SS Soldbücher for members of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend” have always been among my favorite. This weekend, I acquired the Soldbuch of SS-Sturmmann Wilhelm Richard Horlacher, who served with the a “Hitlerjugend” Division in Normandy and The Battle of the Bulge. I'm assuming that Horlacher's Soldbuch was acquired by an American soldier who fought in the area of Bastogne, which he brought back as a souvenir. The Soldbuch shows heavy use and is fragile, which speaks for the fact that Horlacher was no slacker during his year and a half of military service.
Horlacher was born on 14 May 1926 in Stuttgart (note that most members of the “Hitlerjugend” Division were former members of the Hitler Youth and were born in 1926). Horlacher's Soldbuch was issued to him on 21 June 1943 by the 1.(Fe)/Nachrichten-Ersatz-Regiment der Waffen-SS (1st Telephone Company of the Waffen SS Signal Replacement Regiment) in Nürnberg. The Soldbuch has a clear photo of seventeen-year-old Horlacher in SS uniform. After completing signal training, he was assigned to SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend” (SS Armored Signal Battalion 12 “Hitler Youth”) in December 1943. This unit was comprised of two companies; the 1st company was a Fernsprech (Telephone, abbreviated in German as Fe) company and the 2nd company was a Funk (Radio, abbreviated in German as Fu) company. Referencing an entry on page 23, Horlacher was assigned to the 1.(Fernsprech) company, which was then commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer (SS Captain) Walter Krüger.
On 8 January 1944, Horlacher was issued an SS-Führerschein (SS Driver’s License), allowing him to drive Klasse II (Class II) motor vehicles. Interestingly, this driver’s license was issued to him by a sister unit of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division, SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12 (SS Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 12). Sometime in the first half of 1944, SS-Obersturmführer (SS First Lieutenant) Georg Dinglinger was given command of the 1.(Fe)/SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend”. Following the Allied invasion at Normandy on 6 June 1944, the 12. SS-Panzer-Division was quickly deployed to combat British and Canadian forces, which had landed on Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches. I have not found much information about the actions or locations of the 1.(Fe)/SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend in Normandy, but do know that it was involved in combat. For an unknown reason, sometime before 1 August 1944, SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Brauer replaced SS-Obersturmführer Georg Dinglinger as the company commander of the 1.(Fe)/SS-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend”. On 1 August 1944, Horlacher was promoted from SS-Funker (SS Signalman) to SS-Sturmmann (SS Corporal), which SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Brauer certified on page 3. A surviving document issued by the “Hitlerjugend” Division states that as of 3 August 1944, the unit was based in Vieux Fumé, France, which is located southeast of Caen. Speaking for the fact that signal soldiers were not immune from danger, during the breakout from the Falaise Pocket, the Abteilungskommandeur (Battalion Commander) of SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend”, SS-Sturmbannführer (SS Major) Erich Pandel, was killed in action on 20 August 1944. Following Pandel’s death, Hauptsturmführer Walter Krüger was given command of SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12, a position he held until the end of the war. At some point during the fighting in Normandy, Horlacher did something more than the average signalman. For this action, after breaking out of the Falaise Pocket, he was awarded the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (2nd Class Iron Cross) on 30 September 1944. This award was recorded on page 30 of Horlacher’s Soldbuch and signed by SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Brauer.
After the fighting in Normandy concluded, the 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend” was withdrawn from France and refitted in the Eifel area. On 22 November 1944, Horlacher was issued a K-98 rifle and cleaning kit. On 16 December 1944, German forces attacked Allied forces in the West, initiating the Ardennes Offensive, also known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend” was committed to the offensive; however, Horlacher was not immediately deployed at the beginning because he was hospitalized in Feldlazarett 780 mot[orisiert] (780th Mobile Field Hospital) from 6 - 28 December 1944 for an ailment coded “25” (see pages 20 and 21), which was an ailment that involved a skin or connective tissue issue. On 28 December 1944, Horlacher was released from the hospital and ordered to report to his unit. After being released from Feldlazarett 780 mot, Horlacher traveled to Köln (Cologne), Germany, where he reported to Frontleit-Nebenstelle 105 (Branch Station of Troop Directional Center 105), which issued him a travel pass on 29 December 1944. Horlacher was authorized to travel by rail in the third-class section of a train from Köln to St. Vith, Belgium, and was ordered to report to the I. SS-Panzerkorps (1st SS Armored Corps), to which the 12. SS-Panzer-Division was attached. On the reverse of the travel pass is an entry written in pencil that reads “Meldekopf ---- 1.1.45. Meldekopf refers to a communication center, but I could not determine the location, which I believe begins with a “P” and has a total of six letters. 1.1.45 (1 January 1945) is most likely when Horlacher arrived at this communication center. Shortly after Horlacher arrived in Belgium, he was either killed or captured.
Horlacher made a paper cover for his Soldbuch, writing Soldbuch and an W. Horlacher on its front. With the Soldbuch are three photos, one of Horlacher in civilian clothes (the reverse has a dedication reading “Zur Erinnerung an Willy Horlacher” (“In remembrance of Willy Horlacher”), one being a duplicate of the photo that was attached to the inside cover of Horlacher's Soldbuch, and one being a photo of a man in civilian clothing with the name Karl Endap(?) written on the reverse, most likely a comrade, friend or relative of Horlacher.
Horlacher was born on 14 May 1926 in Stuttgart (note that most members of the “Hitlerjugend” Division were former members of the Hitler Youth and were born in 1926). Horlacher's Soldbuch was issued to him on 21 June 1943 by the 1.(Fe)/Nachrichten-Ersatz-Regiment der Waffen-SS (1st Telephone Company of the Waffen SS Signal Replacement Regiment) in Nürnberg. The Soldbuch has a clear photo of seventeen-year-old Horlacher in SS uniform. After completing signal training, he was assigned to SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend” (SS Armored Signal Battalion 12 “Hitler Youth”) in December 1943. This unit was comprised of two companies; the 1st company was a Fernsprech (Telephone, abbreviated in German as Fe) company and the 2nd company was a Funk (Radio, abbreviated in German as Fu) company. Referencing an entry on page 23, Horlacher was assigned to the 1.(Fernsprech) company, which was then commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer (SS Captain) Walter Krüger.
On 8 January 1944, Horlacher was issued an SS-Führerschein (SS Driver’s License), allowing him to drive Klasse II (Class II) motor vehicles. Interestingly, this driver’s license was issued to him by a sister unit of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division, SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12 (SS Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 12). Sometime in the first half of 1944, SS-Obersturmführer (SS First Lieutenant) Georg Dinglinger was given command of the 1.(Fe)/SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend”. Following the Allied invasion at Normandy on 6 June 1944, the 12. SS-Panzer-Division was quickly deployed to combat British and Canadian forces, which had landed on Gold, Juno and Sword Beaches. I have not found much information about the actions or locations of the 1.(Fe)/SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend in Normandy, but do know that it was involved in combat. For an unknown reason, sometime before 1 August 1944, SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Brauer replaced SS-Obersturmführer Georg Dinglinger as the company commander of the 1.(Fe)/SS-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend”. On 1 August 1944, Horlacher was promoted from SS-Funker (SS Signalman) to SS-Sturmmann (SS Corporal), which SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Brauer certified on page 3. A surviving document issued by the “Hitlerjugend” Division states that as of 3 August 1944, the unit was based in Vieux Fumé, France, which is located southeast of Caen. Speaking for the fact that signal soldiers were not immune from danger, during the breakout from the Falaise Pocket, the Abteilungskommandeur (Battalion Commander) of SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend”, SS-Sturmbannführer (SS Major) Erich Pandel, was killed in action on 20 August 1944. Following Pandel’s death, Hauptsturmführer Walter Krüger was given command of SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 12, a position he held until the end of the war. At some point during the fighting in Normandy, Horlacher did something more than the average signalman. For this action, after breaking out of the Falaise Pocket, he was awarded the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (2nd Class Iron Cross) on 30 September 1944. This award was recorded on page 30 of Horlacher’s Soldbuch and signed by SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Brauer.
After the fighting in Normandy concluded, the 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend” was withdrawn from France and refitted in the Eifel area. On 22 November 1944, Horlacher was issued a K-98 rifle and cleaning kit. On 16 December 1944, German forces attacked Allied forces in the West, initiating the Ardennes Offensive, also known as the Battle of the Bulge. The 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend” was committed to the offensive; however, Horlacher was not immediately deployed at the beginning because he was hospitalized in Feldlazarett 780 mot[orisiert] (780th Mobile Field Hospital) from 6 - 28 December 1944 for an ailment coded “25” (see pages 20 and 21), which was an ailment that involved a skin or connective tissue issue. On 28 December 1944, Horlacher was released from the hospital and ordered to report to his unit. After being released from Feldlazarett 780 mot, Horlacher traveled to Köln (Cologne), Germany, where he reported to Frontleit-Nebenstelle 105 (Branch Station of Troop Directional Center 105), which issued him a travel pass on 29 December 1944. Horlacher was authorized to travel by rail in the third-class section of a train from Köln to St. Vith, Belgium, and was ordered to report to the I. SS-Panzerkorps (1st SS Armored Corps), to which the 12. SS-Panzer-Division was attached. On the reverse of the travel pass is an entry written in pencil that reads “Meldekopf ---- 1.1.45. Meldekopf refers to a communication center, but I could not determine the location, which I believe begins with a “P” and has a total of six letters. 1.1.45 (1 January 1945) is most likely when Horlacher arrived at this communication center. Shortly after Horlacher arrived in Belgium, he was either killed or captured.
Horlacher made a paper cover for his Soldbuch, writing Soldbuch and an W. Horlacher on its front. With the Soldbuch are three photos, one of Horlacher in civilian clothes (the reverse has a dedication reading “Zur Erinnerung an Willy Horlacher” (“In remembrance of Willy Horlacher”), one being a duplicate of the photo that was attached to the inside cover of Horlacher's Soldbuch, and one being a photo of a man in civilian clothing with the name Karl Endap(?) written on the reverse, most likely a comrade, friend or relative of Horlacher.
Comment