After posting my Soldbuch to a Goliath driver, I thought I'd add another interesting one with a connection to the Warsaw Uprising.
This one is to Gefreiter Gerhard Drescher. The Soldbuch to the then only 17 year old Drescher was started in October 1942. He was trained as a Panzergrenadier and ended up in an MG-Kompanie of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment Norwegen in late 1943. His Bataillon was stationed in Hönefoss, northwest of Oslo in Norway, as part of the Panzer-Division Norwegen. In July 1944, his entire Bataillon was used to create the II. Bataillon of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 146. Drescher ended up in the Versorgungs-Kompanie. As part of the 25. Panzer-Division, he was deployed on the Eastern Front in the area of Warschau, Narew, Radom, retreating to the Oder front. There, Drescher was wounded by infantry shots through both his knees in February 1945. Obviously, this was a very serious wound and he was still in hospital by late September 1945, many months after the war. He was awarded the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz for his Oder Front wound and ended up in American captivity.
More interestingly, Drescher was involved in the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising, August - October 1944. On Drescher's award page, there is a great paper tag signed by his Kompanieführer confirming that he took part honorably in the combats in Warsaw.
Members of the 25. Panzer-Division were involved in the murdering of a large number of Polish civilians in the area of Marymont, a northern suburb of Warsaw.
The formulation of the paper tag seems to be taken directly from the institution order of the infamous 'Warschauschild', the campaign shield that was instituted but never actually awarded. A few examples are known of the Warschauschild entered in Soldbucher, and obviously in this particular Soldbuch, the entry was made in anticipation of a future awarding of the shield.
Looking forward to hear your comments, in particular on the Warschau entry. Do similar Soldbuch examples exist? Additional information on Panzergrenadier-Regiment 146 during the Warsaw Uprising is also most welcome.
This one is to Gefreiter Gerhard Drescher. The Soldbuch to the then only 17 year old Drescher was started in October 1942. He was trained as a Panzergrenadier and ended up in an MG-Kompanie of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment Norwegen in late 1943. His Bataillon was stationed in Hönefoss, northwest of Oslo in Norway, as part of the Panzer-Division Norwegen. In July 1944, his entire Bataillon was used to create the II. Bataillon of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 146. Drescher ended up in the Versorgungs-Kompanie. As part of the 25. Panzer-Division, he was deployed on the Eastern Front in the area of Warschau, Narew, Radom, retreating to the Oder front. There, Drescher was wounded by infantry shots through both his knees in February 1945. Obviously, this was a very serious wound and he was still in hospital by late September 1945, many months after the war. He was awarded the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz for his Oder Front wound and ended up in American captivity.
More interestingly, Drescher was involved in the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising, August - October 1944. On Drescher's award page, there is a great paper tag signed by his Kompanieführer confirming that he took part honorably in the combats in Warsaw.
Members of the 25. Panzer-Division were involved in the murdering of a large number of Polish civilians in the area of Marymont, a northern suburb of Warsaw.
The formulation of the paper tag seems to be taken directly from the institution order of the infamous 'Warschauschild', the campaign shield that was instituted but never actually awarded. A few examples are known of the Warschauschild entered in Soldbucher, and obviously in this particular Soldbuch, the entry was made in anticipation of a future awarding of the shield.
Der Warschauschild wird verliehen als Kampfabzeichen an Wehrmachtangehörige und Nicht-Wehrmachtangehörige, die in der Zeit vom 1. August 1944 bis Oktober 1944 an den Kämpfen in Warschau ehrenvoll beteiligt waren
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