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One family tragedy amongst millions

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    #1

    One family tragedy amongst millions

    I came across this WP in the archives the other day and thought it was worthy of it's own thread rather than putting it in the WP archives thread.

    It looked like an ordinary WP at first.

    Josef 'Sepp' Puntigam, a 35 year old Feldwebel and baker by trade from Graz in Austria with 1./Landesschützen Btl.809 based in North Norway in 1945
    Attached Files
    Collecting German award documents, other paperwork and photos relating to Norway and Finland.
    Tags: None
    #2
    On the 15th March 1945, 5 words in a telegram turns his world upside down

    The telegram, sent on the 11th from Graz reads:

    Come immediately, bombed out, son dead

    Greetings Anni
    Attached Files
    Collecting German award documents, other paperwork and photos relating to Norway and Finland.

    Comment

      #3
      The next day, and application is put in for special leave.

      His wife and 5 children had been bombed out, his eldest son, 18 years old and seriously wounded on the easternfront in dec.44 was killed.
      Out of fear for the deteriorating health of his wife, now made worse, he applies for urgent special leave stating that his last leave was over a year ago.

      The application is endorsed by his company commander and sent up the chain.

      A day later, his battalion commander endorses the application and it goes all the way up to Corps level
      Attached Files
      Collecting German award documents, other paperwork and photos relating to Norway and Finland.

      Comment

        #4
        A "normal" event as it happened thousand and thousands times in all European countries....we must keep always in mind how sad a war is. Such documents brings it up.
        Regards
        Christian

        Comment

          #5
          Very poignant. Thanks for sharing it.

          Comment

            #6
            On the 22nd, corps grants 14 days special leave, saying he is to transit via Narvik.

            Before that, he is to report to Feldersatzbataillon 118 of the 6 Geb.Div. prior to shipping out. He finally heads for home on the 29th of March 1945, two weeks after receiving the news.
            Attached Files
            Collecting German award documents, other paperwork and photos relating to Norway and Finland.

            Comment

              #7
              My guess would be that his family were bombed out during the 4th March raid.

              It goes to show the hoops a soldier had to go to in order to get special compassionate leave that late in the war, but it was still possible, note that it was authorized by the chief of staff for armee abteilung Narvik (the old XIX Gebirgs Korps), that's how high up the chain it had to go.

              http://www.461st.org/Missions/March1945.htm


              Last edited by Simon O.; 12-11-2014, 01:36 PM.
              Collecting German award documents, other paperwork and photos relating to Norway and Finland.

              Comment

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