Mystery EK1 portrait

[jacquesf]

Simon, I thought it was just piping, but relooking you are right it is unteroffz tress.

[Simon O.]

As an example of how many, or rather how few 'soldat', a frontline veteran battalion could have, i've counted them from the complete nominal roll i have for Jäger Btl.3 from 1 january 1945


By far, the most numerous mannschaften rank is obergefreiter


Stabs Kp. 150 men, 1 Jäger (private)

1 Kp. 124 men, 2 Jäger

2 Kp. 113 men, no Jäger

3 Kp. 121 men, 1 Jäger

4 Kp. 120 men, no Jäger

5 Kp. 123 men, 2 Jäger




This unit is perhaps not particularly representative, so running a few queries on the database i built of all German soldiers buried in Norway.

Only taking the army and SS for private ranks

Botn-Rognan cemetery in North Norway, 2741 graves, 242 are Soldat\Jäger\Grenadier\Pionier etc. compared to 1326 gefreiter\Sturmann obergefreiter\Rottenführer (though this total includes KM and LW of course, if i take matrose and flieger that adds 85 to the 242 total)

Narvik, 1441, 128 soldat and equivalent ranks

Trondheim, 2962 and 236

Bergen, 1077 and 65

Oslo, 3205 and 523 . The higher number here is due to the invasion in 1940, soldiers with less time served, so less opportunity to reach gefreiter etc.

[Lionel H.]

Very interesting. I knew due to my own Researches it was - especially in 44-45 - that a few percentage of German Soldier had thelowest Rank, except units just coming from A.u.E.Rgt or Btl, but your Study confirm it very clearly.

Panzer-Elite : Gefr. or Ogefr. with E.K.I is no more rae, Jacques was only speaking about Gren./Pz.Gren/Schuetze... the lowest Rank... But you can be pround of your SB, because "Mannschaft-Dienstgrad" (Gren-Ogren-Gefr-Ogefr) wearing the DK is rare too, even if not the subject here. Many "Mannschaft" Guys being proposed for the German Cross were meanwhile promoted to Uffz as the Award was officialy attributed.

[Ludwig]

No problem being a private with EK 1. He could also have lost his rank if being insubordinate or something.