Hello all,
I would like to show this Soldbuch. What at first seems to be a very regular SB, actually ends with an incredible lucky story.
Werner Lönnecke was born on August 29th 1924 in Düsseldorf. His Soldbuch was opened on August 24th 1942. His first field unit was the Infanterie- (Feldausbildungs-) Regiment 618, part of the 382. (Feldausbildungs-) Division (Heeresgruppe B). This unit was created from Reichsarbeitsdienst units, so it is likely that he enlisted or was conscripted through his RAD unit. His unit was stationed at Sumy in north east Ukraine by late 1942.
On February 2nd 1943 he was hospitalised with digestive complaints and was released by the 19th. Afterwards he was given a fourteen day Genesungsurlaub, which meant that he travelled for the next month until late March, returning there on the 28th. His unit in the meanwhile was deployed on February 25th as part of 2. Armee, protecting the railway.
By early October 1943 he was hospitalised again, this time for skin issues. He remained in several Lazaretts during this time, with his second being Tapiau near Köningsberg and his last one Haus auf der Alb in Bad Urach (Baden-Württemberg). Afterwards he was given a Führerpaket. His Führerpaket included a Genesungsurlaub until December 11th. Directly afterwards, now part of Aufklarungsabteilung-Ersatz-Abteilung 9 (part of Division Nr. 433), he was given an Erholungsurlaub until December 30th.
After his return he was part of a March Battalion of the 218. Infanterie-Division. Later he became member of its Schnelle Abteilung 218. Sometime earlier this division fought a hard campaign as one of the few units at Cholm. By the time Werner joined the unit, it was near the Baltic states, slowly retreating towards Kurland.
By July 1944 he was with Nachrichten-Ersatz-Abteilung 3 in Potsdam. There are no entries why he was transferred back to Germany, but fact is that he became a Funker (officially on September 1st 1944) and therefore had to learn to some new techniques. He received an Einsatzurlaub until September 9th.
Then he was transferred to Artillerie-Regiment 193 (part of 93. Infanterie-Division). By this time this unit was fighting at Riga and by January 1945, major parts of the unit were destroyed. On February 12th the division was transferred by sea from Libau in Latvia to Pillau at Köningsberg. Köningsberg was by this time cut off from the outside world and therefore Werner’s unit had to create a corridor to the city from Pillau. By early March the Germans succeeded to create this essential corridor, but it was at a high price. Afterwards his unit started to defend the city.
In March 1945 at Polennen, Werner was badly wounded by what first seemed a bullet, but later turned out to be a grenade splinter in his back. As there probably were no more Lazaretts in the neighbourhood by this time, he had to stay at the army doctor of the Grenadier-Regiment 272.
On April 9th 1945 Köningsberg fell. Only Werner’s Samland Group remained, and therefore it was almost certain that he would soon be captured by the Soviets. As a wounded soldier, his only chance to escape was if he could get on one of the Lazarett ships at Pillau. On April 13th, the day of the Soviet offensive, Werner was moved from Tenkitten to Pillau (by the 17th the Soviets had reached Tenkitter Riegel). On April 15th, the ship Pretoria, a former cargo liner and since February 1945 functioning as a Lazarett ship, arrived. It had left Copenhagen for the last time on the 11th to save as many wounded and civilians as possible. Immediately after its arrival in the harbour, it came under attack by the Soviet Air Force. Several bombs barely missed the ship, but there were already several small fires going on. During this chaos Werner boarded the ship on a stretcher, and on the same day the damaged ship left the harbour and sailed towards Copenhagen. By April 25th the Pillau harbour had fallen into Soviet hands and therefore there were no more possibilities to leave the region for the remaining people. His remaining comrades were captured by the Soviets.
By July 1945 he was back home in Düsseldorf. After the war he became a farmer.
I would like to show this Soldbuch. What at first seems to be a very regular SB, actually ends with an incredible lucky story.
Werner Lönnecke was born on August 29th 1924 in Düsseldorf. His Soldbuch was opened on August 24th 1942. His first field unit was the Infanterie- (Feldausbildungs-) Regiment 618, part of the 382. (Feldausbildungs-) Division (Heeresgruppe B). This unit was created from Reichsarbeitsdienst units, so it is likely that he enlisted or was conscripted through his RAD unit. His unit was stationed at Sumy in north east Ukraine by late 1942.
On February 2nd 1943 he was hospitalised with digestive complaints and was released by the 19th. Afterwards he was given a fourteen day Genesungsurlaub, which meant that he travelled for the next month until late March, returning there on the 28th. His unit in the meanwhile was deployed on February 25th as part of 2. Armee, protecting the railway.
By early October 1943 he was hospitalised again, this time for skin issues. He remained in several Lazaretts during this time, with his second being Tapiau near Köningsberg and his last one Haus auf der Alb in Bad Urach (Baden-Württemberg). Afterwards he was given a Führerpaket. His Führerpaket included a Genesungsurlaub until December 11th. Directly afterwards, now part of Aufklarungsabteilung-Ersatz-Abteilung 9 (part of Division Nr. 433), he was given an Erholungsurlaub until December 30th.
After his return he was part of a March Battalion of the 218. Infanterie-Division. Later he became member of its Schnelle Abteilung 218. Sometime earlier this division fought a hard campaign as one of the few units at Cholm. By the time Werner joined the unit, it was near the Baltic states, slowly retreating towards Kurland.
By July 1944 he was with Nachrichten-Ersatz-Abteilung 3 in Potsdam. There are no entries why he was transferred back to Germany, but fact is that he became a Funker (officially on September 1st 1944) and therefore had to learn to some new techniques. He received an Einsatzurlaub until September 9th.
Then he was transferred to Artillerie-Regiment 193 (part of 93. Infanterie-Division). By this time this unit was fighting at Riga and by January 1945, major parts of the unit were destroyed. On February 12th the division was transferred by sea from Libau in Latvia to Pillau at Köningsberg. Köningsberg was by this time cut off from the outside world and therefore Werner’s unit had to create a corridor to the city from Pillau. By early March the Germans succeeded to create this essential corridor, but it was at a high price. Afterwards his unit started to defend the city.
In March 1945 at Polennen, Werner was badly wounded by what first seemed a bullet, but later turned out to be a grenade splinter in his back. As there probably were no more Lazaretts in the neighbourhood by this time, he had to stay at the army doctor of the Grenadier-Regiment 272.
On April 9th 1945 Köningsberg fell. Only Werner’s Samland Group remained, and therefore it was almost certain that he would soon be captured by the Soviets. As a wounded soldier, his only chance to escape was if he could get on one of the Lazarett ships at Pillau. On April 13th, the day of the Soviet offensive, Werner was moved from Tenkitten to Pillau (by the 17th the Soviets had reached Tenkitter Riegel). On April 15th, the ship Pretoria, a former cargo liner and since February 1945 functioning as a Lazarett ship, arrived. It had left Copenhagen for the last time on the 11th to save as many wounded and civilians as possible. Immediately after its arrival in the harbour, it came under attack by the Soviet Air Force. Several bombs barely missed the ship, but there were already several small fires going on. During this chaos Werner boarded the ship on a stretcher, and on the same day the damaged ship left the harbour and sailed towards Copenhagen. By April 25th the Pillau harbour had fallen into Soviet hands and therefore there were no more possibilities to leave the region for the remaining people. His remaining comrades were captured by the Soviets.
By July 1945 he was back home in Düsseldorf. After the war he became a farmer.
!
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