Luftwaffe Veterinary Units?

[PaulR]

Hi all,


I am trying to learn what I can about LW veterinary units. As we know, this was a VERY small group of men. From what I can find, there were only four companies to ever exist? How many men were in a German company?


This is all I've been able to really find(see below). I want to learn as much as possible about these very specific men... did they JUST take care of horses? What was an average day for these LWFD support men? Did they perform other roles or just literally act as farriers, veterinary techs, and stable hands? Did they receive their training from the Heer? Were they former Heer men that were transferred to the LW or did they start off in the LW? I know that the veterinary officers were from the Heer and actually retained their Heer uniforms. That leads me to believe that the NCOs were from the LW organically.












https://www.axishistory.com/list-all...zabteilung-dlw

"Veterinär-Ausbildungs- und Ersatzabteilung d.Lw.


Details Published: 05 April 2012 05 April 2012 Last Updated: 07 April 2012 07 April 2012
(Luftwaffe Veterinary Training and Replacement Detachment)
by Henry L. deZeng IV

KStN:
5426 (L) Stab einer Veterinärabteilung (v) d.Lw. (Staff of a Lw. Vet. Detachment).
5427 (L) Hufbeschlagpersonal – Ausbildungskompanie (v) einer Veterinärabteilung d.Lw. (Farriers Training Co. (transferable) of a Lw. Vet. Detachment).

Just one (1) existed:

Veterinär-Ausb.- u.Ers.Abt. d.Lw. 1
Formation date and other details are not known, but it consisted of a Stab and 1. – 4. Kp. and was located in Güstrow until 1944, and then in Graudenz.
(Source: NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-321 roll 114/253); NASM T-2/USSBS roll 7001/8200ff).] "

[PaulR]

Here is a roster of all Veterinary Service members that died during WW2. I don't know if these only consisted of Veterinary Doctors or if NCOs (techs/farriers) were included. Of all 1000+ names of the missing/dying, only 9 were attached to the Luftwaffe. Of these 8 were officers (Heer men on loan) and 1 NCO Dr (LW)?


http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/2017/v...e-wk2_a-c.html


"In World War I, within three weeks of the mobilizationorder, three million people were recruited over 1.5 million horses, which hadto be looked after by 5,354 veterinarians (75% of German veterinarians). Ofthese, 241 veterinarians died, died or died from their wounds. During theSecond World War, horses, mules, dogs, pigeons, camels and oxen also served inthe Wehrmacht. A total of around 2,800,000 horses and mules were used by theGerman side, of which 60-63% were killed or died. The losses of the GermanVeterinary Association amounted to 561 people killed, 327 dead, 537 missing. 42veterinarians preferred suicide to captivity. Losses of the German VeterinarySociety in World War II, 1939-1945. Publisher: Association of German VeterinaryOfficers Hanover 1959 (reprint 1969). A memorial for veterinarians who died,died or were missing in the Second World War and other members of theveterinary service can be found on the campus of the Bischofholer Damm Universityof Veterinary Medicine in Hanover. It shows a collapsed horse supported by aveterinarian soldier. There is also a bronze plaque in the lawn for the deadnear the monument. Additions (sometimes the place of birth / date or date ofdeath) to the list of losses come from the database of the Volksbundes DeutscheWargräberfürsorge (www.volksbund.de)"

[Simon O.]

That's an interesting question, i have the complete list of units/offices etc. for the LW in Norway in Nov.44 and May 45 and not a single veterinary unit is listed. The 14 LW Feld Div. isn't included as it was under the army by this stage but I do know that its Vet.Kp.14 (L) had a strength of 103 men in may 45

[PaulR]

Hi Simon,


Thank you so much for the information. So at least we can confirm that a Vet Company had about 100 men.


How many LWFD Divisions were there? Also, when the LWFD was officially absorbed by the Heer by 1943, further veterinary/farrier enlisted reinforcements/replacements were drawn from WH personnel rather than LW? Thoughts?

[Hans Kristian]

Hi Paul,

Unfortunately I cannot remember where, but I have read that all the veterinarians that the LW had, all came from the Heer.

Will see if I can find that again..

Cheers,

Hi Simon,


Thank you so much for the information. So at least we can confirm that a Vet Company had about 100 men.


How many LWFD Divisions were there? Also, when the LWFD was officially absorbed by the Heer by 1943, further veterinary/farrier enlisted reinforcements/replacements were drawn from WH personnel rather than LW? Thoughts?

[PaulR]

Hello. This is true. Veterinarians came from the Heer. The technicians and farriers were in the Luftwaffe. (EM and NCO)

[jenseli]

Hi all,


I am trying to learn what I can about LW veterinary units. As we know, this was a VERY small group of men. From what I can find, there were only four companies to ever exist? How many men were in a German company?


This is all I've been able to really find(see below). I want to learn as much as possible about these very specific men... did they JUST take care of horses? What was an average day for these LWFD support men? Did they perform other roles or just literally act as farriers, veterinary techs, and stable hands? Did they receive their training from the Heer? Were they former Heer men that were transferred to the LW or did they start off in the LW? I know that the veterinary officers were from the Heer and actually retained their Heer uniforms. That leads me to believe that the NCOs were from the LW organically.












https://www.axishistory.com/list-all...zabteilung-dlw

"Veterinär-Ausbildungs- und Ersatzabteilung d.Lw.


Details Published: 05 April 2012 05 April 2012 Last Updated: 07 April 2012 07 April 2012
(Luftwaffe Veterinary Training and Replacement Detachment)
by Henry L. deZeng IV

KStN:
5426 (L) Stab einer Veterinärabteilung (v) d.Lw. (Staff of a Lw. Vet. Detachment).
5427 (L) Hufbeschlagpersonal – Ausbildungskompanie (v) einer Veterinärabteilung d.Lw. (Farriers Training Co. (transferable) of a Lw. Vet. Detachment).

Just one (1) existed:

Veterinär-Ausb.- u.Ers.Abt. d.Lw. 1
Formation date and other details are not known, but it consisted of a Stab and 1. – 4. Kp. and was located in Güstrow until 1944, and then in Graudenz.
(Source: NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-321 roll 114/253); NASM T-2/USSBS roll 7001/8200ff).] "

Thank you very much for the help.

[Archi]

Hello !

I agree with Simon, that this is an interesting question !

Some topics raised by PaulR can be answered quickly, but some seem difficult to answer.

a) Did Vets only treat horses ?
No. At the top of that link you provided, it says :
They took care also of mules, dogs, pidgeons, camels, oxen etc.
... any animal, that was in service of the Wehrmacht ...
http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/2017/v...e-wk2_a-c.html

b) Organization of such a vet company :
You can find a detailed breakdown of such a Vet. Kp. (late war) here :
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn1415a1aug44.htm

This is in rough agreement with the numbers given by Simon O.
The KStN is for a Heer unit, but a Vet company of a Lw.Feld-Division should be rather similar.
( I assume that this was the case also earlier on, when the Lw. Feld-Divisions were raised,
but I could not find any clear info on that. So that would be interesting to know ...).
I don't think that Fsjg. Div. had a Vet. Kp.

c) Veterinary services within other Lw. units in general :
That is indeed a very interesting topic. I have read, that the Lw. in general was much better supplied
with motorized vehicles than the Heer. However, with the general lack of mot. vehicles within the german army,
I would at least assume, that the Lw. had also a number of horses in use. Who took care of those ?
Perhaps a higher level army vet ?! This I would also like to know .

Best regards,

Archi