Average age for different ranks (WH)?

[CarWib]

Hi guys,

Does anyone here know any good sources of information about the average age for different ranks in the Wehrmacht Heer? It would also be interesting to compare age distribution amongst ranks over time (for instance if an average Obergefreiter would be younger in 1945 than in 1939).

Regards,
Carl

[Simon O.]

The only age statistics i've come across are by unit.

Also, age averages by rank are going to vary wildly dependent upon unit type.

[CarWib]

The only age statistics i've come across are by unit.

Also, age averages by rank are going to vary wildly dependent upon unit type.

Thanks, Simon. Do you mean that you mostly encounter age statistics when researching specific units (such as a particular regiment) rather than for the whole WH?

It makes sense that age would widely differ between units. I'm generally interested in all kinds of statistics about the heer but it is not obvious for me how to find it.

/Carl

[Simon O.]

The best place to look is the archives. Various unit and formation departments were endlessly supplying statistics up the chain. From my own area of research I find age statistics being reported by some units up to army in their monthly status reports. I don't know if this was then collated and sent further up to OKH or if that kind of information survives.

[CarWib]

The best place to look is the archives. Various unit and formation departments were endlessly supplying statistics up the chain. From my own area of research I find age statistics being reported by some units up to army in their monthly status reports. I don't know if this was then collated and sent further up to OKH or if that kind of information survives.

Do you know of any god research sites online with access to these kind of archives?

/Carl

[Simon O.]

You'll either have to go to the archives yourself (NARA or BA-MA) or order copies, which you can do online (see the pinned thread)

Here's an example of what i'm talking about from the monthly status report of the 199 Inf.Div. for nov '44

Another interesting set of statistics for the same division is the break down of where the divisions members come from based on regions.

[NickG]

Very interesting

[CarWib]

Thanks for the help, Simon - I appreciate it. Very interesting indeed and helpful when researching units. Sometimes you just need somewhere to start.

/Carl

[chrischa]

Very interesting

Agreed. Thanks Simon.

[Archi]

Hi !

I think Carl raised a very interesting question !

However, I cannot remember, that I have seen a statistic, which gives such a thing like the average age,
grouped by Schützen, Gefreiten, Obergefreiten of any unit/or even a certain group of men.
Also not for NCOs. I would be interested in both !

I could also think of related questions like :
For a certain unit, what was the percentage of Schützen, Gefreiten, Uffz., Feldwebel, Oberfw. etc. ?
(independent of age). And how did this change from 1939 - 1945 ?

What can be said in general is that for a full strength Inf.Div., the average percentage of ranks should be :
~ 3 % Officers, 15-17 % NCOs, 80-82 % enlisted men, 0.5 % Officials
To see more details of this should be very interesting .

The situation is a bit different for the officer ranks, as I think there should be more statics available,
according to the different ranks by ages. (For one example see scan 1)

I found some other statistics according to the number of soldiers in the Heer by age in total in Dec. 1943,
which might be interesting. In July 1944 this was used to compute the average age of the German soldier
in the army to 31.5 years. (scan 2, for some reason I cannot upload a 3rd file from Keilig, 204, 1944, p.14).

For further reading on similar kind of statistics : I think there are a number of sources available in German language,
(let me know if that would be interesting), but I do not know of any that exactly answers the primary question :
average age of a Gefreiter, etc. ... !

Cheers,

Archi

[naxos]

Great info Archi

Thank you!