Hello all,
today I want to show the Soldbuch of Obergefreiter Hans Hengvoss, who was very unlucky to die shortly before the end of the war (this is of course also visible by all the blood stains). This Soldbuch was posted several years ago by the previous owner without additional research. Therefore I figured it would be nice to present it again.
Obergefreiter Hans Hengvoss was born on December 8th 1920 in Gudow, southeast of Mölln, as the son of Joachim Hengvoss and Elise Burmester. His Zweitschrift Soldbuch was opened on December 1st 1943, but by this time he was already in the military for a couple of years. Based on his age he probably joined the military after the western campaigns of 1940.
As member of Infanterie-Regiment 6 (part of 30. Infanterie-Division), he was awarded the Black Wound Badge on October 11th 1941 and later the Ost Medal for service in Army Group North. By February 1942 Infanterie-Regiment 6 was surrounded in what became known as the Demyansk pocket, for which he was awarded the Demyansk shield. There he served in the northern sector of the pocket.
In October 1943 he was awarded a Führerpaket, which included rest for three weeks at home. He was wounded a second time when he was hit by shrapnel in late February 1944 during the Soviet Leningrad-Novgorod offensive, which lifted the Siege of Leningrad. He was hospitalised until June 27th 1944. Afterwards he received a Genesungsurlaub until July 14th.
After recovering from his wounds he was transferred to the Grenadier Ersatz Regiment 520 (part of Division Nr. 190), which was stationed in western Germany. From August 16th to the 31st he received an Einsatzurlaub.
Soon after returning to his unit, Operation Market Garden started. When the Allied troops landed, Division Nr. 190 was rushed as reinforcements to the heights of the Groesbeek-Reichswald area, southeast of Nijmegen. His unit arrived a few days later and became part of General Eugen Meindl’s II. Fallschirmjäger Korps. There they had to defend the Groesbeek area against the American 82nd Airborne Division under the command of Brigadier General James Gavin.
In late October 1944 his unit formed the Grenadier-Regiment 1226. On November 1st he was promoted to Obergefreiter. Early November 1944, Division Nr. 190 was renamed to the 190. Infanterie-Division. By this time his unit was stationed in Kleve, just east of Nijmegen across the German border. In January 1945 he was moved to the southern Dutch city of Venlo, where he defended the Meuse river against the Allies. Loss of the Meuse river meant an open passage to the Ruhr Area. Most likely by early to mid-February, Grenadier-Regiment 1226 retreated to Orsoy (today a district of Rheinberg), to defend the Rhine against the Canadians and British in Operation Veritable and the Americans in Operation Grenade.
By March 5th the American 35th Infantry Division reached the outskirts of Rheinberg and managed to capture it by the 7th. From March 7th onwards the Grenadier Regiment 1226 tried to defend the villages north of Rheinberg against the Americans. On March 10th at 7:00 the Germans blew up their last held bridge over the Rhine near Wesel. At the same time the Germans attempted to evacuate as many troops as possible to the other side of the Rhine. Unfortunately Hans Hengvoss died on that day, probably north of Rheinberg, fighting the American 35th Infantry Division. On March 11th the Allies managed to clear the area west of the Rhine. The remaining German troops were taken prisoner. The Allies continued their advance on March 24th with Operation Varsity and Operation Plunder.
Probably after the battle west of the Rhine had ended, his comrades or the authorities managed to collect his Soldbuch, Erkennungsmarke and other private possessions, which made their way to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt).
Almost three years after his death, in February 1948, his family received his possessions by mail. It must have been quite sad to receive his bloodstained possessions. He is buried in Mönchengladbach, some 40 kilometres south from where he died.
Best regards,
Paul
today I want to show the Soldbuch of Obergefreiter Hans Hengvoss, who was very unlucky to die shortly before the end of the war (this is of course also visible by all the blood stains). This Soldbuch was posted several years ago by the previous owner without additional research. Therefore I figured it would be nice to present it again.
Obergefreiter Hans Hengvoss was born on December 8th 1920 in Gudow, southeast of Mölln, as the son of Joachim Hengvoss and Elise Burmester. His Zweitschrift Soldbuch was opened on December 1st 1943, but by this time he was already in the military for a couple of years. Based on his age he probably joined the military after the western campaigns of 1940.
As member of Infanterie-Regiment 6 (part of 30. Infanterie-Division), he was awarded the Black Wound Badge on October 11th 1941 and later the Ost Medal for service in Army Group North. By February 1942 Infanterie-Regiment 6 was surrounded in what became known as the Demyansk pocket, for which he was awarded the Demyansk shield. There he served in the northern sector of the pocket.
In October 1943 he was awarded a Führerpaket, which included rest for three weeks at home. He was wounded a second time when he was hit by shrapnel in late February 1944 during the Soviet Leningrad-Novgorod offensive, which lifted the Siege of Leningrad. He was hospitalised until June 27th 1944. Afterwards he received a Genesungsurlaub until July 14th.
After recovering from his wounds he was transferred to the Grenadier Ersatz Regiment 520 (part of Division Nr. 190), which was stationed in western Germany. From August 16th to the 31st he received an Einsatzurlaub.
Soon after returning to his unit, Operation Market Garden started. When the Allied troops landed, Division Nr. 190 was rushed as reinforcements to the heights of the Groesbeek-Reichswald area, southeast of Nijmegen. His unit arrived a few days later and became part of General Eugen Meindl’s II. Fallschirmjäger Korps. There they had to defend the Groesbeek area against the American 82nd Airborne Division under the command of Brigadier General James Gavin.
In late October 1944 his unit formed the Grenadier-Regiment 1226. On November 1st he was promoted to Obergefreiter. Early November 1944, Division Nr. 190 was renamed to the 190. Infanterie-Division. By this time his unit was stationed in Kleve, just east of Nijmegen across the German border. In January 1945 he was moved to the southern Dutch city of Venlo, where he defended the Meuse river against the Allies. Loss of the Meuse river meant an open passage to the Ruhr Area. Most likely by early to mid-February, Grenadier-Regiment 1226 retreated to Orsoy (today a district of Rheinberg), to defend the Rhine against the Canadians and British in Operation Veritable and the Americans in Operation Grenade.
By March 5th the American 35th Infantry Division reached the outskirts of Rheinberg and managed to capture it by the 7th. From March 7th onwards the Grenadier Regiment 1226 tried to defend the villages north of Rheinberg against the Americans. On March 10th at 7:00 the Germans blew up their last held bridge over the Rhine near Wesel. At the same time the Germans attempted to evacuate as many troops as possible to the other side of the Rhine. Unfortunately Hans Hengvoss died on that day, probably north of Rheinberg, fighting the American 35th Infantry Division. On March 11th the Allies managed to clear the area west of the Rhine. The remaining German troops were taken prisoner. The Allies continued their advance on March 24th with Operation Varsity and Operation Plunder.
Probably after the battle west of the Rhine had ended, his comrades or the authorities managed to collect his Soldbuch, Erkennungsmarke and other private possessions, which made their way to the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt).
Almost three years after his death, in February 1948, his family received his possessions by mail. It must have been quite sad to receive his bloodstained possessions. He is buried in Mönchengladbach, some 40 kilometres south from where he died.
Best regards,
Paul
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