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**Admiraal** · 02-27-2019, 05:24 AM

Interesting questions!
As far as i know the soldiers moved mostly by train from and to the front. There were small administration units in city's and railway stations. Some were called Frontleitstelle. If i'm correct these units directed the soldiers, equipment, feldpost and other supplies to the correct units in the field. These Frontleitstelle knew the locations of units.

See attached image of a marschbefehl given out by Frontleitstelle 33 to soldiers(?) of 198 Infanterie-Division. They arrived and were re-send on 14 January 1944 to the next transit point. This was Frontleitstelle 127 in Wapnjarka. They arrived on 17 January 1944 (that is stamped on the paper).

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frontleitstelle.jpg (80.1 KB, 70 views)

**Gerdan** · 02-27-2019, 08:59 AM

I found this written by Jörg Wurdack in the www:

zu a) Frontleitstellen hatten die Aufgabe, einzelne Soldaten (vor allem Urlauber),
aber auch ganze Transporte, bei Truppenverschiebungen ihren Einheiten wieder zuzuführen.
Dazu verfügten sie über den in kurzen Abständen aktualisierten "Frontnachweiser",
der die Standorte aller Truppenteile enthielt. Wurde z.B. eine Division verlegt und trafen nach
Verlegung noch Urlauber oder genesene Verwundete dieser Division am alten Einsatzort ein,
dann wurden diese von der Frontleitstelle entweder direkt zum neuen Einsatzort oder zu festgelegten
Sammelplätzen weitergeleitet. Die Frontleitstellen hatten auch für den Transport und die sonstige
Versorgung der weiterzuleitenden Soldaten zu sorgen.

Bei größeren Feinddurchbrüchen nahmen die Frontleitstellen auch Aufgaben in der Versprengtenkontrolle war.
Versprengte Soldaten, die z.B. von der Feldgendarmerie an Versprengtensammellinien
aufgegriffen worden waren, wurden zur Frontleitstelle gebracht und von dort weitergeleitet.

Gerdan

**Archi** · 02-27-2019, 10:40 AM

Hello !

Interesing Questions by PanzerElite !

And good info provided by Admiraal and Gerdan

!

I'll add an example from a Soldbuch that shows, that it was sometimes not so easy to find the way to your unit :
Fw. Baldauf was sent from Fronleitstelle 3 to 17 to 14, back to 3 and finally to 56,
(~ 2 weeks !) before he arrived at his unit.

Regarding question 3 :
I think that is one reason, why those stamps were entered into the Sodlbuch, so that the soldier can proof,
that he was trying to find his unit !

Best regards,

Archi

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Fronleitstelle_Baldauf_01.jpg (131.2 KB, 56 views)

**Archi** · 02-27-2019, 11:43 AM

Hello !

Regarding the question 1+2 :

As Admiraal mentioned, the journey was usually done by train.
But it seems to me, that there was also a huge adminstrative effort connected with this.

Here is a Kriegsurlaubsschein from an Uffz., who was whith 9. Armee in Summer 1942.
I hope its of interest to discuss some details of this. It would also be interesting,
whether this is a typical example (with so many stamps and handwriting) or rather uncommon.

1.) The soldier was granted leave on 17.8.42 by his Batterie-Chef (bottom right)
2.) Then there was a check done by : Kdr. für Urlaubsüberwachung 26 on 18.8.42 (very left)
3.) Handwriting at the very top :
- I think it says that 485,- (Reichsmark ?) were carried along in R.K.K. Scheinen (no idae what that is)
- Writing in the middle is his seat reservation for the train
- Writing on the right says, that he is healthy and has no infectious diseases
This was probably signed and confirmed by his Batterie-Chef but there is also Stamp from Oberzahlmeister,
which I don't understand.
4.) On the 20.08.42, he was issued rations by Heeres-Betreuungs-Abteilung 13 (stamp top right)
5.) The red stamp at the very right say that he had been handed a "Urlauber-Merkblatt"
(I don't know what the big red "W" is for)

-----
Most important thing for every soldier is in the middle :
- leave from 21. August 1942 until 11. September 1942
Below that are the places listed, to where he is allowed to travel and which would be the nearest train station.
(here he was allowed to visit Nürnberg (where he lived), but also Ulm-Wiblingen and Münsingen

-----
The Stamps at the bottom document his way back :
- 12.9.42 Kdr. f. Urlaubsüberw. 8 (located in Brest am Bug), and issued some rations
- 14.9.42 : Blue stamp in the middle "... ausgegeben" von Bahnhofsoffizier 191 (can someone read that ?!)

So maybe he was a little late

?!

=========
Even the back has some interesting entries, perhaps someone can help in the deciphering ?
- in the middle it says something about Kämpfer an der Ostfront
- on the left : Uffz. Boller reist im Reich ... ?
- on the right : Berechtigt bürgerliche Kleidung zu tragen (allowed to travel in civil clothes)

=========
This Kriegsurlaubsschein is only the allowance to go, for these travels itself (as we are in Germany),
you need 2 tickets to use the trains :
I assume these would be Kleiner Wehrmacht Fahrschein 1 (home) and 2 (back to the front).
I only have the second part.
Interestingly, these were issued at the same time (17.8.42) when the leave was granted.

I would be curious, if someone could add some infos on the leave process in general
(was it always such an administrative mess ?

)
and perhaps could help in deciphering and explaing some of the handwriting and stamps !

Best regards,

Archi

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