Notes From Buchenwald Extermination Camp

[voodoo]

Today I found a Complete photo alblum of Mr Alden Wiegert. He was part of the 45th Evac Hospitol US. His journey starts in the states, through amazing battles in France and Germany. He later shows photos when his team entered Buchenwald. The photos are horrific to say the least. These papers were found along with the Buchenwald photos. One is clearly prisioner money, but the other paper I need translated. Can anyone help? Hopefully, as time permits, I will post his AMAZING story.

Jeff

[voodoo]

1

[Glenn2438]

Guard Report

Jeff,

The document you listed above appears to be a guard report listing the NCO and soldiers on duty and their time on post throughout the given period - 27 to 28 March 1945. The ranks, however appear to be army and not SS. The Wachhabender or Guard Commander is an Unteroffizier. His Vertreter or deputy is an Obergefreiter and the men standing the posts hold the ranks of Obergefereiter, Gefreiter and Grenadier

Offizier vom Ortsdienst = garrison duty officer
Offizier vom Dienst = duty officer
Posten = posts
Dienstgrad = rank
Name = name
Zeit = time

Regards
Glenn

[Gerd Becker]

Hi Jeff,

interesting pieces. Are you sure, that the "Wertmarke" had been for prisoners? I don´t think, the prisoners got wertmarken for their meals. Couldn´t it have been for the guards, because "SS-Standort-Kantine" indicates it has been the guards-cantine.

best wishes,
Gerd
PS: The parole is also interesting: "Luftdruck-Bremse"(airpressure-brake)

[voodoo]

I was actully guessing about the prisioner money. I really don't know if they were issued "money" or not. I thought I remember seeing something like this on the net, but I not sure anymore. Perhaps it is money for the gaurds?


Jeff

[voodoo]

Looking at the photo album again, Mr Wiegert was very meticulous in dating and identifying all his photos. He specifically placed this paper after his first few photos of Buchenwald. The first Americans entered Buchenwald on April 11, and the camp was officially liberated two days later according to his notes. According to the dates on the paper above, March 27 to 28, would place him in Bad Neunahr/Das Kurhaus and Eschweiler where it appears they were "getting ready" according to him. Orders were given to move out in the end of march. He mentions Remagen Bridge and took photos as they passed by. As far as I can till, I can place him in Buchenwald in Mid April.

So, I guess Mr Wiegert could of picked up these order papers along the way. Perhaps there is something that I missed in his diary noting where the paper come from. Since the SS knew the Americans, Russians, and other were coming, did they turn over the camps to the Army to save their own skins?

Jeff

[voodoo]

I have been running this topic on two different forums. Further research on the paper has led me to this statement on the other forum



In his letter back home on April 11, Mr Wiegert makes this note "We left the Rhine a long ways behind. I was a little disappointed in that I expected it to be different for some reason. Wasn't broad where I crossed, perhaps twice as wide as the Wolf River (Northern WI). Didn't cross the bridge(Remagen) that was captured intact, but saw it, or rather what was left. I was completly down then. Traveled along the Rhine Valley for a ways, and were operating on both sides of it right near the river. The valley is narrow where I was, and flanked on both sides by pretty rought hills, which are terraced into vineyards, the home of Rhine wine.
Was in a SS post, three days after it was vacated by the germans and found a gaurd roster with the date. Plenty of junk to look over there, including a room full of rifles which I didn't know about until we had gone. Would like to get a fifle or two for hunting, also field glasses."

Later on in this entry he writes
"the roads were jammed with liberated slave laborers on their way to the rear. Quite a sight to see. Have had some liberated British soldiers as patients. One was a prisioner for five years and dropped in weight from 200 to 80."


Jeff

[D. Löwenhamn]

Buchenwald was not an extermination camp but a concentration camp.

Best regards/ Daniel

[voodoo]

Dainel,


You are correct in that Buchenwald was not a extermination camp, but a concentration camp. It is estimated that over 56000 prisioners died at Buchenwald and over 130000 transfered to other points.
Regards Jeff

[D. Löwenhamn]

Sorry Jeff, I was just nitpicking a bit.

Best regards/ Daniel

[voodoo]

Daniel,

No apology necessary. You were correct in my misidentification of the camps.

Jeff