Warning: session_start(): open(/var/cpanel/php/sessions/ea-php74/sess_899c8f7d6facb2543c3fb7a370193eb67539a5793f63a6a6, O_RDWR) failed: No space left on device (28) in /home/devwehrmacht/public_html/forums/includes/vb5/frontend/controller/page.php on line 71 Warning: session_start(): Failed to read session data: files (path: /var/cpanel/php/sessions/ea-php74) in /home/devwehrmacht/public_html/forums/includes/vb5/frontend/controller/page.php on line 71 Need help ID'ing ribbons & badge - Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums
Billy Kramer

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Need help ID'ing ribbons & badge

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
    #1

    Need help ID'ing ribbons & badge

    I'm trying to identify the rank, ribbons and badge on this soldier's uniform. The photo was taken in 1944 (I think), and he was killed on the Eastern Front about two weeks later. I believe he was a tank crew member.



    From what I've found (mostly here) online, it appears that he's wearing Totenkopf, a General Assault Badge, and ribbons for a War Merit Cross 2nd Class and a Winter Battle in the East 1941/1942 medal. Are these correct?

    Also, can someone tell me what his rank was?

    Thanks,
    Rick





    Tags: None
    #2
    hi
    that badge on the uniform is the general assault badge and the ribbon bar with the swords crossed is the is for war merits cross 2nd class with swords and the one next to it is for the russian front medal also known as the eastern front medal. im not sure on uniforms or ranks sorry.
    Last edited by callum; 06-03-2010, 01:09 AM. Reason: mistake

    Comment

      #3
      Unteroffizier.

      cheers
      Peter

      Comment

        #4
        Possibly a Stug crewman.
        pseudo-expert

        Comment

          #5
          Rick,

          A shot of the awards:

          Best regards,
          Attached Files
          RonR

          Comment

            #6
            Great info! Thanks for the photo, Ron. That's definitley them.

            Don, can I ask why you're thinking stug?

            His name was Heinz Grützemann From Thale am Harz. He was my mother's cousin - She's the flowergirl on the right. Apparently, another relative saw him in a field hospital before he died, and he had opened the hatch and raised his head out, but had taken his helmet off due to the heat when he was hit. He lost an arm and had serious head wounds due to shrapnel.

            My mother thinks that he was in the East for four years, so I assume that he was killed in the Summer of '44.

            I've tried the War Grave database, but no luck. (I DID find his brother, Werner, though!)

            Thanks for the replies,
            Rick

            Comment

              #7
              Hi Rick......

              ......Don stated Stug crewman because the awarding of the GAB was for assault gun crews. They were part of the artillery, and were awarded GAB's instead of PAB's, even though they wore panzer skulls on the lapels.

              Comment

                #8
                Very interesting...very sad



                What happened to the bride? The brother?

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally posted by birdie View Post


                  What happened to the bride? The brother?
                  The Bride's name was Gerda Kühne, She remarried about five years later, eventually moving to West Germany.

                  According to the war grave database, the brother, Oberschütze Werner Grützemann, is buried at Pirogowka (Pirogovka?) in the Ukraine, about 125km west of Kursk. He died on 31 July, 1942, at the age of 21.

                  Apparently, there is a photo of Werner in uniform when he first joined up. We're trying to find it.

                  Thanks for the replies!
                  Rick

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Just recently, Heinz Grützemann's grave has been added to the online War Graves register at http://www.volksbund.de.

                    Nachname:Grützemann
                    Vorname:Heinz
                    Dienstgrad:Unteroffizier
                    Geburtsdatum:13.04.1918
                    Geburtsort:Berlin
                    Todes-/Vermisstendatum:28.08.1943
                    Todes-/Vermisstenort: Pokorowo-Kirijewska

                    So he died in August '43, not '44, as I had previously thought. The place of death is "Pokorowo-Kirijewska", but I'm not finding anything that matches either of those names... any ideas???

                    I found some earlier photos of Heinz



                    This one on horseback is believed to be entering Paris.



                    Also, the photo of the younger brother, Werner Grützemann, has been found:



                    So, my next question is can anyone identify any unit or other information from what is in the picture?






                    Comment

                    Previous template Next

                    Users Viewing this Thread

                    Collapse

                    There is currently 1 user online. 0 members and 1 guests.

                    Most users ever online was 10,032 at 08:13 PM on 09-28-2024.

                    Working...
                    X