After the Wehrpass of Hermann Reinhard last year, I am glad to be able to share another very early Panzer crew member KIA Wehrpass, this time to a member of Rommel's 7th Panzer-Division who was killed in France, 1940. Josef Schweitzer joined the Wehrmacht in April 1934. After serving with some infantry regiments, he moved to Panzer-Regiment 7 in October 1937. As an Unteroffizier, he was trained on various tank weapons like the KwK.30 and the KwK.38(t). He also drove the Panzer I tanks. One year after, he was with the men of his unit who were sent to the newly erected Panzer-Abteilung 66, part of the 2. leichte Division. The Wehrpass was opened by his Kompanieführer, no one less than Hauptmann Rudolf Gerhardt, the later Oberst, commander of the Panzer-Lehr-Regiment, Ritterkreuz- and DKiG-Träger.
After the Polish campaign, the 2. leichte Division was transformed into the 7. Panzer-Division. Erwin Rommel took command of the division early 1940. In the early morning of May 10th, 1940, they invaded Belgium. As a Belgian collector, it is great for me to see two skirmishes on Belgian soil highlighted in the battle list. In Haversin, near Ciney, the Pz.Abt.66 ran into a French ambush on the 12th of May. Eight German tanks are said to have been lost that day. After crossing the Meuse river in Dinant on 14th of May, Schweitzer saw action that same day on the road to Philippeville near Anthée and Morville, where French troops (including Algerians) insuccessfully tried to stop the advance of the 7.Pz.Div.
After crossing the Belgian-French border, the 7.Pz.Div. drove on towards Cambrai. Schweitzer, however, would never reach that city. On May 18th, he was killed in the fields between the villages of Pommereuil and Bazuel, just east of Le Cateau-Cambresis. Joseph Schweitzer rests today on the German cemetery of Bourdon, Block 22, Reihe 8, Grab 281. He was awarded with the Dienstauszeichnungen IV. and III. Klasse, the Sudeten-Erinnerungsmedaille and the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse.
Hope you enjoy the scans. Of course, if anyone would have detailed information about Josef Schweitzer, any other signatures in the papers, or the losses of Pz.Abt.66 on May 18th, this would be most welcome!
After the Polish campaign, the 2. leichte Division was transformed into the 7. Panzer-Division. Erwin Rommel took command of the division early 1940. In the early morning of May 10th, 1940, they invaded Belgium. As a Belgian collector, it is great for me to see two skirmishes on Belgian soil highlighted in the battle list. In Haversin, near Ciney, the Pz.Abt.66 ran into a French ambush on the 12th of May. Eight German tanks are said to have been lost that day. After crossing the Meuse river in Dinant on 14th of May, Schweitzer saw action that same day on the road to Philippeville near Anthée and Morville, where French troops (including Algerians) insuccessfully tried to stop the advance of the 7.Pz.Div.
After crossing the Belgian-French border, the 7.Pz.Div. drove on towards Cambrai. Schweitzer, however, would never reach that city. On May 18th, he was killed in the fields between the villages of Pommereuil and Bazuel, just east of Le Cateau-Cambresis. Joseph Schweitzer rests today on the German cemetery of Bourdon, Block 22, Reihe 8, Grab 281. He was awarded with the Dienstauszeichnungen IV. and III. Klasse, the Sudeten-Erinnerungsmedaille and the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse.
Hope you enjoy the scans. Of course, if anyone would have detailed information about Josef Schweitzer, any other signatures in the papers, or the losses of Pz.Abt.66 on May 18th, this would be most welcome!
Gotta love those early KIA's 
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