GD Pionier Soldbuch, KIA

[Stormfighter]

Here's a "Grossdeutschland" Soldbuch I recently acquired for a young soldier named Helmut Schaefer who served in the Pionier Bataillon and the Divisions-Begleit-Kompanie (Divisional Escort Company) of Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Grossdeutschland." He saw combat and was wounded by shell fragment in June 1944 and earned the E.K. II in February 1945. The Soldbuch includes an interesting late war German flier telling German soldiers that the war is not lost and it's worth it to continue to fight. It's the first such flier I have seen. Gefreiter Schaefer was killed in action on 19 April 1945 and is buried in Sassnitz-Dwasieden on the island of Rügen. I have not thoroughly researched this Soldbuch, but assume he was killed after being transported by ship from East Prussia to Rügen. If anyone has any information or guesses concerning the circumstances of his death on Rügen, I am interested.

Barry

[Stormfighter]

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[hucks216]

Nice example. As he was admitted to a Res-Lazarett at Sassnitz just a few days before he died I would say that he was wounded in the East and evacuated by ship to that hospital whereupon he died from his wounds and buried there. The last known GD elements were evacuated from the East on 19th March 1945 so it either took him a while to end up at the Res-Laz, a delay in his paperwork or he ended up on another transport. Details of the Div.Begl.Kp are very scant in the last weeks of the war so it is possible that elements were transported after the last of the main GD were evacuated, leaving 4,000 GD members behind to fight on against the Russians.

[JUNGCO]

Barry,
Great Soldbuch!

[hucks216]

Additionally, the EK II entry is signed by Hans-Joachim Kolewe (DKiG).

[Stormfighter]

Nice example. As he was admitted to a Res-Lazarett at Sassnitz just a few days before he died I would say that he was wounded in the East and evacuated by ship to that hospital whereupon he died from his wounds and buried there. The last known GD elements were evacuated from the East on 19th March 1945 so it either took him a while to end up at the Res-Laz, a delay in his paperwork or he ended up on another transport. Details of the Div.Begl.Kp are very scant in the last weeks of the war so it is possible that elements were transported after the last of the main GD were evacuated, leaving 4,000 GD members behind to fight on against the Russians.

Thanks Kevin. It was late last night when I posted this thread - I should have referred to the wound pages not just the Volksbund page. Yes, Schaefer was most likely wounded sometime before 16 April 1945 and was evacuated by ship or boat to Sassnitz, where he succumbed to his wound(s) on 19 April 1945.

[Panzer Rob]

Outstanding late-war casualty Großdeutschland Soldbuch Barry I've seen other fliers similar to that one but not this exact one. Very sharp portrait photo as well!

Kevin- great info and I agree that Schaefer was more than likely wounded before being evacuated and then died in hospital.

Great score Barry! Thanks for sharing it with us
Rob