Oberst Bernd Wintzer

[IMWESTEN]

Hi, this wiki page shows that Oberst Bernd Wintzer, son of Carl Wintzer was KIA / Gefallen. But I can't confirm that. I am very curious if this was the case and if he was killed in action.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Wintzer_(General)


In the end of WW2 he was commanding officer of the 5. Fallschirm-Artillerie-Regiment. I have his Soldbuch in my collection.

Volksbund gives no hits on the names Bernd Wintzer, Winter, Winzer = 1945.


Thanks in advance, Nick

[Archi]

Hello !

I think that there is a Bernd Wintzer listed, who was born in Metz on 21.07.1905.
(No place or date is listed, where/when he was KIA).
He is listed as buried on the Kriegsgräberstätte in Hasselfelde, which is located in the Harz, about 20km E of Braunlage.

As the some elements of 5. Fsjg.Div. fought in that area, this could perhaps be your man.

Do you know the Larry de Zeng list of Lw. Officers ? There are two officers in this list whith name Reinhard and Bernhard Wintzer,
both with connection to Fs.Art.Rgt. 5. (I assume some info got mixed up there).

If you could add some more info on your officer here, it could help to rectify that small confusion !

Best regards,

Archi

[IMWESTEN]

Hi Archi,

That is interesting. I have had his Soldbuch for years and always thought he survived the war as a senior officer. The wiki page of his father wasn't online when I first purchased the Soldbuch.

Indeed, remnants of the 5. FJD fought in the Harz area (Lauterberg and so on).
And indeed, Bernd Wintzer was born in Metz, 1905.

Zeng's list is not known to me.


Thanks for your help!

[IMWESTEN]

Last entry in the Soldbuch is from 6 February 1945.

[Archi]

Hello !

Many thanks, for showing those SB pages.
This matches the entries for Bernhard Wintzer (see below, Bernd is likely a shortcut for "Bernhard").

First, full credit for compiling and finally sharing the list with the public, goes to Henry L. deZeng IV and Douglas G. Stankey !
The information can be found on the ww2.dk site.

Here is the entry from that list (it might have some additional info, beyond the SB entries) :
WINTZER, Bernhard. (DOB: 21.07.05 in Metz/Lothringen).
01.04.24 entered service.
01.10.32 Beobachter (observer) training at Fliegerschule Braunschweig.
01.03.34 trf to the Luftwaffe from the Heer (Artillerie) and sent to Hauptbildstelle Berlin for aerial photography course.
01.10.34 promo to Hptm.
03.06.35 attended Luftkriegsschule II Berlin (to 28.09.35).
01.11.35 Generalstab training at the Luftkriegsakademie Berlin-Gatow (to 31.03.37).
01.05.37 trf to 3.Abt./Genst.d.Lw.
16.02.38 appt Staka in Aufkl.Gr. 24.
15.02.39 trf Aufkl.Gr. 22 (to 01.11.39).
01.08.39 Maj., in Aufkl.Gr. 22.
01.11.39 trf to LKS Dresden.
16.10.40 appt Ia/Koluft AOK 1 (to 18.04.41).
19.04.41 trf Stab/ Koluft AOK 11 (to 25.12.41).
26.12.41 trf FAGr. 4 (to 01.08.42).
01.06.42 Maj., appt Kdr. FAGr. 4 (order rescinded).
01.08.42 trf Gefechtsverband Nord Stab (to 31.11.42).
01.12.42 trf Fliegerbildschule Hildesheim (to 01.09.43).
24.06.43 Obstlt. at Fliegerbildschule, appt IIa/II. Fliegerkorps.
03.09.43 trf to Luftgau-Kdo. Westfrankreich (to 02.02.44).
03.02.44 trf OKL (Chef Genst. 8 Abt.) (to 01.10.44).
01.03.44 promo to Oberst. 02.10.44 trf to 1. Fsch.-Armee (to 19.12.44).
20.12.44 trf to Stab/Fsch.Art.-Rgt. 5 (to 1945).

-------------
What confuses me a bit, is a second entry in that list :
WINTZER, Reinhard. 16.12.44 Obstlt., appt Kdr. Fsch.Art.Rgt. 5.

I would assume, that this is the same person (Reinhard and Bernhard could be easily mixed up).
However, there is also a mismatch in rank.
Perhaps someone can clarify this issue ?

Best regards,

Archi

[IMWESTEN]

Hi, thank you for that list!
Bernd Wintzer was Oberstleutnant before his rank of Oberst. You can see on page 1 of the Soldbuch that the word "leutnant" after Oberst has been covered by a small piece of paper.

As Reinhard concerns, I think it is a mix up.


Also he was in command of the FAR5 prior to the Ardennes offensive. Ludwig Heilmann (Div.Kmdr.) mentions that. So the date in the Solbuch (20 Dec) is not correct. But we will forgive them, chaotic days back then.


Well it makes the Soldbuch even more interesting to learn he was KIA. As an Regiments Kmdr. I thought he would have survived. I hope to learn more about the circumstances of his death but I fear that will be impossible?


Kind regards, Nick

[Luft 76]

Very interesting. And great Soldbuch!

[JeremyJ]

..

Nice Soldbuch I used to own that years ago so finding the additional information is indeed a find.

I know his Bulgarian pilots badge ID is floating around out there as well. Was on Weitze but didn’t get it in time.

At any rate interesting additional information.

Jeremy

[IMWESTEN]

Hi Jeremy, yes I was the lucky one who you sold it to.

All the best, Nick

Nice Soldbuch I used to own that years ago so finding the additional information is indeed a find.

I know his Bulgarian pilots badge ID is floating around out there as well. Was on Weitze but didn’t get it in time.

At any rate interesting additional information.

Jeremy