named helmet

[Mark Edward C]

What is the recommended method of researching a German soldier history from a (his) named M42 helmet???

Thanks,
Mark

[Soldat de Fer]

Hello
With only a name ,that would be quite hard ,unless it is an unusual German name
With a rank it might be a little easier but ,what you really need is the full name and his feldpost #.
Best Regards
Pierre-Yves

[CWP]

I agree with Pierre-Yves. With only a last name, it is not possible to learn more about the soldier.

[combat-helmets]

Here's where I regularly look when I get a named helmet.

http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche/content_suche.asp

It's the German War Graves registry site. It's in German, but once you sign up, you can pop in a name and if you are lucky, get a few hits..

[TK]

Nicely named helmet anyway !!

[Fred S]

If the name is not common it helps a bit.
The configuration of the helmet helps as well, but If the soldier wasn't KIA or died after being wounded it's nearly impossible mission.

If it can help you here's a research I've recently done:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=213097

[Mark Edward C]

Thanks for the advice guys!!!! This is the type of help that makes this forum shine!

Best
Mark

[Fred S]

You're welcome!

Found only one dead soldier that would match:


Nachname: Gültig
Vorname: Heinrich
Dienstgrad: Grenadier
Geburtsdatum: 12.04.1924
Geburtsort: Siglingen
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 17.04.1944
Todes-/Vermisstenort: Feldlaz. 769 Wolmar



Heinrich Gültig ruht auf der vom Volksbund hergerichteten Kriegsgräberstätte in Cesis (Lettland) .

Von Riga fährt man über die A2 nach Cesis. Der Friedhof liegt zwischen der Riga-iela (Rigaer Straße) und der Kungu-iela (Herrenstraße). Unmittelbar hinter dem Haupteingang des baltendeutschen Friedhofs (an der Kungu-iela) liegt das deutsche Gräberfeld von 1941. Rechts davon, nach etwa 200 Metern, kommt man zum Gräberfeld von 1944.

Cesis ist Verwaltungssitz des gleichnamigen Kreises. Historische Bedeutung erlangte der Ort im 13. und 14. Jahrhundert als Hauptsitz des Deutschen Ordens in dessen baltischen Besitztümern.

Der Soldatenfriedhof besteht aus zwei getrennt liegenden Gräberfeldern mit 371 Kriegstoten, darunter auch Letten. Im Juli 1941 bestattete man auf dem Gelände des baltendeutschen Friedhofes die ersten Gefallenen. Die letzten Beisetzungen erfolgten im September 1944. Die Namen der Toten sind auf vier Stelen am zentralen Platz des zweiten Gräberfeldes angebracht.

However I can't judge the snow camo, sorry, but I'm sure some members can do it easily.

[CWP]

The problem is, it is not possible to say if the owner of this helmet was this Gueltig, or a different soldier who survived the war, or even one of the many war dead who are not in the Volksbund database.

[combat-helmets]

The problem is, it is not possible to say if the owner of this helmet was this Gueltig, or a different soldier who survived the war, or even one of the many war dead who are not in the Volksbund database.

That's a very good point Chris.

I likethe WarGraves registry and always check it out when I come across a named helmet. About the best you are going to do (unless you have a fieldpostnumber or something else more definitive) is come up with some possibilities.

At least the name that was pulled could be a possibility. The soldier from the War Graves registry was born in 1924, so it is a possibility..