's fate.

[dennisb]

Barry, I heared of a lot of people that they ask WAST for information regarding soldiers fate and have to fully agree with you that WAST haven't been very cooperative recently, what is going on with WAST?

[Stormfighter]

The WASt is like any other archive - underfunded. The primary reason for the existence of the WASt is to help relatives learn the fates of their family members - it was never intended to be for collectors. Back in the seventies, I provided a whole list of names and they would give me answers, but not any more. In the past few years, I have written them and once they actually wrote me back and said "Send us the Soldbuch and we'll make sure it gets in the right hands." Of course, it depends on which worker receives your letter - the woman who wrote this letter had a Russian name!

[71GrenadierDivi]

I think the owner of document this is.

[71GrenadierDivi]

Remember, the Volksbund isn't complete, nor is it always 100% accurate.....


Rob

[Panzer Rob]

Not sure what your little "thumbs up" is supposed to imply, but It's a well known fact that the Volksbund is not 100% complete. I have at least three Soldbücher to soldiers KIA that are not even listed, others with the incorrect date of birth, incorrect location of birth, incorrect rank or even a misspelling of the name.

As Rob said, it's far from complete and not entirely accurate. At the end of the war, thousands of Soldbuecher were simply retrieved from bodies and forwarded to authorities, most of which found there way to the Zentralnachweisstelle in Berlin. If the Soldbuch wasn't sent in with any other information as to where or how it was found, then the soldier's fate remains undocumented and does not appear on the Volksbund Web site. I have had a couple of dozen KIAs that don't appear on the Web site. The Deutsche Dienststelle in Berlin usually can tell you of a soldier's fate; however, in recent times, they haven't been so cooperative. Another method I use is writing the Einwohnermeldeamt or Standesamt (Citizen's Registration Office) of a soldier's town. They can't give much information about a soldier's military service, but they can often at least establish the soldier's fate.

Rob

[Stormfighter]

I take my hat out and give a deep bow to 71GrenadierDivi for identifying the soldier whose damaged Soldbuch I posted. This case demonstrates another reason why one can not find a soldier's name on the German War Graves Web site - misspellings! This soldier's last name was definitely Schüle yet it appears at Schele on the German War Graves Web site. I may write to them to have them make the correction, which I have done several times before.

Good detective work 71GrenadierDivi!!

[71GrenadierDivi]

I take my hat out and give a deep bow to 71GrenadierDivi for identifying the soldier whose damaged Soldbuch I posted. This case demonstrates another reason why one can not find a soldier's name on the German War Graves Web site - misspellings! This soldier's last name was definitely Schüle yet it appears at Schele on the German War Graves Web site. I may write to them to have them make the correction, which I have done several times before.

Good detective work 71GrenadierDivi!!

You make a big Help at possible family or friends of young.

[FredK1]

Hi what us the url for the German War Graves Web site?

FredK1

[bsmith56]

Hi what us the url for the German War Graves Web site?

FredK1

http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche/content_suche.asp - Hope it helps!

[71GrenadierDivi]

It IS:
http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche...70C9C4ADC4048C