Researching Ops

[Larry deZeng]

Good material!

Yes, Amber, that's Dienstgrad (rank) SS-Rottenführer. That's the equivalent of PFC (private first class) in the WW II U.S. Army.

--Larry

[Simon O.]

Well done Amber, you're doing great there. A couple of small corrections if i may. The rank of 'Kanonier' is incorrectly translated as Bombardier. That rank is used in the British and other armies to denote a corporal (i should know i was one myself once), Kanonier is the same as Gunner ie. private.
Also his feldpost number has been translated as 'military number'. 37497 belonged to the Kolonne SS-Flak Abteilung Reichsführer SS or the supply column of SS anti-aircraft battallion Reichsführer SS.

[ancestry]

Dear Larry and Simon,

Thanks for your help. I've been looking through the packet and the majority seems to revolve around getting the documents in order to marry my grandmother. There are some other papers that may be interesting.

The military number seems to be listed differently in different places, but the consistant ss-nr is 374118, as well as another number 99344

Feldpost nummer 35595 , and 37 497 are legible.

I'd like to scan some of the docs, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Thanks!
Amber

[Larry deZeng]

This probably repeats what you already have, Amber, so ignore this if it does.

35595
(28.2.1941-29.7.1941) Stab SS-Flak-Abteilung Reichsführer SS,
(8.9.1942-11.3.1943) gestrichen,
(23.4.1944-24.11.1944) 25.5.1944 Kampf-Kommandant Ostrowo (212. Infanterie-Division),
(25.11.1944-Kriegsende) 12.2.1945 gestrichen.


37497
(28.2.1941-29.7.1941) Kolonne SS-Flak-Abteilung Reichsführer SS,
(8.9.1942-11.3.1943) gestrichen,
(23.4.1944-24.11.1944) 27.5.1944 3. Batterie Heeres-Küsten-Artillerie-Abteilung 1114.

--Larry

[ancestry]

Fantastic! No, I didn't know the specifics, thank you!

I feel like I'm learning so much at once, it's hard to tie things together, and figure out what's important or not. Prior to this research project, I would have said that I had a pretty good background in both history and geography - now I find I am painfully lacking in both. Ah well, that's what makes it fun, right? Learning keeps the grey matter young. I'm grateful to have a resource like this discussion group.

More to post tomorrow.
a

[Simon O.]

Right, so it looks like he was draughted into the Flak Abt. RF-SS during it's formation. The appearance of the 35595 feldpost number makes perfect sense in conjunction with the other number.

SS isn't my area so hopefully someone else can fill you in on the history of this unit.

[ancestry]

Wonderful! Thank you Simon!!

[ancestry]

Wonderful! Thank you Simon!!

[Larry deZeng]

SS-Flak-Abt. Reichsführer-SS

The Waffen-SS is not my field either, but I did look through my material. It was originally formed at the end of February 1941 just as the FpN listing says. When it was disbanded on 8 September 1942, it was immediately reconstituted as Flak-Abt./Begleit-Btl. Reichsführer-SS, then renamed yet again on or about 2 October 1943 as SS-Flak-Abt. 1/Kommandostab Reichsführer-SS.

From its inception to the end of the war, it was directly under Kommandostab Reichsführer-SS. That was the Einsatzstab (field operational HQ) of the SS-Führungshauptamt (operational HQ of the SS in Berlin). The Kommandostab Reichsführer-SS was located at Lyck and then Arys in East Prussia from June 1941 to June 1942. It then moved forward to Zhitomir/W Ukr., but returned to East Prussia in November. In summer 1943, together with the Begleit-Btl. Reichsführer-SS, it was used to form the Sturmbrigade Reichsführer-SS which was sent to Corsica. When the Sturmbrigade was expanded into 16. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Div. "Reichsführer-SS" on 2 October 1943, the Flak-Abt. and the Begleit-Btl. were both transferred back to the Kommandostab Reichsführer-SS and did not continue with the new Division.

That's as far as I can go. My guess is that the Flak-Abt. was used to provide antiaircraft defenses around the HQ complex of Kommandostab Reichsführer-SS in East Prussia and then Zhitomir.

I know there is a full historical write-up of the Flak-Abt. in the postwar Waffen-SS veteran's periodical Der Freiwillige. Hopefully, some who has these will be kind enough to search them and see what they can find.

--Larry

P.S. The units that came directly under Kommandostab Reichsführer-SS were generally considered elite within the Waffen-SS.

[ancestry]

Dear Larry,

I'm amazed at how much information you guys have!

I'm very appreciative of your help, as my knowledge of this time period is very superficial. Thank you very much, it gives me some excellent context.

Should have time later this afternoon to scan some docs for your interest.

Thanks!
Amber

[RaymondG]

Hi Amber

It is wonderful to see the progress you are making with your research and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing more fruits of your research.

In addition, thanks for coming back and giving us updates as some others perhaps don't appreciate that other forum members are really interested in what they have uncovered

Excellent

Raymond

[ancestry]

Hi Raymond,

Thanks! I guess I'm like you guys in as much as I enjoy a good puzzel, and there's nothing more frustrating that putting effort towards something and not knowing how it turned out. I'm a veterinarian, and I think that's one thing I really enjoy about my work - problem solving and followup.

This discussion board has been an invaluable resource - it's hard to research something when you don't know the right questions to ask, or even where to start. I wouldn't have gotten this far without your help.

I can post this sachgebiet (booklet?) cover, but the rest will have to wait until I find a larger format scanner (the pages are large and mine crops the edge and bottom). There are over 100 pages of documents scanned from microfiche, though some are repeats at differing contrasts. The researcher did a fine job for us.

We're deciding how to best approach my Oma to see if she'll help with translating some of the documents for us.

All the best, I'll post more when I'm able.
Amber

[ancestry]

Hi everyone!

A few more scanned images. Comments/ translations welcomed!

[ancestry]

hmmmm, too small.
Let me try again......

[ancestry]

and a letter....

1941 looks like the date the letter was written. What is the 29.7.1943 referring to?