Mens on their 40's in frontline Heer units

[nicolas75]

Hello

The followings questions are to be answer not considering the Volksgrenadier draft and the mens who avoid service thanks to their "special assignment job in the work effort", nor the territorial units or rear area zones

1st question Is it uncommon to find someone in his 40's to serve in the frontlines units in the Heer in 1940-1944 ? did the mens shortage in the last years of the war urged "aged men" to be send to the front lines before automn 1944 ?

2nd question : Was there along those 4 years a dratt age policy ? considering is age, who is supposed to do what ?

3rd question : By example for a 40 yo Unteroffizier in a frontline heer unit. I guess this men did not get his stripes thunderflash way and had to spend nearly 2 years in the Eastern front (if he reached to survive to it) and keep on fighting with this rank he achived ?

Thanks

[nicolas75]

Hello

Seems like my question is hard

What are intented to do the fit "Ersatz reserve 1" mens along 1940 to 1944 ?

Into what extend can we find them on the front line and when did they were called into active fighting duty

Thanks

[nicolas75]

Hi

Last bump before i consider there is no answer

[nicolas75]

Hello

I’ll try to make my question clearer

During 1944 due to shortages of mens and the need to creat new divisions

Elderly mens and landeschsutzen battalion end up transfering mens to frontline units to be mixed up with young and seasoned veterants as the need of fresh division arose. (I’m rather talking about Volksgrenadier division rather than Volskturm –so autumn winter 1944)

So find mens in their early 40 years old was not so uncommon amond ID and VGD

By example in a infantry regiment, considering you all your experience analysing documents :

- Does those mens tends to occupy second lines duties within the regiment (like HQ, Communication platoon, Supplies, Auxilliary strecher bearer ...) ?

- Or were they just simply spread all over they were needed without any consideration on their age ?

Thanks

[Ian Jewison]

Not a hard question but will take time to peruse documents for ages of soldiers etc.

There was a draft of WWI Soldiders for 1939/1940 with many being released after the campaign in France.

However it would depend on your rank and I suppose experience.

Many sodliers and junior officers were born in the early 1920's with senior NCO's and officers in the 1910's.

I will try and go through a batch of documents to give you a guidline......unless someone has figures to hand!


/Ian

[nicolas75]

Btt

[nicolas75]

Back

[Maurice]

I finished an article on the 20. Schiffstammabteilung, a Kriegsmarine training unit. After D-Day there was a shortage of men so it turned out that men in their 40 of 50 were drafted in. Before these men had worked in functions that kept them from military service.
The unit was at that moment used in ground actions, stationed in defence lines.

Kind regards,

Maurice