Hello All,
I want to show this very interesting but also sad story of a young SS soldier of the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen". He fought in some of the famous battles in Normandy and also died there, ripping a family apart. For some reason I searched his name in Google before I bought it and found that his name appears on a memorial for fallen World War II soldiers. His name didn't appear on the Volksbund but when I contacted the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, I get the confirmation that his name was at their Vermisstenliste!
It took several months for researching and I want to thank the Volksbund, WASt, DRK, locals and the commune Eilenburg for their help in my research. It is more a family story, but I think it is interesting to show here.
Louis Max Sonnenberger was born on 07.11.1884 in Hainichen, a small hamlet in the area of Eilenburg, Kreis Delitschz. Max Sonnenberger married in 1921 with Amalie Else Riede. She was born on 14.01.1900 in Drosa, Kreis Köthen. They lived at the Dorfstraße 9 in Hainichen. After they married in 1921 they get their first and only child on 20.10.1926; Dietrich Sonnenberger. He is the main character in this story. In his youth Dietrich followed the Volksschule, but his future was written before. Dietrich became a farmer, just as his father was. Sadly his father died on 08.01.1937 in Hainichen, in the age of 52. Dietrich was only 10 years old on that moment. Luckily the mother of Dietrich found a new love. After the death of Max Sonnenberger she met Mr. Friedrich, also from Hainichen. They fell in love and they married in 1940, shortly after World War II started. Her new name was Amalie Else Friedrich – Riede. Mr. Friedrich also had a daughter from a previous marriage(She went to the BRD soon after the war).
Sonnenberger came from the same region as SS-Kanonier Helmut Puder, who's KIA Soldbuch is now next to this KIA Wehrpass. I showed over here:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=926447
Although many young men served in the Reichsarbeitsdienst, Dietrich wasn’t called up. He was called up for military duty in the Waffen-SS. As can be seen in the Wehrpass this wasn’t a voluntary choice but a conscription, he had to… He wasn’t the only young guy at that time…
His military career started on 01.11.1943 as part of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 35 “G.v.B.”, soon renumbered to 2./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 37 “G.v.B”. The division was built in France, in the area between Saumer and Panthenay. There they received further training and team building. On 10 April 1944, Heinrich Himmler visited the division and gave its original name: 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen”. The division was named after the mythical knight Götz von Berlichingen. Despite they didn’t finish their complete training at the end of April 1944, the division was added to the OKW-reserve. The division could be send to the front if there would be an Allied invasion. An Allied invasion would start for sure… but when…and where?
The men didn’t have to wait for long, as D-Day started on 6 June 1944. The generals in the OKW had some doubts in the first crucial hours, and as a result the important Panzer reserves didn’t arrive in the invasion area in the first 24 hours(except the 21 Pz. Div.). One of these unused divisions was the 17th SS division, not located to far from the invasion area. On the 7th of June the Berlichingen division was ordered to the “invasionsfront”. The division marched throught Laval – Fougères – Avranches - Villledieu – Torigni-sur-Vire, towards Balleroy. The division was delayed by shortages in means of transport, shortages in fuel and due the Allied air attacks.
Dietrich Sonnenberger and his unit participated in the Battle of Carentan against the 101st Airborne-Division and the US 2nd Armored Division. Later they retreated in the area of St. Lô. They fought heavily with the American troops in the Norman Bocage. The last entry made in his Wehrpass is from 28.06.1944 when he was transferred to the 4./ SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 37.
Not much later Dietrich Sonnenberger was killed in action in Normandy, most probably in the heavy fights with the American troops on the Cotentin Peninsula. But when and where? His family didn’t receive any information either. Sonnenberger went missing. His mother made a request by the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz(DRK). His name appears on the Vermisstenliste(missing list of the DRK). From this we can add a little bit of information. The list told us he was MIA in July 1944 in the area of Caen. Actually the GvB division didn’t fight in the area of Caen. There can be many reasons why this (mistake?) was added. Probably he was wounded and brought to a hospital in the area of Caen? Did he lost his original unit and did he fight with another (SS) unit around Caen? Probably the army made a mistake and send Caen as his MIA place? Or, or, or?
I send requests to the WASt, DRK and the Volksbund. The WASt and the DRK told me they had no additional information. I contacted the Volksbund and his name will appear in the database soon!
I also contacted the commune Eilenburg. They send me the birth certifications of Dietrich Sonnenberger and of his parents. There is an entry that says that Dietrich Sonnenberger’s remains were never found and that he was declared death(in 1954) with the date of 31.07.1949! His name appears on the World War II memorial in his birth town Hainichen.
This gives the conclusion that (1)his body was never recovered, (2) he is buried in an unknown/mass grave or (3) his body was totally “destroyed” under the impact of any shells etc.
The mother of Dietrich, Else Friedrich-Riede, survived the war. After the death of her first husband, she also lost her only child. Her grieve and pain must be enormous. She would also survive her second husband! In the end she died as a widow on 22.09.1981, around 19.30, in Eilenburg. The family grave of the family Sonnenberger is cleared now, and new graves are placed. Also all other people in Hainichen who knew the family Sonnenberger and could give information died already.
Hopefully one day we found out what happened to Dietrich Sonnenberger and he will get a grave at one of the German Military Cemeteries in Normandy.
That's it for now!
Aram
I want to show this very interesting but also sad story of a young SS soldier of the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen". He fought in some of the famous battles in Normandy and also died there, ripping a family apart. For some reason I searched his name in Google before I bought it and found that his name appears on a memorial for fallen World War II soldiers. His name didn't appear on the Volksbund but when I contacted the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, I get the confirmation that his name was at their Vermisstenliste!
It took several months for researching and I want to thank the Volksbund, WASt, DRK, locals and the commune Eilenburg for their help in my research. It is more a family story, but I think it is interesting to show here.
Louis Max Sonnenberger was born on 07.11.1884 in Hainichen, a small hamlet in the area of Eilenburg, Kreis Delitschz. Max Sonnenberger married in 1921 with Amalie Else Riede. She was born on 14.01.1900 in Drosa, Kreis Köthen. They lived at the Dorfstraße 9 in Hainichen. After they married in 1921 they get their first and only child on 20.10.1926; Dietrich Sonnenberger. He is the main character in this story. In his youth Dietrich followed the Volksschule, but his future was written before. Dietrich became a farmer, just as his father was. Sadly his father died on 08.01.1937 in Hainichen, in the age of 52. Dietrich was only 10 years old on that moment. Luckily the mother of Dietrich found a new love. After the death of Max Sonnenberger she met Mr. Friedrich, also from Hainichen. They fell in love and they married in 1940, shortly after World War II started. Her new name was Amalie Else Friedrich – Riede. Mr. Friedrich also had a daughter from a previous marriage(She went to the BRD soon after the war).
Sonnenberger came from the same region as SS-Kanonier Helmut Puder, who's KIA Soldbuch is now next to this KIA Wehrpass. I showed over here:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=926447
Although many young men served in the Reichsarbeitsdienst, Dietrich wasn’t called up. He was called up for military duty in the Waffen-SS. As can be seen in the Wehrpass this wasn’t a voluntary choice but a conscription, he had to… He wasn’t the only young guy at that time…
His military career started on 01.11.1943 as part of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 35 “G.v.B.”, soon renumbered to 2./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 37 “G.v.B”. The division was built in France, in the area between Saumer and Panthenay. There they received further training and team building. On 10 April 1944, Heinrich Himmler visited the division and gave its original name: 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Götz von Berlichingen”. The division was named after the mythical knight Götz von Berlichingen. Despite they didn’t finish their complete training at the end of April 1944, the division was added to the OKW-reserve. The division could be send to the front if there would be an Allied invasion. An Allied invasion would start for sure… but when…and where?
The men didn’t have to wait for long, as D-Day started on 6 June 1944. The generals in the OKW had some doubts in the first crucial hours, and as a result the important Panzer reserves didn’t arrive in the invasion area in the first 24 hours(except the 21 Pz. Div.). One of these unused divisions was the 17th SS division, not located to far from the invasion area. On the 7th of June the Berlichingen division was ordered to the “invasionsfront”. The division marched throught Laval – Fougères – Avranches - Villledieu – Torigni-sur-Vire, towards Balleroy. The division was delayed by shortages in means of transport, shortages in fuel and due the Allied air attacks.
Dietrich Sonnenberger and his unit participated in the Battle of Carentan against the 101st Airborne-Division and the US 2nd Armored Division. Later they retreated in the area of St. Lô. They fought heavily with the American troops in the Norman Bocage. The last entry made in his Wehrpass is from 28.06.1944 when he was transferred to the 4./ SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 37.
Not much later Dietrich Sonnenberger was killed in action in Normandy, most probably in the heavy fights with the American troops on the Cotentin Peninsula. But when and where? His family didn’t receive any information either. Sonnenberger went missing. His mother made a request by the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz(DRK). His name appears on the Vermisstenliste(missing list of the DRK). From this we can add a little bit of information. The list told us he was MIA in July 1944 in the area of Caen. Actually the GvB division didn’t fight in the area of Caen. There can be many reasons why this (mistake?) was added. Probably he was wounded and brought to a hospital in the area of Caen? Did he lost his original unit and did he fight with another (SS) unit around Caen? Probably the army made a mistake and send Caen as his MIA place? Or, or, or?
I send requests to the WASt, DRK and the Volksbund. The WASt and the DRK told me they had no additional information. I contacted the Volksbund and his name will appear in the database soon!
I also contacted the commune Eilenburg. They send me the birth certifications of Dietrich Sonnenberger and of his parents. There is an entry that says that Dietrich Sonnenberger’s remains were never found and that he was declared death(in 1954) with the date of 31.07.1949! His name appears on the World War II memorial in his birth town Hainichen.
This gives the conclusion that (1)his body was never recovered, (2) he is buried in an unknown/mass grave or (3) his body was totally “destroyed” under the impact of any shells etc.
The mother of Dietrich, Else Friedrich-Riede, survived the war. After the death of her first husband, she also lost her only child. Her grieve and pain must be enormous. She would also survive her second husband! In the end she died as a widow on 22.09.1981, around 19.30, in Eilenburg. The family grave of the family Sonnenberger is cleared now, and new graves are placed. Also all other people in Hainichen who knew the family Sonnenberger and could give information died already.
Hopefully one day we found out what happened to Dietrich Sonnenberger and he will get a grave at one of the German Military Cemeteries in Normandy.
That's it for now!
Aram
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