I don't like acquiring Soldbücher this way, but a week ago I acquired two SS Soldbücher from the widow of my long-time friend, who died on January 3rd. My friend had a small interest in German IDs and showed me two SS Soldbücher that he acquired in the 1990s. One Soldbuch is for a young soldier of "Hohenstaufen, which I will feature in another thread, and the other Soldbuch, which I am featuring here belonged to a young member of the 3./SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 2 (3rd Company of SS Assault Gun Battalion 2) of 2. SS Panzer-Division "Das Reich." My friend acquired this Soldbuch from a U.S. veteran in 1992 along with some cut off SS insignia. The veteran told my friend that the Soldbuch was removed from the body of the German soldier, Franz Schuster, during the fighting in Normandy. It's interesting that the Soldbuch was issued by Schuster's one and only field unit on 15 April 1944. At that time, "Das Reich" was refitting and was based in the area of Montauban - Toulouse. Schuster was trained as a Kanonier (Gunner) of a Sturmgeschütz III, which had a four-man crew. Following the Allied landings in Normandy, "Das Reich" moved to Normandy. The division did not fight in Normandy as a coherent unit initially, but was deployed in various Kampfgruppen (Battle Groups). On 6 July 1944, the division unified and established its own line at the front northeast of Periers and during heavy fighting, withdrew on 27 July 1944 to a position south of Periers. In order to evade a threatening Allied encirclement, the division received the order to transfer to the south to force a breakthrough on 29 July 1944 in Granville in the direction of Avranches. On 1 August 1944, Franz Schuster was reported missing in action. The following American report gives some general information about the fighting that took place on this day:
The initial breakout at AVRANCHES was led by the VIII Corps. Armor and Infantry streamed through the ever broadening gap on every available road. In order to exploit this success and maintain momentum, General Patton ordered the XV Corps through the AVRANCHES-MORTAIN gap behind the VIII Corps, between the 1st and 3d of August. At this time we find the 90th Infantry Division concentrating near ST. HILAIRE DE HARCOUET southwest of AVRANCHES.
Franz Schuster was just eighteen when he was killed. One of the reasons I wanted to post this Soldbuch is to show that the German War Graves Commission and the German Red Cross Vermisstenbildlisten (Photos of the Missing) are not always accurate. The German War Graves Commission gives the date that Schuster was reported missing as 1 August 1944, which I assume is correct. However, they state that he was killed in Russia. The German Red Cross has a photo of Franz Schuster among its photos of the missing and states that Schuster was killed in August 1944 in the Soviet Union. The reason why Russia and the Soviet Union are given as Schuster's place of death are unclear; however, it could be that the information available to the German Red Cross was not up to date - note that "Das Reich" had previously fought in Russia.
I have been collecting German IDs for forty years and this is the first "Das Reich" Soldbuch that I acquired that was brought back by a U.S. veteran. I have often wondered why "Das Reich" Soldbücher for soldiers who fought in France in 1944 are so difficult to come by.
Barry
The initial breakout at AVRANCHES was led by the VIII Corps. Armor and Infantry streamed through the ever broadening gap on every available road. In order to exploit this success and maintain momentum, General Patton ordered the XV Corps through the AVRANCHES-MORTAIN gap behind the VIII Corps, between the 1st and 3d of August. At this time we find the 90th Infantry Division concentrating near ST. HILAIRE DE HARCOUET southwest of AVRANCHES.
Franz Schuster was just eighteen when he was killed. One of the reasons I wanted to post this Soldbuch is to show that the German War Graves Commission and the German Red Cross Vermisstenbildlisten (Photos of the Missing) are not always accurate. The German War Graves Commission gives the date that Schuster was reported missing as 1 August 1944, which I assume is correct. However, they state that he was killed in Russia. The German Red Cross has a photo of Franz Schuster among its photos of the missing and states that Schuster was killed in August 1944 in the Soviet Union. The reason why Russia and the Soviet Union are given as Schuster's place of death are unclear; however, it could be that the information available to the German Red Cross was not up to date - note that "Das Reich" had previously fought in Russia.
I have been collecting German IDs for forty years and this is the first "Das Reich" Soldbuch that I acquired that was brought back by a U.S. veteran. I have often wondered why "Das Reich" Soldbücher for soldiers who fought in France in 1944 are so difficult to come by.
Barry
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