Soldbuch / Documents to Oberstleutnant Kurt Sievers

[erichcraciun]

I posted this here many years ago and since then I have discovered quite a bit more about the life and service of Oberstleutnant Kurt Ludwig Sievers.

[erichcraciun]

Sievers was born on Born 20.1.1897 in Hamburg. His profession as listed in his Soldbuich is "Hauptmann" (military officer / Capitan). I unfortunatley have not found any information regarding his service in the First World War.

Sievers is mentioned as Kompaniechef / Regimentskommandeur a number of times in the divisional history of the 122. Infanterie Division “Greif”

[erichcraciun]

Units served with:

Infanterie Regiment 478 (258. Infanterie Division) (Kompanieführer 6. Komp) (this regiment was transfered to 122. ID in October 1940)

Infanterie Regiment 411 (122. Infanterie Division) Regimentskommandeur Stammrolle Nr 1.

Grenadier-Regiment 547 (328. Infanterie Division) Regimentskommandeur. GR 547 was assigned to the 83. ID during the heavy fight at Newel.

[erichcraciun]

One page: 18 / 19 is missing….this made me very curious and over many years, I was able to contact the Bundesarchiv, veterans associations and the Meldeamt where he was born (Hamburg), where he lived during the war (Neustettin) and were he last lived (Fürstenfeldbrück) Orignally I though he was KIA or died in Soviet captivity.

From the Deutsche Dienststelle and Bundesarchiv, I received the missing information:

From 1.6. 1943 Sievers served with the Stabkompanie / Grenadier Ersatz Batallion 202 in Schwerin and from 11.1943 was part of the Kommandatur of the Durchgangslager 180 somewhere in Southern Russia.

His last reported posting was with the Staff of Landesschützen Btl 552

His Verwendungskarte from 1943 says he was listed as an "Ergänzungs-Offizier" (for the expansion of the Wehrmacht?) in 1936

[erichcraciun]

Verwundungen

Sievers was sent to the Reserve Lazarett in Neustettin on 16.9. 1939 for “Verbrennung der Hände” (burn wounds to hands) and on 7(?). 9 sent back as “dgf” (dienstfähig) to his 6. Kompanie / Inf Regt 478.

Then later in 1944 it is noted the Sievers is admitted to the Luftwaffen Lazarett in Brünn (Sudetenland / CZ)f or Wound Code 34-Accident (or self mutilation)…unfortunately I have no further details regarding his wounds.

He is then transferred back to Neustettin to recuperate and again transferred to an illegible Lazarett to take part in an Offizers Lehrgang before being released on 8.12.1944 as “bedingt kriegsverwendungsfähig (bed.k.v.)” to his Ersatz Truppenteil Stab / Landesschützen Btl 552 (while the Feldtruppenteil was destroyed along with the 6. Armee in Chișinău Rumania (modern day Moldavia).

[erichcraciun]

Auszeichnungen

Sievers served in the First World War where he was awarded at least the EK 2. Klasse.

During the Second World War he was awarded:

20.2. 1942 Spange zum EK 2. Klasse
20.7.1942 Ostmedaille
16.8.1942 Infanterie Sturmabzeichen in Silber

Perhaps the back of one the missing pages has additional awards (?). There is certainly a reason why this one page is missing - perhaps due to the fact that he served with Durchgangslager 180 (?)

Sometime in 1945, Sievers is taken prisoner by the Soviets and was released on 13.12.1949 and transferred to the Heimkehrerlager in Groenenfelde (Frankfurt / Oder) (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimkeh...er_Gronenfelde).

This entry on the first page of his Soldbuch (I posted previously) I think has something to do with his captivity, however I am unable to translate it.

[erichcraciun]

The Preußen Sievers eventually found his way Bavaria and settled in Fürstenfeldbruck. He died in 1980 and is buried…..anonymously…along with his daughter and her husband. After hours of searching….here his grave marker.

[Simon O.]

Do you know why he went from a frontline infantry regiment to being sent to rear area jobs?

If he was wasn't wounded or had a health condition, it makes you wonder.

[erichcraciun]

I wish I knew! Still researching.,,,,

[Simon O.]

I'm sure some of his 'Beurteilung' would make for interesting reading

[erichcraciun]

Hello Simon.

That could very well be. Being placed of the Führerreserve list was not necessarily good for an offiicer's career.

I just found this in the Divisionsgeschichte der 258. ID.

[Edward]

Nicely researched and presented Erich.

The Führerreserve entry is something often seen in Soldbücher and Wehrpaß. The entry was made to show that the officer was in a "holding" status awaiting orders for there next posting. Not due to anything negative that I have ever found.

Many Officers from the older age groups such as your man were reassigned to either rear area jobs, or to lower call up catagories during 1942-43.

[erichcraciun]

Thank you Edward,

I had always heard that being placed on the Führerreserve was not positive but I am happy to learn more. I wonder if there is anything more I could learn about this man.

[jmark]

Nice presentation! Officer Soldbuchs always offer more opportunities for research, and you've shown that well.

One page: 18 / 19 is missing….this made me very curious ... Kommandatur of the Durchgangslager 180 somewhere in Southern Russia.

Maybe he ripped it out himself to cover his past as commandant of a transit camp. These were often places of brutality.

“Verbrennung der Hände” (burn wounds to hands)

Looks like it might say "Verbrennung beider Hände" (burns to both hands).

Jason

[erichcraciun]

Good eye Jason - it is in fact "beider Hände".

I am still interested about the Wound Code 34 wounds...what happened there.

As for the Dulag - the more I think of it, I tend to think this is the reason he removed the page - especially being taken prisoner be the Soviets...

Everytime I look at Sievers, I think of the book Oberst ohne Ritterkreuz by Franz Taut....except for the fact that Sievers never received is EK 1 except if it is listed on Page 19....