MIA case to solve

[Eric Mill]

Hello everyone.

1e time we try to use the knowledge of this forum to solve a MIA case.

Together with a Dutch Red Cross volunteer I’m investigating several missing persons cases of the World War 2-era.
Even after all these years family’s still have questions about the lost and missing ones.
The backgrounds of these 700-plus missing people vary from resistance work and voluntary service into the Wehrmacht to random victims of combat and bombing raids.

In one particular assigned case , the missing person was a Dutchman named:

Jacobus BREEBAART

The case file states that the BREEBAART’s Herkennungsmarke number was “-3034 – Gren. Regt. Lw. Ndl.” and that he had served as an assistant company cook. His last known unit had Feldpost Nr. 25943B.

The unit we identified for the corresponding time period (source: Kannapin):

Stab II und 5 – 8Kp. Gren. Rgt. 1 (Ldst. Ndl. SS)

With this we see the following units appear :

12-03-1943: Grenadier-Regiment I Landwacht Nederland
16-10-1943: SS- Grenadier Regiment Landstorm Nederland
01-11-1944: SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Brigade 'Landstorm Nederland'
10-02-1945: 34.SS Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Division 'Landstorm
Nederland'

For some reason the “B“ behind the Fp.Nr. is not corresponding with the unit we think he was in. There indications he was in the 5 Kp. The “B” suggests he was in 1 Kp. Maybe beacuse there was only one Btl. they used the "B" for the 5 Kp.

From other sources we know for sure that II./SS-Gren.Rgt. “Landstorm Nederland” saw action near Chaam in October 1944 (south off Holland, near the Belgium border) Chaam matches with his assumed MIA location (according the family)

Relatives informed the Red Cross that his unit had fought near Veenendaal in The Netherlands in September 1944.
In October of that year BREEBAART fought near Chaam in the Dutch province of North-Brabant and reportedly went missing on the 29th.

The SS Führungshauptambt in Berlin is said to have been notified of his Missing In Action-status.

After that time, no sign of life of this missing man has been reported.
BREEBAART’s name appears on missing soldiers lists of the post-war German Red Cross.

On the Vermisstenbildliste is NO picture of him. Only that he is MIA in October 1944 in Belgium. At the Wast and Bund NO information availabe.

Anyone who can shed light on the details of this case, is welcome to contact me.

Because we have several "Landstorm" related cases we are looking for the KTB (KriegsTageBuch)or the loaction of the KTB from this unit(s)

[Floris]

Eric, as far as I know the Landstorm fought in 1945 around Veenendaal and not in 1944. Have you got the book Nederlandse Vrijwilligers in Europese Krijgsdienst deel I?

[Jean-Loup]

Hi

Your research method will not be successfull. Research about MIA's has to be made either by finding the MIA first, then discovering his ID, or occasionaly by searching for a MIA if you have a very precise and confirmed location of death and burial.

In your case, there is nothing precise known about the location of death or disposition of the body. I have seen estimated locations of death on Vermistenbildlisten be wrong by hundreds of kilometers....

As you are aware, there are dozens of thousands of unknown soldiers buried in offiial cemeteries, and no way to know if one of these could or could not be your man. Maybe his body was found 65 years ago but could no be identified, as happened often.

Looking for unit history and possible survivors of the unit is your best option availlable.

JL

[Eric Mill]

Thanks for the input

Floris:

We know about the Veenendaal enigma. This part is information from the relatives. There is some Feldpost material. But we are sure he got MIA near Chaam.

There is information about II/ Landstorm Nederland moving from Veenendaal on the 5 of September 1944 to the town of Bergen op Zoom.

We know about the troubles in may 1945 around and in the city of Veenendaal. The last stronghold/positions of Landstorm.

And we have the book you named.

==========================================

Jean-Loup

You are completely right, on every point. But it is not about finding the human remains. Relatives want to know what happened to there family. Finding or/and identifying remains alsmost never happens. At this time we have 30 cases to study. Most of them are Landstorm related. So thats why we are chasing the KTB to start with. So every advise is welcome. Thanks.

[Jean-Loup]

Hi

In this case, you should try to research as many veterans as possible from the unit (and any and all period docs), and chances are some will remember (or mention) what happened to some of your MIA.
This is very hard work, I know as I have done it for my region in southern France. However when you find something, it is also very exciting!

JL

[Eric Mill]

Follow up

Hello everyone.

1e time we try to use the knowledge of this forum to solve a MIA case.

Together with a Dutch Red Cross volunteer I’m investigating several missing persons cases of the World War 2-era.
Even after all these years family’s still have questions about the lost and missing ones.
The backgrounds of these 700-plus missing people vary from resistance work and voluntary service into the Wehrmacht to random victims of combat and bombing raids.

In one particular assigned case , the missing person was a Dutchman named:

Jacobus BREEBAART

The case file states that the BREEBAART’s Herkennungsmarke number was “-3034 – Gren. Regt. Lw. Ndl.” and that he had served as an assistant company cook. His last known unit had Feldpost Nr. 25943B.

The unit we identified for the corresponding time period (source: Kannapin):

Stab II und 5 – 8Kp. Gren. Rgt. 1 (Ldst. Ndl. SS)

With this we see the following units appear :

12-03-1943: Grenadier-Regiment I Landwacht Nederland
16-10-1943: SS- Grenadier Regiment Landstorm Nederland
01-11-1944: SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Brigade 'Landstorm Nederland'
10-02-1945: 34.SS Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Division 'Landstorm
Nederland'

For some reason the “B“ behind the Fp.Nr. is not corresponding with the unit we think he was in. There indications he was in the 5 Kp. The “B” suggests he was in 1 Kp. Maybe beacuse there was only one Btl. they used the "B" for the 5 Kp.

From other sources we know for sure that II./SS-Gren.Rgt. “Landstorm Nederland” saw action near Chaam in October 1944 (south off Holland, near the Belgium border) Chaam matches with his assumed MIA location (according the family)

Relatives informed the Red Cross that his unit had fought near Veenendaal in The Netherlands in September 1944.
In October of that year BREEBAART fought near Chaam in the Dutch province of North-Brabant and reportedly went missing on the 29th.

The SS Führungshauptambt in Berlin is said to have been notified of his Missing In Action-status.

After that time, no sign of life of this missing man has been reported.
BREEBAART’s name appears on missing soldiers lists of the post-war German Red Cross.

On the Vermisstenbildliste is NO picture of him. Only that he is MIA in October 1944 in Belgium. At the Wast and Bund NO information availabe.

Anyone who can shed light on the details of this case, is welcome to contact me.

Because we have several "Landstorm" related cases we are looking for the KTB (KriegsTageBuch)or the loaction of the KTB from this unit(s)

================================================== ===

A little update and another request

In the archives we've found the name of the Regimental writer, the one who kept files in the Regiment. He has been interrogated in 1946 about several "Landstorm" related MIA's in Holland. He also gave a statement about Breebaart's MIA, which now narrows the search and points directly at the small town called Chaam in the south of Holland. From the archives in Chaam we now know about 4 German fieldgraves which have been recorded properly in all detail. Underwhile 3 of them have been identified. One not... because there was NO Erkennungsgmarke. This one we working on at this moment. In the archive-material about Breebaart we discovered by accident information about another Landstorm related case we working on.

Reguest:

In the index of the National Archives in the US we discovered some really interesting material about the Landstorm unit's.

http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/gui...8_Guide_79.pdf

See for the PDF-PAGES 86, 87 en 88.

Can anyone in the US explain how we can get access to those files and even better how we can get copys or PDF's from those files for our research.

Does someone know about the whereabouts of the KTB (KriegsTageBuch) of this unit. Does it still exist?? If so..were can we find it.

Thanks

Eric

[Simon O.]

For some reason the “B“ behind the Fp.Nr. is not corresponding with the unit we think he was in. There indications he was in the 5 Kp. The “B” suggests he was in 1 Kp. Maybe beacuse there was only one Btl. they used the "B" for the 5 Kp.

Maybe i'm not quite understadning what you're trying to say here but the B in this Fp.Nr. does mean the 5 Kompanie.

[Ian Jewison]

It depends what time frame we are looking at:


FP Nr. 25943

19.9.1944 Stab II u. 5.-8. Kompanie Grenadier-Regiment 1 (Landstorm Nederland SS),
26.11.1944 gestrichen,
19.12.1944 Stab I u. 1.-4. Kompanie Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 83 (SS-Brigade Nederland).

From 19.9.1944 it was assigned to 5 Kp.
From 19.12.1944 it was assigned to 1 Kp.


A - Stab I. Btl. (II., III. etc.)
B - 1 Kp. (5, 9)
C - 2 Kp. (6,10)
D - 3 Kp. (7,11)
E - 4 Kp. (8, 12)


/Ian

[Eric Mill]

5 Komp is right.

Maybe I'm not quite understanding what you're trying to say here but the B in this Fp.Nr. does mean the 5 Kompanie.

Hi Simon and Ian:

You're right with this. With this unit this FpNr. addition B stands for 5 Kp. There is only a II Btl. We do not work every day with Fp.Nr's. Thats why I asked myself what was going on here. There is no 1e Kp in this unit, which I first suspected when I saw the letter B. From the archive research we know now know for sure he was in 5 Kp. We talking here about the last 5 days of October 1944 when he got MIA. So Stab II u. 5.-8. Kompanie Grenadier-Regiment 1 (Landstorm Nederland SS) is the right one to look for.

Every piece of help is much appreciated.

Thanks

Eric

[MJC]

Eric,

I can help you with the NARA documents if you still need assistance. In total, you are looking at just over 600pp of clear docs and well described in the GG you cited.

The KTB is not available at NARA on Divisional level, but could be higher up.

Mike

[Eric Mill]

Dropped a mail

Thanks Mike

I dropped a mail at your work.

Regards

Eric