Last week I added another early war Soldbuch of Waffen SS regiment "Germania" to my collection, I especially like this unit because it fought in my neighbourhood in May 1940.
Joachim Wilde (°1921) was a student from Luneburg, just before he turned 18 he joined the Waffen SS, in September 1939 he was one of the few German nationals that the Wehrmacht allowed to join the Waffen SS as substitute for their conscript service.
(German army conscript laws kept the number of volunteers of the Waffen SS down early in the war, service in the Waffen SS did back then not automatically qualify as conscript service time.)
Joachim Wilde was a typical poster boy for the Waffen SS: well educated, blond hair and 180 cm tall, a true Arian according to there standards; he was assigned to the training battalion of the SS Germania Regiment in Hamburg, after he completed his basic training he was transferred to the regiments fifth company, with this unit he participated in the invasion of the Low Countries and France in 1940, for this campaign he will be awarded the Infantry Assault Badge.
After the victorious campaigns of 1940 the Waffen SS started to recruit Germanic volunteers in the occupied countries, the WH conscript laws had no influence on these foreign volunteers thus the Waffen SS could expand his divisions.
Because of this rapid expansion the Waffen SS was short of officers and Joachim Wilde was one of the enlisted men that was sellected to follow Waffen SS officers training in the school in Bad Tolz in May 1941.
In September 1941 his officers training is finished and he gets his officers commission in his old unit, he now is a platoon commander in the third company and joins them while they are fighting on the Eastern front as part of the Wiking Division.
In February 1942 he is seriously wounded by shrapnel in the head and right arm, his wound gets infected and as a result his right lower arm is amputated in July 1942, this is not enough and in December 1942 what is left of his right arm is also amputated.
At the end of March 1943 he can leave the hospital but not able to serve in a combat unit, this well decorated officer (EKII + I) is transferred to the Waffen SS training facility in Sennheim, he lives near this base together with his wife.
In April 1945 his home in Luneburg is bombed and he gets a special leave period to visit it.
The Soldbuch itself is loaded with all kinds of nice details about his service such as entries for the typical Waffen SS camouflage clothing which now is worth a small fortune.
If you have time take a look at this old thread of me:
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread...IA-Waffen-SS-driving-licence&highlight=krause
Kurt Krause was also a Waffen SS volunteer from the SS-Germania Regiment.
Both men came from the Hamburg area and were together in officers training in Bad Tolz in the same period (May/September 1941); I'am pretty sure these two men must have known each other and might even have been friends.
Joachim Wilde (°1921) was a student from Luneburg, just before he turned 18 he joined the Waffen SS, in September 1939 he was one of the few German nationals that the Wehrmacht allowed to join the Waffen SS as substitute for their conscript service.
(German army conscript laws kept the number of volunteers of the Waffen SS down early in the war, service in the Waffen SS did back then not automatically qualify as conscript service time.)
Joachim Wilde was a typical poster boy for the Waffen SS: well educated, blond hair and 180 cm tall, a true Arian according to there standards; he was assigned to the training battalion of the SS Germania Regiment in Hamburg, after he completed his basic training he was transferred to the regiments fifth company, with this unit he participated in the invasion of the Low Countries and France in 1940, for this campaign he will be awarded the Infantry Assault Badge.
After the victorious campaigns of 1940 the Waffen SS started to recruit Germanic volunteers in the occupied countries, the WH conscript laws had no influence on these foreign volunteers thus the Waffen SS could expand his divisions.
Because of this rapid expansion the Waffen SS was short of officers and Joachim Wilde was one of the enlisted men that was sellected to follow Waffen SS officers training in the school in Bad Tolz in May 1941.
In September 1941 his officers training is finished and he gets his officers commission in his old unit, he now is a platoon commander in the third company and joins them while they are fighting on the Eastern front as part of the Wiking Division.
In February 1942 he is seriously wounded by shrapnel in the head and right arm, his wound gets infected and as a result his right lower arm is amputated in July 1942, this is not enough and in December 1942 what is left of his right arm is also amputated.
At the end of March 1943 he can leave the hospital but not able to serve in a combat unit, this well decorated officer (EKII + I) is transferred to the Waffen SS training facility in Sennheim, he lives near this base together with his wife.
In April 1945 his home in Luneburg is bombed and he gets a special leave period to visit it.
The Soldbuch itself is loaded with all kinds of nice details about his service such as entries for the typical Waffen SS camouflage clothing which now is worth a small fortune.
If you have time take a look at this old thread of me:
http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread...IA-Waffen-SS-driving-licence&highlight=krause
Kurt Krause was also a Waffen SS volunteer from the SS-Germania Regiment.
Both men came from the Hamburg area and were together in officers training in Bad Tolz in the same period (May/September 1941); I'am pretty sure these two men must have known each other and might even have been friends.
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