Soldbuch Obergefreiter German Cross in Gold !

[Archi]

Hello Lionel !

Fantastic Soldbuch and also great that you could meet him !
Excellent photos as well !

Best regards,

Archi

[Lionel H.]

That is a fantastic SB and fantastic story! Incredible that you were able to meet him and even more so that you were able to find and obtain his SB after he passed. I agree that such a low-ranking Soldat with the DKiG is very rare.

As far as the translation of Mannschaften, I can only authoritatively help as it translates to the U.S. Army. Different English-speaking armies may have their own ideas.

Mannschaften in the German Heer is what we in the U.S. Army would call "Lower Enlisted", that is prior to attaining the first real NCO rank which is Sergeant (E5). NCO's are also enlisted because they do sign up for enlistments of varying duration unlike officers whose terms of service are different. However Mannschaften refers to those below both the specific rank of Unteroffizier and the category of Unteroffiziere which encompasses all NCO's outside of those which were officer candidates and had their own rank designations.

If Daab was awarded the DKiG as an Obergefreiter then he was an E4 or Specialist in the U.S. Army, one rank below Sergeant E5 and the start of the NCO Corps and therefore, as you correctly pointed out, still a member of the Mannschaften. Not to further complicate things, but an E4 can sometimes be called a Corporal if they are in charge of a sub-unit such as being a squad or section leader. Corporal also is in use in more English-speaking armies than just the U.S., so more often you will see an Obergefreiter called a Corporal. A corporal to us is a "junior NCO" because they get two stripes (imagine the Obergefriter Winkel upside down basically) and are in charge of a few soldiers, but they haven't attended NCO school yet and become a real NCO with rank of Sergeant.

Wow Tod... I read your Post already twice, I think I need a good night and some vitamins, but I will at sight be able to fully understand it ... Thank you very much for your time, that's intersting to see how precise the terms are... As I also collect the WW1 US Stuff, I am happy to learn. If you have some more minutes for me.... a came often across the term "lance corporal", and I was convinced it is an Obergefreiter (in german) or a caporal-chef (in french). I am probably mistaking...

[Simon O.]

I always think of these men as, survivors against the odds, more than anything else.
More interesting in many ways than an RK at these lower ranks seeing as the recipient had to perform multiple acts of bravery over a period of time.

With regards to rank structures. Look up the wikipedia page on NATO enlisted ranks. Although modern, the OR1-9 system of rank equivilency is the closest i have come across which helps place in context the various systems.

[TWS]

Wow Tod... I read your Post already twice, I think I need a good night and some vitamins, but I will at sight be able to fully understand it ... Thank you very much for your time, that's intersting to see how precise the terms are...

It really depends on which army you are trying to compare to the German Heer. And even which time period for that country's army. I find that the contemporary U.S. Army rank structure is pretty analogous to the WWII Heer.

Lower Enlisted - Mannschaften

Private E1 = Schütze (Grenadier, Kannonier, Funker, etc. etc.)
Private E2 = Oberschütze (Ober____)
Private First Class E3 = Gefreiter
Specialist E4 (Corporal if in leadership position) = Obergefreiter (add rank pip after ___ years of service or administrative role for Stabsgefreiter)

NCO ranks - Unteroffiziere

Sergeant E5 = Unteroffizier
Staff Sergeant E6 = Unterfeldwebel
Sergeant First Class E7 = Feldwebel
Master Sergeant E8 = Oberfeldwebel
**(First Sergeant = Hauptfeldwebel/Kompanie Feldwebel/Spiess) ** this is a duty position, not a paygrade.
Sergeant Major E9 = Stabsfeldwebel

[Simon O.]

I thought this might be of interest and help others get an idea of what an infantry private had to do in order to get the DKiG

This is Obergefreiter, promoted Oberjäger on his award, Josef Schirra of GJR 218, 7 Geb.Div.

Although from a different unit and theatre of war, he received his award just 2 weeks after Daab and like him also survived the war.

[peterm]

What an amazing SB, Lionel. To think he saw all that action, win the EK1 18 months(!) before his DKiG, and not be promoted above Obergefreiter, is just extraordinary.

Brian, the reason in many cases was, that a soldier had to subscribe a 12-years-contract for further promotion. Many men didn't want to do that. These regulations changed later in the war and many "Obergefreite" then were promoted to "Unteroffizier". There were different regulations for Officers ("aktiv", "der Reserve", "KOB = Kriegsoffiziersbewerber"...).

Best, Peter