Press photo. Frikorps Danmark

[Larsen]

Alfred Jonstrup.

A former veteran from the Finnish-Russian winter war.
A part of the Stabskompanie in Frikorps Danmark.

He received the Ek2 in Demjansk in summer 1942.

27.October 1944, he were badly wounded by a fragment from a granate, hard wounded in his jaw.
He received the EK1 and were named in 'Ehrenblatt des Deutschen Heeres'.

He survived the war and died in 1983.

Press photo i have in my collection taken 27.October 1944 in Kurland.

[MarcRikmenspoel]

Jonstrup was the "postmaster" of Regiment Danmark. He handled the mail in the regimental headquarters.

The Second Battle of Kurland began October 27, 1944. On that day, Soviet artillery cut the phone lines between various elements of the Nordland Division, southeast of Libau. Jonstrup went as a messenger to convey orders to reposition a unit, which was needed to reinforce a sector where the Soviets were close to breaking through.

As Jonstrup crossed the battlefield, a piece of shrapnel tore off his lower jaw. He couldn't speak, so when he arrived at his destination, he wrote out the orders, ignoring medical attention until the order was received and understood.

Waffen-SS war reporter photographer Erich Fabiger, who was covering Regiment Danmark at this time, happened to be on the scene, and took this iconic image of Jonstrup ignoring the men bandaging his face, while he wrote his message onto paper. This order was decisive for the German defensive victory, and thus Jonstrup was entered in the Roll of Honor of the German Army, and received the Honor Roll Clasp . His name was published on December 25, 1944, and he received the physical award on January 16, 1945. Three days previously, he had received the Wound Badge in Silver.

Fabiger took many dramatic photos during 1944. He began the year with Sturmbrigade Langemarck in Ukraine (with the 8. leicht Flak Kompanie), before heading to Narva in the late spring. There he photographed Gerardes Mooyman and his comrades from 2./General Seyffardt. He then took impressive images on the Tannenberg Line circa early August, which involved various nationalities. Fabiger finally was with Danmark in Kurland, where he took Lars' photo. Lars has kindly made a scan available to me, so it will be in volume 2 of my Sunwheels and Siegrunen, along with Fabiger photos from the other units I just mentioned.

[Hofstetter]

Great photo

[Tom B]

Great photo

I agree ! Tom