My first Wehrpass!

[Greg]

Be gentle with me, guys - I decided to venture into an arena other than medals and badges, and so I got a Wehrpass! I'm armed with Emilie Stewart's Wehrpass book and info I've picked up here, but I have some questions...

Wartime Wehrpass of Pionier Heinrich Bierwisch.

I can't understand why his initial registration for service is dated April 1943, when his date of entry into service on page 11 is Sep 1937...?

Thanks,
Greg

[Greg]

Page 11

[Greg]

Army service.

What is a "Heimatpionierpart." or whatever the last entry says?

Greg

[Greg]

Awards page 23.

What is "Ehrenkreuz II. Klasse?" When I was ordering this I was given to understand he had won an EKII, but not this entry.

If the other award is a FEK, is the top award maybe an Ehrenkreuz für Kriegsteilnehmer?

[Greg]

Battle entries...

"Einsatz im" where? I don't see anything about Poland in there...

Thanks,
Greg

[Calvin Hall]

Awards page 23.

What is "Ehrenkreuz II. Klasse?" When I was ordering this I was given to understand he had won an EKII, but not this entry.

If the other award is a FEK, is the top award maybe an Ehrenkreuz für Kriegsteilnehmer?

Actually, it is Eiserne Kreuz (Iron Cross).

[Stijn David]

battle entry

Hello,


I also would like to help a bit

" Einsatz im Rückwärtigen Operationsgebiet H.Gru.Kdo. C "

Cordial greetings,

[Frosch]

Army service.

What is a "Heimatpionierpart." or whatever the last entry says?

Greg

Greg,

It was a Heimatpionierpark (Pionier depot) on the home front in Germany.

He seems to have attended some sort of course (Lehrgang) with Pionier-Bataillon 4 in Magdeburg in 1937.

Quote:
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;"> Originally Posted by Greg Walden
Awards page 23.

What is "Ehrenkreuz II. Klasse?" When I was ordering this I was given to understand he had won an EKII, but not this entry.

If the other award is a FEK, is the top award maybe an Ehrenkreuz für Kriegsteilnehmer?
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>


Actually, it is Eiserne Kreuz (Iron Cross).

I beg to differ. The iron cross was not automatically the first award bestowed to a German ground-pounder in WW1 and to me that definitely reads "Ehrenkreuz II. Klasse". The only alternative designation commonly found for the iron cross in WW1 records is "preussisches eiserne Kreuz", which is frequently used in Bavarian service records.

Since it doesn't make much sense as it stands, the clerk that filled in the Wehrpass probably missed or forgot something when transcribing the 1914-18 records from the wartime service roll extract or Militärpass used as the source for his WW1 service.

The other German states besides Prussia awarded many decorations, too. If he came from the Magdeburg area, it might have been an award by a Saxon duchy or something similar.

/David

[Frosch]

Calvin,

By the way, please allow me to be among the first to wish you Happy Birthday.

All the best,

David

[Greg]

Thanks David, and Calvin and Stijn!

Looks like "Ehrenkreuz" to me too, and I had thought of a Saxon award, but I don't know that Imperial stuff cause it isn't zink!

Do you think the lower award listed is a FEK?

He did participate in maneuvers with Pionier-Bataillon in Magdeburg in 1937. I still don't understand why his initial registration for service is dated April 1943, when his date of entry into service on page 11 is Sep 1937...?

Thanks,
Greg

Greg,

It was a Heimatpionierpark (Pionier depot) on the home front in Germany.

He seems to have attended some sort of course (Lehrgang) with Pionier-Bataillon 4 in Magdeburg in 1937.


I beg to differ. The iron cross was not automatically the first award bestowed to a German ground-pounder in WW1 and to me that definitely reads "Ehrenkreuz II. Klasse". The only alternative designation commonly found for the iron cross in WW1 records is "preussisches eiserne Kreuz", which is frequently used in Bavarian service records.

Since it doesn't make much sense as it stands, the clerk that filled in the Wehrpass probably missed or forgot something when transcribing the 1914-18 records from the wartime service roll extract or Militärpass used as the source for his WW1 service.

The other German states besides Prussia awarded many decorations, too. If he came from the Magdeburg area, it might have been an award by a Saxon duchy or something similar.

/David

[Frosch]

Greg,

He may have been discharged due to illness or injury early in the war and then mustered in 1943 and found to be unfit for any further duty, as shown in the scan in post #1.

The wound/hospital stay entries should indicate why he was transferred to a convalescent unit in 1940 and other entries not shown may give you a clue as to whether he was discharged soon after that.

/David

[Greg]

Hi David,

No wound entries, just vaccinations, but maybe you can have a go at reading this...

Greg

[Calvin Hall]

Thanks David, and Calvin and Stijn!

Looks like "Ehrenkreuz" to me too,

Upon further review, I agree.

[Frosch]

Greg,

The entry above indicates that he was discharged at the end of May 1940 to the Landwehr after being found unfit by a doctor and given the standard warning about security, spying activities, sabotage and treason, etc.

Apparently, he required no further treatment.

There may be an entry on page 34 with a coded reference indicating what was wrong with him. Gary T.'s (old) site has a good overview on hospitalisation and wound entries at http://www.percy.clara.net/hospital.htm, general medical defects at http://www.percy.clara.net/generaldefects.htm and medical codes for illnesses and conditions at http://www.percy.clara.net/medcodes.htm

/David

[Greg]

David,

Nothing on page 34, but thanks; I know a lot more about him now!

Greg

Greg,

The entry above indicates that he was discharged at the end of May 1940 to the Landwehr after being found unfit by a doctor and given the standard warning about security, spying activities, sabotage and treason, etc.

Apparently, he required no further treatment.

There may be an entry on page 34 with a coded reference indicating what was wrong with him. Gary T.'s (old) site has a good overview on hospitalisation and wound entries at http://www.percy.clara.net/hospital.htm, general medical defects at http://www.percy.clara.net/generaldefects.htm and medical codes for illnesses and conditions at http://www.percy.clara.net/medcodes.htm

/David