-- Deutsche Dienstelle Results --

[dwahl01]

Hello everyone,

When I went to Berlin I decided to find out more about my grandfather who was in the German Army.

I have found some information and I am wondering if anyone can shed some light on it.

I need to know what the regiments I am about to list did in WW2, any help will be greatly appreciated.

Flieger Horst Kommandantur Halberstadt

.7 Kompanie Feld Regiment 4 der Luftwaffe. - Standort - Diedenhofen

Feld Ausbildungs Battalion der Luftwaffe 2 - Drauville/Frankreich

3. Kompanie Grenadier Regiment 473 -unterstand der 253 Infantrie-Division Einsatzraum: Okt./Nov 1944 Besikden

Marschkompanie zur besonderen Verwendung 253

If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks!

[JeremyJ]

..

You might want to post this in the Order of Battle/ Individual Research Forum.

Jeremy

[JeremyJ]

..

Luftwaffen-Feld-Regiment 4

Kommandeure:

• Oberst Friedrich Leesemann, 2.42 - 10.42
• Obstlt Ludwig Engel, 10.42 - 11.42
• Oberst Werner Krahl, 11.42 - 3.43

Formed 2.42 in Russia (II. formed 1.42 in Diedenhofen) under Luftwaffen-Division Meindl.
Served in Northern Russia (Lake Ilmen) while the I. Battalion served with XXXVIII.AK at Volkhov from 24.2.42 to 12.7.42.
Disbanded 1943, and used to form Luftwaffen-Feld Division 21 and Luftwaffen-Feld Division 22, while II./Luftwaffen-Feld-Regiment 4 became Luftwaffen-Feld-Bataillon z.b.V. 1 on 3.11.42.
Organisation:

1942: I. 1-4, II. 5-8, III. 9-12, IV. 13-16

[dwahl01]

Thanks for your help Jeremy,


Does anyone have any research about the following:

Feld Ausbildungs Battalion der Luftwaffe 2 - Drauville/Frankreich

3. Kompanie Grenadier Regiment 473 -unterstand der 253 Infantrie-Division Einsatzraum: Okt./Nov 1944 Besikden

Marschkompanie zur besonderen Verwendung 253

[Simon O.]

Here's the 253 inf.div.

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...onen/253ID.htm


the marschkompanie is simply an adhoc temporary unit formed to control the movement of personnel to or from the division.

it's a little difficult to give you a clearer picture of where and when he served without dates but you know at least he was with the 253 ID around Beskiden in southern Poland late '44.

[dwahl01]

Thanks once more for your input.

If you could look at the below images it has all of the dates involved.

[dwahl01]

Can anyone help me place these regiments with battles?

[Simon O.]

Well there's quite a bit of information missing.

Firstly, he was a pre-war soldier, as he was promoted to oberfeldwebel in 1939 he had a fair few years behind him already.

My guess is he was in a luftwaffe guard unit or possibly training recruits, here's a little about Halberstadt airfield and barracks

http://www.ronaldv.nl/abandoned/airf...halt/harz.html

The story of how the LW field divisions came into being is well known but it seems your grandfather was one of the first to be draughted into the first of the divisions and was also wounded early on.

Although 'Pennawald' sounds German it's in Russia, near Staraya Russa and lake Ilmen.

In this image you can make out Gruppe Meindl on the left.



After being released as fit for duty from hospital in june 1942 he was sent to a luftwaffe field training unit in France, my guess he was there until around april '44 when he was he was moved over into the army and joined 3./Gr.Rgt.473, as a stabsfeldwebel, he either held a post like hauptfeldwebel or perhaps commanded a platoon, but my guess would be more an administrative job like hauptfeldwebel.

the rest of his story follows that of the 253 Inf.Div. as linked above.

[dwahl01]

Thanks for all your help Simon.

I have his second issue soldbuch and also all the photo's from a Kreigsbuch as well.

Can you explain where he was put into captivity at all. My auntie has told me that he went to America and then was taken to Britain.

Do you know how I can research this? There is an American POW number stamped on the Soldbuch.

[dwahl01]

Here is a page of the Soldbuch and some photos:

[dwahl01]

Here is a page of the Soldbuch showing the American POW number starting with 31G

[Gerdan]

# 10

One of the graves I found in the Volksbund list:

Otto Wolter

His grave could not yet be found.

Nachname:Wolter
Vorname:Otto
Dienstgrad:Pionier
Geburtsdatum:11.09.1910
Geburtsort: Roßnow
Todes-/Vermisstendatum:15.10.1939
Todes-/Vermisstenort: Städt.(isches) Krkhs.(Krankenhaus) Graudenz


Gerdan

[Gerdan]

Here the other grave (list of the Volksbund):

Gustav Gromball

Gustav Gromball konnte im Rahmen unserer Umbettungsarbeiten nicht geborgen werden. His grave could not be found yet.

Nachname:Gromball
Vorname:Gustav
Dienstgrad:Gefreiter
Geburtsdatum:08.07.1895
Geburtsort:Kreppehnen
Todes-/Vermisstendatum:31.10.1939
Todes-/Vermisstenort: bei (near) Graudenz

So we know that the two photos were taken in the Graudenz area where the graves have been situated Oct 1939.

The first one died in the local hospital of Graudenz.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grudzi%C4%85dz

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grudzi%C4%85dz

Gerdan

[dwahl01]

Thankyou Gerdan,

They must have been my grandfather's friends. I'm very grateful in everyone helping me uncover my grandfather's story.

And thank you once more Gerdan and Simon for going out of your way to help me.

There is a question that I am desperate to answer and this is of where my grandfather was captured. I know that it was on 02-03-1945 when he was in Marschkompanie 253 and that the American's captured him.

I am hoping to find out more so I can understand where he went in America.

[Simon O.]

Re: -- Deutsche Dienstelle Results --

It seems like you have far more information than you are letting on, this drip feeding of information to us becomes very frustrating.

can you show us the awards page or pages, it can help us piece together the story