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Combat Medic Soldbuch

Peter U

Moderator
Staff member
Hello guys,


This is the newest addition to my collection, a Soldbuch of a well decorated combat medic that served from '39 till '45.

Wilhelm Petrad (°1916) was a hairdresser in Naüen, when the war broke out he was a "Sanitäter" (medic) in the third company of Panzer Pionier Battalion 39, part of the third Panzer Division.
After the Polish campaign they are transferred to the West, his division will not participate in the manoeuvre through the Ardennes but will make a feint attack, assaulting the French exactly where they expect it: in the open plain of Belgium.
His division has two tasks, first they have to make the allies believe that the main German assault is north of Liege and aimed towards Brussels and secondly keeping the armoured units of the French First Army busy, these French armoured units are the best of the French army and are actually way stronger then their German counterparts, they are a real treat to the main German armoured assault that goes through the Ardennes forest.
Attacking a superior enemy has of course his consequences, the losses in the armoured battles of Hannut and Gembloux are high.
For his part in these battles Wilhelm Petrad is promoted to sergeant and awarded an EKII and a Panzerkampfabzeichen, according to his picture one in silver; this badge is uniquely for those that have served in a Panzer Regiment; Wilhelm Petrad who belongs to a engineer unit should normally have received an Algemeine Sturmabzeichen.
What exactly happened I don't know but it is my theory that he was temporarily transferred to one of the divisions Panzer Regiments to aid them with the heavy losses they had to deal with.
At the end of 1940 he gets a transfer to the 8th company of Eisenbahn Pionier Regiment 6, a railroad construction and repair unit; their most famous action is that they participated in the drive towards Stalingrad.
In January '43 he ends up in hospital himself with rheumatic problems, in March '43 he is recuperated and now he is transferred to the ambulance platoon of the 68th Infantry Division, a bit later he becomes a medic in the anti tank company of IR169 (68ID).
In May '44 they are fighting in the Ukraine and that is where he gets a gunshot wound, this wound keeps him in hospital until July '44.
When he is fit again to rejoin the troops he gets another transfer, he now is a medic in Heered Artillerie Abt II/68, later renamed in Volks Artillerie Korps 766, a heavy artillery unit that belongs to the 5th Panzer Army that will participate in the battle of the bulge (battle of Bastogne).
In October '44 he is hit by shrapnel, a slight wound, it only keeps him in hospital for one day; afterwards he gets a wounded badge in black, one that is over due because his gunshot wound of May '44 certainly was enough to be awarded one to.
Wilhelm Petrad survives the war, he not only saw action in some of the most important battles of WW2: Poland '39, Westfeldzug '40, Barbarossa '41, Stalingrad '42, Ukraine '43-'44 and finally the battle of the bulge, he also served with all branches of the army: engineers, armoured units, infantry and artillery; a remarkable career to say the least!


Cheers,
Peter
 

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An image I found online of a Pzkw I ambulance, they were used by the medic platoon of a Panzer Regiment.
 

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