Hello forummembers,
It hasn’t been quiet on the document front lately.
This is my newest addition, the Soldbuch of Wilhelm Lichtenberg (°1913) from Laurenburg.
He started his compulsory military service in 1937 with Infantry Regiment 70, he gets promoted to Gefreiten and it appears that he was also a meritorious shooter because in July ’37 he is awarded the “Schützenabzeichen”.
On August 26 1939, the day of the big mobilization in Europe, he is also called back in to service; it is at this time that this Soldbuch is issued to him, he now is a corporal in the 5th company of IR74 of the 19th Infantry Division.
The 19ID participates in the invasion of Poland, they fight in the battles for the Warthe- and Bzura River and finally they fight in the streets of Warsaw.
On November 1 ’39 he is transferred to Inf Ers Btl 74, the replacement unit of his regiment; alas the hospital page isn’t present anymore, so it is impossible to tell if there is a medical reason responsible for this transfer.
But one thing is a fact he is rejected from further service in an active combat infantry unit.
In the spring of 1941 he is transferred to the 10th company of IR731 of the newly formatted 711ID, an Infantry Division of the “15th Welle”, a static (fortress) division of the 15th Army that is stationed on the Atlantic coast in Normandy.
On August 1 ‘41 he is promoted to Unteroffizier and on January 30 ’42 he gets the KvKII.
The years pass in safety until the spring of 1944 when the threat of an allied invasion becomes reality; at the eve of D-Day the 711Id is based around Cabourg (this is just East of the Orne River and thus just outside of the perimeter of Sword beach), the 711ID has just two three battalion infantry regiments with mostly older soldiers, a battalion with Eastern volunteers, a small recon unit and one artillery regiment that is equipped with French and Russian guns, it is a static unit thus it hasn’t any transport.
According to one source of information the 711ID is involved in heavy combat from as early as June 6 ’44, fighting in the area around Caen and according to another source they are only slightly involved. Their losses in Normandy are estimated between 1000 and 1500 men.
What is a fact is that in the middle of August ‘44 the 711ID is pulled back from the front, it is ordered to join the fortress garrison of the “Festung Dünkirchen”, the local fortress commander has no need for extra troops (he is short of the necessary supplies) and sends the 711ID back.
In early September ’44 they participate in the fighting in Belgium, holding the line just South of Bruges; a few days later they are evacuated across the Schelde River and they have to hold a sector of the frontline Northeast of Antwerp.
At the end of September ’44 they are engaged in heavy combat with the Canadians of the 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment in the small town of Gammel, their GR731 is destroyed completely as an organized unit.
Wilhelm Lichtenberg gets the EKII on August 27 1944, so he certainly saw combat action in Normandy and on September 16 ’44 he is awarded with an Infanterie Sturmabzeichen.
After the downfall of the 711ID in September/October ’44 they are pulled back from the frontline to be refitted; Wilhelm Lichtenberg is transferred to the 1st company of GR149 of the 246th Volksgrenadier Division and thus escapes a trip to the eastern front.
The 246VGD participates in the battle of the bulge, they fight in Monschau.
At the end of the war he is made POW; in the set there are two mug shots of him made while he was in an allied POW camp.
The KvKII award document is signed by the Divisional commander of the 711ID in ‘41/’42: Gen Maj Dietrich von Reinersdorff-Paczensky und Tenczin.
The EKII award document is signed by the Regimental commander of GR731: Oberst (Colonel) Enno-Erich von Limburg-Hetlingen (KC on May 5 ’45)
Cheers,
Peter
Ps: I have used the scans the dealer made, they are of good quality and they safe me a lot of work; you just have to look past his watermark.
It isn’t an attempt at undercover advertizing ;-)
It hasn’t been quiet on the document front lately.
This is my newest addition, the Soldbuch of Wilhelm Lichtenberg (°1913) from Laurenburg.
He started his compulsory military service in 1937 with Infantry Regiment 70, he gets promoted to Gefreiten and it appears that he was also a meritorious shooter because in July ’37 he is awarded the “Schützenabzeichen”.
On August 26 1939, the day of the big mobilization in Europe, he is also called back in to service; it is at this time that this Soldbuch is issued to him, he now is a corporal in the 5th company of IR74 of the 19th Infantry Division.
The 19ID participates in the invasion of Poland, they fight in the battles for the Warthe- and Bzura River and finally they fight in the streets of Warsaw.
On November 1 ’39 he is transferred to Inf Ers Btl 74, the replacement unit of his regiment; alas the hospital page isn’t present anymore, so it is impossible to tell if there is a medical reason responsible for this transfer.
But one thing is a fact he is rejected from further service in an active combat infantry unit.
In the spring of 1941 he is transferred to the 10th company of IR731 of the newly formatted 711ID, an Infantry Division of the “15th Welle”, a static (fortress) division of the 15th Army that is stationed on the Atlantic coast in Normandy.
On August 1 ‘41 he is promoted to Unteroffizier and on January 30 ’42 he gets the KvKII.
The years pass in safety until the spring of 1944 when the threat of an allied invasion becomes reality; at the eve of D-Day the 711Id is based around Cabourg (this is just East of the Orne River and thus just outside of the perimeter of Sword beach), the 711ID has just two three battalion infantry regiments with mostly older soldiers, a battalion with Eastern volunteers, a small recon unit and one artillery regiment that is equipped with French and Russian guns, it is a static unit thus it hasn’t any transport.
According to one source of information the 711ID is involved in heavy combat from as early as June 6 ’44, fighting in the area around Caen and according to another source they are only slightly involved. Their losses in Normandy are estimated between 1000 and 1500 men.
What is a fact is that in the middle of August ‘44 the 711ID is pulled back from the front, it is ordered to join the fortress garrison of the “Festung Dünkirchen”, the local fortress commander has no need for extra troops (he is short of the necessary supplies) and sends the 711ID back.
In early September ’44 they participate in the fighting in Belgium, holding the line just South of Bruges; a few days later they are evacuated across the Schelde River and they have to hold a sector of the frontline Northeast of Antwerp.
At the end of September ’44 they are engaged in heavy combat with the Canadians of the 27th Canadian Armoured Regiment in the small town of Gammel, their GR731 is destroyed completely as an organized unit.
Wilhelm Lichtenberg gets the EKII on August 27 1944, so he certainly saw combat action in Normandy and on September 16 ’44 he is awarded with an Infanterie Sturmabzeichen.
After the downfall of the 711ID in September/October ’44 they are pulled back from the frontline to be refitted; Wilhelm Lichtenberg is transferred to the 1st company of GR149 of the 246th Volksgrenadier Division and thus escapes a trip to the eastern front.
The 246VGD participates in the battle of the bulge, they fight in Monschau.
At the end of the war he is made POW; in the set there are two mug shots of him made while he was in an allied POW camp.
The KvKII award document is signed by the Divisional commander of the 711ID in ‘41/’42: Gen Maj Dietrich von Reinersdorff-Paczensky und Tenczin.
The EKII award document is signed by the Regimental commander of GR731: Oberst (Colonel) Enno-Erich von Limburg-Hetlingen (KC on May 5 ’45)
Cheers,
Peter
Ps: I have used the scans the dealer made, they are of good quality and they safe me a lot of work; you just have to look past his watermark.
It isn’t an attempt at undercover advertizing ;-)
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