By some strange coincidence, one year after presenting the unique grouping to Adolf Ballauf, who was executed by a Standgericht in France in 1944 (see link), another Wehrpass to an executed Geman soldier has fallen in my hands.
Franz Wunder was born in Essen and was called up for military service at the age of 22 in October 1936. After two years of conscription he returned to civilian life, but another two years later he was called up again in October 1941. Wunder eventually ended up with the staff of the IV. Abteilung of Artillerie-Regiment 107 in the Summer of 1942. As part of the 106. Infanterie-Division, this regiment was refreshing from heavy losses on the Eastern Front in the area of Saint-Omer, France. There, Wunder enjoyed a quite comfortable life until word came that the division was to be sent to the East again in February 1943. Did he fear for his life, or did he not want to fight on moral or political grounds? Did he not return from his final home leave, or did he try to go underground in France? Either way, Franz Wunder deserted from the ranks as the 106.ID was transported to the area of Charkow.
But by trying to escape, he would meet a perhaps even darker fate. Wunder was captured and brought in front of a Kriegsgericht, where he was found guilty of Fahnenflucht (desertion) on the 9th of February, 1943. He was demoted to Kanonier, therefore given a new Wehrpass, and was asked to sign for receipt of the confirmation of his judgement. Wunder spent more than seven months in jail until finally, on the 8th of October 1943, he was brought to his executioner in the cells of the Landesgericht in Vienna. He was beheaded with the prison's Fallbeil (guillotine), in a gruesome series of 19 executions that day. Among the other victims were two other soldiers, but mostly civilians condemned for (high) treason and communal crimes.
I hope this tragic Wehrpass is of interest.
Franz Wunder was born in Essen and was called up for military service at the age of 22 in October 1936. After two years of conscription he returned to civilian life, but another two years later he was called up again in October 1941. Wunder eventually ended up with the staff of the IV. Abteilung of Artillerie-Regiment 107 in the Summer of 1942. As part of the 106. Infanterie-Division, this regiment was refreshing from heavy losses on the Eastern Front in the area of Saint-Omer, France. There, Wunder enjoyed a quite comfortable life until word came that the division was to be sent to the East again in February 1943. Did he fear for his life, or did he not want to fight on moral or political grounds? Did he not return from his final home leave, or did he try to go underground in France? Either way, Franz Wunder deserted from the ranks as the 106.ID was transported to the area of Charkow.
But by trying to escape, he would meet a perhaps even darker fate. Wunder was captured and brought in front of a Kriegsgericht, where he was found guilty of Fahnenflucht (desertion) on the 9th of February, 1943. He was demoted to Kanonier, therefore given a new Wehrpass, and was asked to sign for receipt of the confirmation of his judgement. Wunder spent more than seven months in jail until finally, on the 8th of October 1943, he was brought to his executioner in the cells of the Landesgericht in Vienna. He was beheaded with the prison's Fallbeil (guillotine), in a gruesome series of 19 executions that day. Among the other victims were two other soldiers, but mostly civilians condemned for (high) treason and communal crimes.
I hope this tragic Wehrpass is of interest.
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