Wehrmacht Soldiers in Cilli

[rk302565]

Hello-

My grandfather was a Volksdeutsche from Krain and often spoke of having spent time in the Wehrmacht in 1944-45 stationed in and around Cilli, Yugoslavia (Celje, Slovenia) as a Gebirgsjaeger. We were never able to find pictures. Sure enough when going through some of his belongings after his recent passing, I found one in a cigar box way up on a shelf in his room. It's him with a group of fellow soldiers. I was hoping that someone here may be able to recognize something on his uniform or see a rank and be able to tell me something more about where these guys may have been or a unit # or anything of that sort.

Thank you.

[vox]

Hi. Soldiers are from SHB (Steirische heimat bunt) wehrmaschaft and as you say photo can be made somwhere in former Untersteiermark in area Marburg, Cilli, Petau..... That was something about help units for war with partisans. Nice photo .

[Zauberflöte]

Indeed SA Wehrmannschaft men. Nice and rare photo.

They are glad in their special SA brown Field Uniforms.

[anmarlodz]

the intresting thing is that all of them ( minus MG crew) have Manlicher ammo pouco the same would be with their guns. intresting photo.

[magnusmilitaria]

Hello guys!

Very nice photo! I know the place where was this photo taken, . I live in town Celje ( German Cilli ) Yes the froend VOX its correct this guys re SHB and not wehrmacht. I have a lot of badges,pins,belt buckles,photos,insignia,.. from SHB.
Some more photos re welcome!
Best Regards
Mark

[-=Re-Sa=-]

Here are some photos from Celje, Sevnica, Laško...
Regards
Sasha

[EK-collector]

Interesting, especially guy with mp40 aiming the camera )

[Grubhy]

Hello Gents,

would You add something more about Steirische Heimat Bunt? I would be pleased cause I never heard about them and now I have some relatives at Balkans

Thank You in advance!

[rk302565]

Here are two more from the same batch of my grandfather's pictures. He was a conscript and served 11 months from 1944-1945. I had heard him say wehrmannschaft and gebirgsjaeger before, but never SA. He was sent home in the spring of 1945 as his father was a farmer nearby (they were relocated from Krain to Ranner Dreieck/Brezice) and was not able to make his quota to the government. I figure if he hadn't been sent home I wouldn't be here today.

He is on the left in this one, does it confirm wehrmannschaft?



This one is of cousins/neighbors.



Thanks again guys.

[rk302565]

It seems while playing around with my picasa album I broke the links to my pictures. Here are the originals back, plus a few new ones.

Cilli/Celje, 1944 or 1945.


1942, exact location unknown. Untersteiermark or Krain.


Cilli/Celje, 1943.


Gottschee/Kocevje 1945.


Gottschee/Kocevje 1945.


Gottschee/Kocevje 1945.


Laibach/Ljubljana 1945.


Cilli/Celje 1944 or 1945.


Cilli/Celje 1944 or 1945.


Cilli/Celje 1943.

[vox]

Very nice and interesting photos. Must be interesting life story behind.

[rk302565]

An interesting life indeed. It's how I ended up so interested in the Nazi era.
Is there anything else you guys can tell me about the Steirischer Heimatbund Wehrmannschaft? This is something that I have not heard of before.