EKI Document -Signed by Knights Cross Holder

[GELIS44]

Shown is my only EKI Document. It is one of three docs in a grouping awarded to Hubert Schumacher.

The signature is believed to be: Generalmajor Heinz Fiebig
Here is some basic info:

* Rank: Generalmajor
* Date of Birth: 23 March 1897 "Hindenbrug Oberschl"
* Death: 30.03.1964
* Captured: Westl. Wismar, Germany
* 1 December 1944-8 May 1945 " Commander of 84th ID
* 84th ID surrendered to British
*POW from 1945-1947

Decorations & Awards (Most important)

* Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
* German Cross in Gold

[Ludwig]

Nice! I don´t understand why documents aren´t more popular than they are. They tell us more than the award itself.

[GELIS44]

Nice! I don´t understand why documents aren´t more popular than they are. They tell us more than the award itself.

Thanks! I know for me personally, I'm afraid of fakes!

[peter u]

Hi Nellis,

Nice document!

Cheers,
Peter

[GELIS44]

Hi Nellis,

Nice document!

Cheers,
Peter

Thanks for the second time!!

[Brian R]

Great doc!!

The 84th Division was captured in Falaise and reformed in the fall of 1944. It appears Schumacher was a part of one of the replacement battalions. I wonder if he won his EK2 for earlier bravery against the British.

[GELIS44]

Great doc!!

The 83rd Division was captured in Falaise and reformed in the fall of 1944. It appears Schumacher was a part of one of the replacement battalions. I wonder if he won his EK2 for earlier bravery against the British.

Thanks! Just found this: The 26th Infantry Division spent the first war years on the Western Front, taking part in the Battle of France in May/June 1940 first under the command of Sixteenth Army (16. Armee) and later Twelfth Army. The division was transferred to the Eastern Front in June 1941 to serve under Army Group Centre (Heeresgruppe Mitte)

Here is Schumacher's EKII doc! I'm having trouble with the signature. I can't make any out of the letters & no commanders are listed on Feldgrau's resource page.

[Simon O.]

Walter Weiss was divisionsl commander at the time.

Use the Lexikon der Wehrmacht rather than Feldgrau, it's much better.

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...ionen/26ID.htm

You'll find Weiss's bio on the Axis Biographical Research site. He ended up as a Generaloberst.

Do you have more to this man?

[GELIS44]

Walter Weiss was divisionsl commander at the time.

Use the Lexikon der Wehrmacht rather than Feldgrau, it's much better.

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...ionen/26ID.htm

You'll find Weiss's bio on the Axis Biographical Research site. He ended up as a Generaloberst.

Do you have more to this man?

Thanks Simon! As you pointed out, I was looking under the wrong rank. I'm learning as much as I can at the moment!! I have found a new love for documents!! Here is Schumacher's BWB document! Could you explain this " <big>ß"? I'm not familiar German.Any idea who signed the BWB doc? </big>General der Infanterie Sigismund von Forster? I can't make out any of these signatures.

<big>Generaloberst Walter Weiß
</big>
Born: 05.09.1890 in Tilsit / Ostpreußen.
Died: 21.12.1967 in Aschaffenburg am Main / Bayern.

Promotions:
19.03.1908 Fähnrich
19.08.1909 Leutnant
24.07.1915 Oberleutnant
15.07.1918 Hauptmann
01.06.1931 Major i.G.
01.09.1934 Oberstleutnant i.G.
01.03.1937 Oberst (mit Patent vom 01.08.1936)
01.09.1940 Generalmajor
01.08.1942 Generalleutnant
01.09.1942 General der Infanterie
30.01.1944 Generaloberst

Career:
[01.09.1939] - 15.12.1940 Chef des Generalstabes of I.Armee-Korps.
15.12.1940 - 15.01.1941 Kommandeur of 97.leichten Division.
15.01.1941 - 15.04.1942 Kommandeur of 26.Infanterie-Division.
01.07.1942 - 03.02.1943 Kommandierender General of XXVII.Armee-Korps.
03.02.1943 - 12.03.1945 Oberbefehlshaber of 2.Armee.
12.03.1945 - 05.04.1945 Oberbefehlshaber of Heeresgruppe Nord.
05.04.1945 - 08.05.1945 Oberbefehlshaber of Heeresgruppe Ostpreußen.

[Simon O.]

"ß" is a double s so it can also be written Weiss.
In the same manner ö can be written oe and ä can be written ae

So for example gebirgsjäger can be written as gebirgsjaeger but gebirgsjager is an incorrect misspelling.

The WB doc is signed by som doctor at the hospital
arzt = doctor
Laz. is the abbreviation for lazarett or field hospital

[GELIS44]

"ß" is a double s so it can also be written Weiss.
In the same manner ö can be written oe and ä can be written ae

So for example gebirgsjäger can be written as gebirgsjaeger but gebirgsjager is an incorrect misspelling.

The WB doc is signed by som doctor at the hospital
arzt = doctor
Laz. is the abbreviation for lazarett or field hospital

Thanks Simon!! Your a document collector's best resource!!

[F L Clemens]

"ß" is a double s so it can also be written Weiss...

Just to add to what Simon wrote - the "ß" is considered to be a separate letter combination than a simple "ss". It is called an "sz" in German and is sometimes transliterated that way.

The distinction between the use of "ß" versus "ss" can sometimes be a tipoff to a document fabrication - however one has to keep in mind that a document that fails to use the "ß" could still be real, it just might have been typed on a captured non-German typewriter - so it isn't a foolproof indicator. But a German typing on a non-German typewriter should use "sz" as a substitute for "ß".

[Sprucelodger]

My first post after years of being amazed by the expertise, and grace, exhibited by the members of this forum. I'm a typewriter collector and interested in WWII history. Most German typewriters have a separate character for "one". Most American (English) typewriters use the lowercase "ell" for the number one. This is sometimes helpful when trying to discern the authenticity and consistency between different documents. What I have also found is that even with a separate "one" character, many German typists used a small "o" instead of a zero, which both American and German typewriters contain, so we see 1.oo instead of 1.00. My best to you all.

[Simon O.]

Just to add to what Simon wrote - the "ß" is considered to be a separate letter combination than a simple "ss". It is called an "sz" in German and is sometimes transliterated that way.

The distinction between the use of "ß" versus "ss" can sometimes be a tipoff to a document fabrication - however one has to keep in mind that a document that fails to use the "ß" could still be real, it just might have been typed on a captured non-German typewriter - so it isn't a foolproof indicator. But a German typing on a non-German typewriter should use "sz" as a substitute for "ß".

Well, there you go. Learn something new everyday. I didn't realise that it should be sz, I'm so used to seeing ss used that it never occured to me. Explains why some names are spelt with ss and others with ß.


Welcome to the forum sprucelodger. You make a very good point about the use of 0 and o.