Finding anything related to my grandfather

[Kate Zezula]

Im hoping to find information on my grandfather.
All I know is this...
Roman Zezula born in Wien on 18.4.1911. He was a part of unit 3 Marschkompanie, Landesschutzen-Ersatz, Ausbildungs-battalion 18 Salzburg and Landesschutzen-Batalion 17.
No death or missing person records have been found nor information regarding seniority. It has been mentioned he could have been a potential prisoner of war.
What I would like to find out is what his location would have been, where was unit 3 based what area did it and the other battalions cover. What are the other battalions and what did they do? I know Salzburg is mentioned but would he have been based here or any where else? over what length of time would the soldiers be in one particular area. I know my father would have conceived in March 1944.
Is there any way of finding out any documentation for my grandfather could I find out what he did prior to the military. Are there any records of him as a civilian?
If anyone is able to help I would be eternally grateful.
Regards

[Ian Jewison]

Hi Kate,

As a relative you can write to the WASt and request info, however there might not be much available if you say no information has already really been available:

http://www.dd-wast.de/

This is in German, so not sure if you can understand it, if not then I can translate later or try an online translator.

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...ErsBat18-R.htm

Not sure about the unit 17 at the moment.

/Ian

[Ian Jewison]

Could this be a relative?

Walter Zezula has not yet been transferred to a military cemetery established by the national union.
According to the information available to us, his grave is still at the following location: Lubny - Ukraine

last name: Zezula
first name: Walter
Rank: Gefreiter
date of birth: 06/20/1920
place of birth: Vienna
Death / Missing Date: 17/09/1941
Death / Vermisstenort: Wilschanka

[Simon O.]

A bit of explaining about the units, the Landesschützen units were a bit like the US national guard, their duties were things like, rear area security, guarding vital points like bridges and they were often also POW guards.

a marschkompanie was a temporary unit designed to organise and control the transit of troops from one unit to another, most often from home depot units to field units, the transfer to which could take weeks.

Landesschützen-Ersatz, Ausbildungs-battalion 18 would have been his home depot unit, it will be where he underwent basic training and also the unit he would return to from the field if for example he had been wounded or taken ill and spent a time recovering before returning to his field unit.

As for Landesschützen Btl. 17, perhaps the number is wrong?

or perhaps it refers to one of the early battalions numbered XVII?

[Kate Zezula]

Thank you everyone for you help. Ian my German is not that good. If you were able to translate that would be fantastic.
Do you think there is any way to track whether he became a POW as that is why it is suggested there is no trace of him however we have since found a grave in Vienna so he must have returned as a civilian.