My father volunteered for service with the Fallschirmtruppe in the summer of 1941 at Pforzheim. As he was not yet 18 years of age he needed parental consent to join, his mother wasn't going to sign (his father died in 1930) so he forged her signature.
In August of 1941 he was enlisted into the 5. Kompanie, Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 31 for basic training at Hilversum, Holland. After basic training he was sent for jump training to the 4. Schüler-Kompanie Fallschirmschule Wittstock/Dosse, Germany. Once he had completed his Para training and graduated in the spring of 1942, he was placed in the 2. Kompanie Fallschirm-Pionier Battalion stationed at Dessau-Kochstedt. This unit became part of the Fallschirm-Brigade Ramke.
In late July of 1942 they were transported by train from Berlin to Athens, Greece. In August from Tatoi airfield, first flown to Maleme, Crete and then to Tobruk in North Africa. There they joined the rest of the new Brigade. His commanding officer at that time was the Knight's cross recipient Oberleutnant Cord Tietjen (Tietjen as captured and taken prisoner by the Americans in Tunisia in the Spring of 43). At over 42 degrees summer heat they began the trip by truck and partly on foot the El Alamein front and subsequently into the Qattara Depression.
My father took part in the fighting at Bab el Qattara from October 23rd to November 2nd 1942, took part in the seizure of a British Army convoy on November 5th. After a crueling march through the dessert the paras made it to Fuka and joined the Afrikakorps again in Tunisia. Weaked by the ordeal he contracted a tropical disease and had to be hopitalized, he was flown out of North Africa before the surrender of the German army in Tunisia.
In May of 1943 (now in the Staff coy of the 2nd Para Combat Engineer Battalion), he was back in Germany for rest and refitting. On May 2nd his unit was moved by rail to the south of France. The Pioniere now became part of the recently raised 2. Fallschirmjäger Division.
On July 26th 1943, the 2nd Para Division was sent to Italy.
Within 48 hours, 20 000 men and accompanying equipment were moved in 90 JU52's, 45 HEIII's and 80 Gliders. My father was aboard a HEIII that landed at the Practica de Mare airfield.
On 10th September 1943, the Paras moved over the Via Ostiense into Rome to seize the Italian garrison stationed there. My dad told me; "I stopped a pro-Badoglio officer and he surrendered his Berreta pistol to me. I noticed the nice riding boots that the Tenente was wearing and made him switch with my old Springer-Stiefel" (jump boots).
In November 1943, the 2nd Para Division was sent by rail to Zhitomir in Russia. They had no idea where they were actually going. It was very cold and they only changed their tropical uniforms for winter ones after reaching Germany via the Alps and Austria.
On November 24th, my father took part in the heavy fighting at the airfield east of Zhitomir. In December, Fallschirm-Pionier Battalion 2 led by Hauptmann Siegfried Gerstner was fighting alongside the 1st SS Panzer Division. My father was wounded by shrapnel in the right shoulder on December 8th 1943 and on the 10th December was flown to Germany for hospitalization (Fallschirmjäger Genesungs-Bataillon Aschersleben).
From the 5th-21st February 1944, now promoted to the rank of Gefreiter my father had recuperation leave (Genesungsurlaub).
After his leave he was transferred to the 1st coy, Panzer-Jäger Abteilung of the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division. From March to April 1944, he was serving as an instructor in Konitz with the IX SA Standarte "Feldherrenhalle" 1.Sturm.
May 1944, he was back in Italy with the 1./Fallschirm-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 1 (Anti tank unit) just in time for the third battle at Monte Cassino.
On September 1st 1944, he was wounded for the second time during heavy fighting against the US 5th Army in the Bologna area.
On 1st March 1945, my father was promoted to Oberjäger and on 20th March was given combat leave to go home.
When he arrived in Germany he realized that the war was nearly at an end. Cities were devastated, the railroads had been destroyed and the Allies were pushing into Germany from every border. The city of Pforzheim had been completely destroyed by Allied bombing the previous month. When he arrived in Pforzheim he walked the 18km to his hometown.
.....bach had a population of 2500 and had not been touched by the war. He learned from his mother that his elder brother was missing at Stalingrad and is presumed dead.
In the first days of April 1945, the French Army had crossed the Rhine near Karlsruhe only 20km's away. My Grandmother told my father that she is not going to lose him as well, that he must stay and surrender to the Allies.
On April 8th the French colonial Army entered the town. From a hill in the south a Volksgrenadier unit began firing their artillery at the French. The town came under fire and some civilians were killed and wounded. A boy, severely wounded in the leg, was placed by my father in a sidecar of a motorcycle and taken to an allied field dressing station where he surrendered.
He was handed over to the Americans and sent to a POW camp in Heilbronn, 50km's from his home. The conditions were poor and they slept in tents. My father was released from the POW camp on the 9th September 1945 as semi-disabled. He was 21 years old.
Father passed away at the age of 58 in 1982, following a heart attack.
During his service as a Fallschirmjäger, he was awarded the following:
Iron Cross 2nd Class
Wound Badge in Black
Luftwaffe Ground Combat Badge
Paratrooper Qualification Badge
"AFRIKA" cuff title
Participated in Battles:
El Alamein; North Africa, October - November 1942
Occupation of Rome, September 1943
Zhitomir; Russia, November - December 1943
Monte Cassino (third battle) May 1944
Retreat battles in Northern Italy (Bologna, Imola)
In August of 1941 he was enlisted into the 5. Kompanie, Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 31 for basic training at Hilversum, Holland. After basic training he was sent for jump training to the 4. Schüler-Kompanie Fallschirmschule Wittstock/Dosse, Germany. Once he had completed his Para training and graduated in the spring of 1942, he was placed in the 2. Kompanie Fallschirm-Pionier Battalion stationed at Dessau-Kochstedt. This unit became part of the Fallschirm-Brigade Ramke.
In late July of 1942 they were transported by train from Berlin to Athens, Greece. In August from Tatoi airfield, first flown to Maleme, Crete and then to Tobruk in North Africa. There they joined the rest of the new Brigade. His commanding officer at that time was the Knight's cross recipient Oberleutnant Cord Tietjen (Tietjen as captured and taken prisoner by the Americans in Tunisia in the Spring of 43). At over 42 degrees summer heat they began the trip by truck and partly on foot the El Alamein front and subsequently into the Qattara Depression.
My father took part in the fighting at Bab el Qattara from October 23rd to November 2nd 1942, took part in the seizure of a British Army convoy on November 5th. After a crueling march through the dessert the paras made it to Fuka and joined the Afrikakorps again in Tunisia. Weaked by the ordeal he contracted a tropical disease and had to be hopitalized, he was flown out of North Africa before the surrender of the German army in Tunisia.
In May of 1943 (now in the Staff coy of the 2nd Para Combat Engineer Battalion), he was back in Germany for rest and refitting. On May 2nd his unit was moved by rail to the south of France. The Pioniere now became part of the recently raised 2. Fallschirmjäger Division.
On July 26th 1943, the 2nd Para Division was sent to Italy.
Within 48 hours, 20 000 men and accompanying equipment were moved in 90 JU52's, 45 HEIII's and 80 Gliders. My father was aboard a HEIII that landed at the Practica de Mare airfield.
On 10th September 1943, the Paras moved over the Via Ostiense into Rome to seize the Italian garrison stationed there. My dad told me; "I stopped a pro-Badoglio officer and he surrendered his Berreta pistol to me. I noticed the nice riding boots that the Tenente was wearing and made him switch with my old Springer-Stiefel" (jump boots).
In November 1943, the 2nd Para Division was sent by rail to Zhitomir in Russia. They had no idea where they were actually going. It was very cold and they only changed their tropical uniforms for winter ones after reaching Germany via the Alps and Austria.
On November 24th, my father took part in the heavy fighting at the airfield east of Zhitomir. In December, Fallschirm-Pionier Battalion 2 led by Hauptmann Siegfried Gerstner was fighting alongside the 1st SS Panzer Division. My father was wounded by shrapnel in the right shoulder on December 8th 1943 and on the 10th December was flown to Germany for hospitalization (Fallschirmjäger Genesungs-Bataillon Aschersleben).
From the 5th-21st February 1944, now promoted to the rank of Gefreiter my father had recuperation leave (Genesungsurlaub).
After his leave he was transferred to the 1st coy, Panzer-Jäger Abteilung of the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division. From March to April 1944, he was serving as an instructor in Konitz with the IX SA Standarte "Feldherrenhalle" 1.Sturm.
May 1944, he was back in Italy with the 1./Fallschirm-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 1 (Anti tank unit) just in time for the third battle at Monte Cassino.
On September 1st 1944, he was wounded for the second time during heavy fighting against the US 5th Army in the Bologna area.
On 1st March 1945, my father was promoted to Oberjäger and on 20th March was given combat leave to go home.
When he arrived in Germany he realized that the war was nearly at an end. Cities were devastated, the railroads had been destroyed and the Allies were pushing into Germany from every border. The city of Pforzheim had been completely destroyed by Allied bombing the previous month. When he arrived in Pforzheim he walked the 18km to his hometown.
.....bach had a population of 2500 and had not been touched by the war. He learned from his mother that his elder brother was missing at Stalingrad and is presumed dead.
In the first days of April 1945, the French Army had crossed the Rhine near Karlsruhe only 20km's away. My Grandmother told my father that she is not going to lose him as well, that he must stay and surrender to the Allies.
On April 8th the French colonial Army entered the town. From a hill in the south a Volksgrenadier unit began firing their artillery at the French. The town came under fire and some civilians were killed and wounded. A boy, severely wounded in the leg, was placed by my father in a sidecar of a motorcycle and taken to an allied field dressing station where he surrendered.
He was handed over to the Americans and sent to a POW camp in Heilbronn, 50km's from his home. The conditions were poor and they slept in tents. My father was released from the POW camp on the 9th September 1945 as semi-disabled. He was 21 years old.
Father passed away at the age of 58 in 1982, following a heart attack.
During his service as a Fallschirmjäger, he was awarded the following:
Iron Cross 2nd Class
Wound Badge in Black
Luftwaffe Ground Combat Badge
Paratrooper Qualification Badge
"AFRIKA" cuff title
Participated in Battles:
El Alamein; North Africa, October - November 1942
Occupation of Rome, September 1943
Zhitomir; Russia, November - December 1943
Monte Cassino (third battle) May 1944
Retreat battles in Northern Italy (Bologna, Imola)
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