I so enjoy the Soldbuch's that PeterU posts due to the personal nature they bring, I don't have those types of Soldbuchs but every so often I find a neat one. I have been wanting a Soldbuch from a guy that carried an MP40, this one kinda fell into my lap.
Eduard Bernhard was born in June of 1926 in Bremen (or at least was from Bremen when he joined). He joined in May of 1944 at the age of 18, and was assigned to the Grenadier-Ersatz-Battalion (motorized) 90. When he joined, the unit was meant as a replacement unit for the 90th Grenadier Rgt stationed in Norway, but by September 1944 the unit was repurposed as an emergency stopgap unit to operate in the western front due to Operation Market Garden. It was at that time that it was formed into the 190th Infantry Division and rushed to Holland, sent to oppose the "Operation Market Garden" invasion. He was assigned to the 1224 Gren. Regt, which fought against the 82nd Airborne (325th Glider borne units) at Nijmegen during Market Garden (in Groesbeek) and Eduard most likely participated in the actions against the 82nd Airborne at Groesbeek. The 190th "Hammer" division arrived in the area beginning September 19, 1944 and there was fierce fighting there. Note his security check is dated 20 November 1944, the day the unit began arriving in the sector.
In October he was again given "Sonderurlaub" very soon after his original leave a month previous, aka "special leave" - a quick check of the Soldbuch shows the reason as "BominenschadenC" - If I'm not mistaken this leave was for soldiers whose home had been bombed, and allowed them time to help family relocate or repair bomb damage (I could be wrong on that, going from memory). Bremen was a target for bombings in October 1944 by a quick search.
The 190th was assigned to the 1st Fallshirm-Armee as part of Armee Grupp H (for Holland) - it seems odd, but the Luftwaffe didn't have that many divisions to fill Armee's with. His Commander (for a short time) was Kurt Student - a name that should sound familiar if you read any history on Airborne Operations in Germany.
His original issue weapon in November 1944 appears to be a P.08. His unit fought with the 2nd Parachute Army and LXXXVI Army intermittently from November 1944 - March of 1945. They fought hard against British and Canadian units, with notable engagements the "Reichswalde Forest" and Operation Varsity. (the unit fought in the Goch, Kleve, Reichwalde and Venlo sectors from Nov-March) In February 1945, he was issued his MP40.
Eduard's luck ran out sometime in the beginning of March 1945 - his Soldbuch shows he was admitted to the care of the 4th Kompanie of the Kriegslazarette Abt.(mot) 613 (this was a mobile combat field hospital) on March 15, 1945. The "Chefartzt" awarded him the silver wound badge March 30, 1945. He stayed in the hospital until May 25, 1945, at which time he was transferred to "in der Heimat" which basically means civilian care. His wound code is "31d" which wounded from enemy aircraft, but getting the silver wound badge for 1 wound means he was very injured, possibly losing a limb or an eye. If you note, the Soldbuch has holes punched - I have been told that these holes were punched and used by the hospitals to hang Soldbuchs for filing purposes? Note that this Soldbuch appears to have blood stains at the top edges.
What is interesting is this fits the exact time frame that the commanding officer of the 1st Fallshirm-Armee was wounded in air attacks, and I presume that this is when Eduard was wounded:
https://translate.googleusercontent...700248&usg=ALkJrhiZfQABy550J76fFKuKJ0S_WXA8TQ
I hope this write up does some justice for this soldiers service. I also hope I got close to deciphering his Soldbuch. I couldn't find any photos of his unit, it was around for a very short time as after this action in March is was dissolved and reformed into a new unit.
Eduard Bernhard was born in June of 1926 in Bremen (or at least was from Bremen when he joined). He joined in May of 1944 at the age of 18, and was assigned to the Grenadier-Ersatz-Battalion (motorized) 90. When he joined, the unit was meant as a replacement unit for the 90th Grenadier Rgt stationed in Norway, but by September 1944 the unit was repurposed as an emergency stopgap unit to operate in the western front due to Operation Market Garden. It was at that time that it was formed into the 190th Infantry Division and rushed to Holland, sent to oppose the "Operation Market Garden" invasion. He was assigned to the 1224 Gren. Regt, which fought against the 82nd Airborne (325th Glider borne units) at Nijmegen during Market Garden (in Groesbeek) and Eduard most likely participated in the actions against the 82nd Airborne at Groesbeek. The 190th "Hammer" division arrived in the area beginning September 19, 1944 and there was fierce fighting there. Note his security check is dated 20 November 1944, the day the unit began arriving in the sector.
In October he was again given "Sonderurlaub" very soon after his original leave a month previous, aka "special leave" - a quick check of the Soldbuch shows the reason as "BominenschadenC" - If I'm not mistaken this leave was for soldiers whose home had been bombed, and allowed them time to help family relocate or repair bomb damage (I could be wrong on that, going from memory). Bremen was a target for bombings in October 1944 by a quick search.
The 190th was assigned to the 1st Fallshirm-Armee as part of Armee Grupp H (for Holland) - it seems odd, but the Luftwaffe didn't have that many divisions to fill Armee's with. His Commander (for a short time) was Kurt Student - a name that should sound familiar if you read any history on Airborne Operations in Germany.
His original issue weapon in November 1944 appears to be a P.08. His unit fought with the 2nd Parachute Army and LXXXVI Army intermittently from November 1944 - March of 1945. They fought hard against British and Canadian units, with notable engagements the "Reichswalde Forest" and Operation Varsity. (the unit fought in the Goch, Kleve, Reichwalde and Venlo sectors from Nov-March) In February 1945, he was issued his MP40.
Eduard's luck ran out sometime in the beginning of March 1945 - his Soldbuch shows he was admitted to the care of the 4th Kompanie of the Kriegslazarette Abt.(mot) 613 (this was a mobile combat field hospital) on March 15, 1945. The "Chefartzt" awarded him the silver wound badge March 30, 1945. He stayed in the hospital until May 25, 1945, at which time he was transferred to "in der Heimat" which basically means civilian care. His wound code is "31d" which wounded from enemy aircraft, but getting the silver wound badge for 1 wound means he was very injured, possibly losing a limb or an eye. If you note, the Soldbuch has holes punched - I have been told that these holes were punched and used by the hospitals to hang Soldbuchs for filing purposes? Note that this Soldbuch appears to have blood stains at the top edges.
What is interesting is this fits the exact time frame that the commanding officer of the 1st Fallshirm-Armee was wounded in air attacks, and I presume that this is when Eduard was wounded:
"The Canadian First Army and Lieutenant-General William H Simpson’s U.S. Ninth Army compressed Schlemm's forces into a small bridgehead on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Wesel. On 10 March 1945, the rearguard of the 1st Parachute Army evacuated their bridgehead, destroying the bridge behind them. He was wounded in an air attack on his command post at Haltern eleven days later and command of his forces passed to General Günther Blumentritt."
https://translate.googleusercontent...700248&usg=ALkJrhiZfQABy550J76fFKuKJ0S_WXA8TQ
I hope this write up does some justice for this soldiers service. I also hope I got close to deciphering his Soldbuch. I couldn't find any photos of his unit, it was around for a very short time as after this action in March is was dissolved and reformed into a new unit.
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