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TDB FJ Sodbuch - Holland 1944

Peter U

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Today I want to show one of the better Soldbucher sets I added to my collection this year.
In this case I'am working with an "Ersatz aüsfertigüng" Soldbuch, so we don't know all the details of his service a Soldbuch.
He joined the Fallschirmjäger and because of an award document for the wounded badge in black, we know that he fought with the sixth company of FJR10 in Italy, he was wounded on June 30 1944 in the Sienna area. prior to August 1944, but their is enough information available to puzzle his story together.

Anton Flossdorf (°1926) a precision metalworker from Braunschweig, he was an atheist, not an entry you come across often in
After he recuperated from his wound he was sent to a Fj replacement unit in Aschersleben, this is where this Soldbuch was issued to him, his original one was to damaged to be used further.
On November 2 1944 he was sent to the front again, he joined the third company of Fj Battalion Crahs, a small paratrooper unit that was attached to the remnants of the 59ID, GR1036 was then commanded by a Luftwaffe officer, Major Jüngwirth, they were defending a bridgehead across the Meuse River in Heusden (Holland).
Shortly after he arrived at the frontline, on November 4 1944, the 51th Highland Division launched operation "Guy Fawkes", an attempt to force the Germans out of their bridgehead south of the Meuse River.
No less then ninety tanks were used in this offensive on a relative small front and the Crocodile tank attack was successful, also the tanks of B squadron of 4th RTR joined the fight and the German forces were driven out of their defensive positions.
Despite the German frontline collapsed, Anton Flossdorf had a personal success, he was able to knock out one of the allied tanks with a handheld weapon (Panzerfaust?).
On November 11 1944 he was awarded a tank destruction badge, soon an Infantry Sturmabzeichen was awarded followed by the LW Erdkampfabzeichen and in December 1944 both EKII & I.
He stayed on the front in Holland until the end of the war with the same unit that changed names a couple of times: Fj Rgt Jüngwirth became FJR32 for example.
 

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The award douments, one is of his father, a WW1 veteran.
 

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A nice detail in this set is how the German army (Luftwaffe) administration messes around with the Erdkampf - & Infanterie Sturmabzeichen.
- He is first awarded the Erdkampfabz on August 30 1944 by General Trettner of the 4FJD for his actions in Italy.
This award isn't entered in his replacement Soldbuch for some reason.
- On November 23 1944 he is awarded the Infantry Sturmabz in Silver by his CO Captain Crahs.
This award is entered in his Soldbuch and then later erased and replaced by an entry for a LW Erdkampfabz.
- On December 12 1944 he is awarded the Erdkampfabz der LW for the second time!

His jumpbadge, Fallschirmschützenabzeichen, is entered in his Soldbuch when they change his ISA in to an Erdkampfabz; he most likely earned this award prior to his service on the Italian front but also this badge isn't entered in his replacement Soldbuch in August 1944.
 
Excellent Peter. Any idea as to his fate?

His name doesn't give a match on the German wargraves website, so I suppose he ended the war as POW in Holland or Northern Germany, but I guess it was in Northern Germany because I can't see any indication that he was checked by the allies for Dutch money or loot in May 1945.
 
Great as usual. Where is the weapons page?


The weapons and equipment page which you can find in a Heer -, Waffen SS - and KM Soldbuch isn't found in LW Soldbucher ; sometimes LW units add weapon issue entries on page 14 but this wasn't done in this case, no weapons or equipment entries in this one besides that his gasmask which was checked in January 1945.
Most LW Soldbucher I came across have no weapon entries in them.
 

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