Hello,
Another recent acquisition. Again a very sad story that ended not far from where I was born...
Wilhelm Lehr was born on 18.12.1926 in Sandhausen. He also lived with his parents in Sandhausen.
Lehr was called up for military duty and his Soldbuch was opened on 25.11.1943 when he was examined to become a Fallschirmjäger(Paratrooper). He passed the examination and was send for further paratrooper training to the Fallschirmjäger-Ersatz-Regiment 2. This unit was based near Troyes in France. With the Soldbuch came a photo of Lehr in France, at the HQ of the 1./ Fj. Ers. Rgt. 2. In this unit he stayed till March 1944 when he was transferred to the Fallschirm-Artillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung II. In this unit he stayed till D-Day, that day he was transferred to the Artillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung Fallschirm-AOK. In this unit he stayed till September 1944. All these months he was still trained, I presume in France.
Lehr was finally transferred to a real combat unit on 10.09.1944 when he joined the 3./ Fallschirmjäger-Artillerie-Regiment 5, 5. Fallschirmjäger-Division. The division was assembled near Köln, after being destroyed in Normandy. When the Allies started Operation Market Garden in Holland, September 1944 – parts of the division were send to the front around Nijmegen(Nimwegen) to fight against the 82. Airborne-Division. Probably also Wilhelm Lehr fought in these battles. He was also issued a Tarnjacke(camo jacket) as can be seen in his Soldbuch.
After Market-Garden the remains of the division were assembled in the area of Oldenburg. Here the 5. FJD. was rebuild. In November the 3./Fj. Art. Rgt. 5 was renamed to 3./ Fallschirmjäger-Artillerie-Regiment 7, 7. Fallschirmjäger-Division. The division battled in the next months in Holland and Germany, near the border between both countries.
During the battles in Holland, Wilhelm Lehr was heavily wounded. He was brought to the Kriegslazarett 2/686 in Enschede, Holland. In this hospital he died from his sustained wounds. He was only 18 years old. Too young to die... Most probably the Soldbuch was taken from his body after he died and the hospital send it to his parents with all the personal belongings. Wilhelm Lehr was first buried at the Oosterbegraafplaats in Enschede. He was reburied on 25.08.1948 at the German War Cemetery in Ysselsteyn. I visited his grave and took some pictures.
Thanks for looking!
Aram
Another recent acquisition. Again a very sad story that ended not far from where I was born...
Wilhelm Lehr was born on 18.12.1926 in Sandhausen. He also lived with his parents in Sandhausen.
Lehr was called up for military duty and his Soldbuch was opened on 25.11.1943 when he was examined to become a Fallschirmjäger(Paratrooper). He passed the examination and was send for further paratrooper training to the Fallschirmjäger-Ersatz-Regiment 2. This unit was based near Troyes in France. With the Soldbuch came a photo of Lehr in France, at the HQ of the 1./ Fj. Ers. Rgt. 2. In this unit he stayed till March 1944 when he was transferred to the Fallschirm-Artillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung II. In this unit he stayed till D-Day, that day he was transferred to the Artillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung Fallschirm-AOK. In this unit he stayed till September 1944. All these months he was still trained, I presume in France.
Lehr was finally transferred to a real combat unit on 10.09.1944 when he joined the 3./ Fallschirmjäger-Artillerie-Regiment 5, 5. Fallschirmjäger-Division. The division was assembled near Köln, after being destroyed in Normandy. When the Allies started Operation Market Garden in Holland, September 1944 – parts of the division were send to the front around Nijmegen(Nimwegen) to fight against the 82. Airborne-Division. Probably also Wilhelm Lehr fought in these battles. He was also issued a Tarnjacke(camo jacket) as can be seen in his Soldbuch.
After Market-Garden the remains of the division were assembled in the area of Oldenburg. Here the 5. FJD. was rebuild. In November the 3./Fj. Art. Rgt. 5 was renamed to 3./ Fallschirmjäger-Artillerie-Regiment 7, 7. Fallschirmjäger-Division. The division battled in the next months in Holland and Germany, near the border between both countries.
During the battles in Holland, Wilhelm Lehr was heavily wounded. He was brought to the Kriegslazarett 2/686 in Enschede, Holland. In this hospital he died from his sustained wounds. He was only 18 years old. Too young to die... Most probably the Soldbuch was taken from his body after he died and the hospital send it to his parents with all the personal belongings. Wilhelm Lehr was first buried at the Oosterbegraafplaats in Enschede. He was reburied on 25.08.1948 at the German War Cemetery in Ysselsteyn. I visited his grave and took some pictures.
Thanks for looking!
Aram
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