New addition...nice to put a face to the name!

[Akira Takiguchi]

Oops, "A N other" is too different, no problem... I would hope it be the Keerl album after the "once split group meets again" route...

[Ian Jewison]

Oops, "A N other" is too different, no problem... I would hope it be the Keerl album after the "once split group meets again" route...

There are 4 identified photos of Keerl in the album...quite a few Pape/owner photo but nothing to verify the holder.....here is an example of "Ich Selbst"!!!

[Ian Jewison]

Another....

[Ian Jewison]

Close up.........

[Ian Jewison]

The last photo is what appears to be a PoW photo...undated!

The owner of the album obviously served with Beobachtungs Abteilung 11/Afrika. The replacement unit was Beobachtungs Ersatz Abteilung 1 which was based in Königsberg...transferred to Prague in 1940.

Enjoy, there are more photos and fell free to ask questions!

[Si1964]

Ian,
Thanks for sharing this with us not only a couple of good SB's but a photo album that links it altogether. Do you know the story of how Keerl escaped? or is that part of your further research?

[Ian Jewison]

Ian,
Thanks for sharing this with us not only a couple of good SB's but a photo album that links it altogether. Do you know the story of how Keerl escaped? or is that part of your further research?

No idea Si!

His Soldbuch records that he received Afrikazulage from 29.1.42-17.3.43, obviously the date he set foot on African soil and the date he left! No idea if this was for leave as the leave pages (23-34) are missing.

4.5.1943 he received Wehrsold from FP No. 45500 (Frontleitstelle Neaple/29).

The only units mentioned in his Soldbuch are those listed above, however 1.6.1943 he was in Führerreserve OKH and commandeered to Stab of 28 Jäger Division then fighting around Leningrad. 7.8.1943 he was wounded by bullets and convalesced until 24.11.1943.
He attended a Generalstabs Offizier course at the Kriegsakademie and subsequently served as a Staff Officer with the Stab of 565, 265 Volks Grenadier Division and 158 Infanterie Division.

Even though I have had this Soldbuch one year next week I have only just got round to researching it! The info regarding some of his units is from a book on Staff Officers that Glenn so kindly provided....as we share the same surname this Soldbuch was sent to him by mistake

/Ian

[Ian Jewison]

A long time since I wrote this thread.....regarding Major Keerl, here are his units taken from "Die Dienstlaufbahnen der Offizier des Generalstabes des deutschen Heeres 1939-1945" by Christian Zweng.

As can be seen, there are a few units missing from the Soldbuch!

[Ian Jewison]

In another group I bought a few years ago he appears as Chef of 2 Batterie. Of course by May he has handed over the command to someone else.

[Ian Jewison]

This group belonged to the Hauptwachtmeister of 2/Beob.Abt. Afrika.

/Ian

[mufasa]

a really interesting research and a topic!!!!