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Honour roll clasp Soldbuch

Peter U

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Today I took the time to show my first Soldbuch purchase of 2019, it is a Soldbuch of a Gefreiter that was listed on the honour roll of the German army, it was a paper award that later became also a physical award: the honour roll clasp.
The honour roll clasp, instituted in 1941 was only awarded +/- 4.500 times, making it the rarest of all German bravery awards, it ranks between the EKI and German Cross in Gold; personally I have the feeling that it is a kind of consolation price for those that were nominated for a KC or GCiG but were refused but still preformed an act of bravery that went beyond an EKI.
Keep in mind that bravery awards such as the honour roll clasp, GCiG & KC are seldom awarded to enlisted men.



Heinrich Sleboda (°1911) was a miner from Bergheim, (he was small in size 5ft1), was called up in April 1940 and after four weeks of basic training as a MG gunner he was sent to his combat unit 4/IR453 (253ID) which was then fighting the battle for Dunkirk.
In June 1941 his MG company participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union, according to his award page we can presume that in the autumn of 1941 he is involved in some serious combat, in early October 1941 he was awarded the EKII and a month later he is promoted to sergeant and awarded the EKI, awards awarded on divisional level.
In December 1941 his name is put on the honour roll of the German army, an award given on army level.
His company commander Oberleütnant Crusius (you can see his signature several times in his Soldbuch) was also put on the honour roll in March 1942 but he eventually was awarded the KC although posthumously in May 1942.
Sometime in 1942 he is transferred to the 8th MG company of his regiment.
He is spared a second winter on the Eastern front because his skills as a miner are more important for the war effort then his skills as a MG gunner he is discharged from military service in December 1942; already in the autumn of 1940 he is temporally discharged, put on work leave.
When the German army collapses on the Western front in August 1944 and the allies threaten Germany itself, he is called up for military service again, after a short time in a replacement unit he is transferred to the 275ID, a division that is being rebuild after it practically was destroyed in the retreat to the German border.
In this division he ends up in the divisional combat school company, these training companies give all kinds of on the job training like specialist weapons training and leadership courses for example.
Just before he is sent to the frontline again he is given an "Einsatzürlaüb" until October 3 1944, shortly here after he is taken POW by the US Army in the Stolberg area, in May 1948 he is released and returns home.
 

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That's a great first purchase in 2019, congrats! Thank you very much for the excellent presentation.

Uffz Sleboda.jpg

PS: There are four honour roll in March 1942 and you can find Oberleutnant Crusius in the first one from March 1, 1942.
 
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That's a great first purchase in 2019, congrats! Thank you very much for the excellent presentation.

View attachment 196272

PS: There are four honour roll in March 1942 and you can find Oberleutnant Crusius in the first one from March 1, 1942.

Great stuff Peter. These things come alive. And so 8x57 cross references / authenticates it further with another period document :thumbsup:
 
That's a great first purchase in 2019, congrats! Thank you very much for the excellent presentation.

View attachment 196272

PS: There are four honour roll in March 1942 and you can find Oberleutnant Crusius in the first one from March 1, 1942.



Thanks very much!

The list with all awardees of high awards of the 253ID is available online, that is where I found the extra information about his CO, but I hadn't seen a period document.
 
You are very welcome Peter! If you want to have the complete copy of the honour roll where Sleboda and Crusius are mentioned, please send me a private message.

By the way, Heinrich Sleboda died September 10, 1972 in the Maria-Hilf hospital in Bergheim.
 
You are very welcome Peter! If you want to have the complete copy of the honour roll where Sleboda and Crusius are mentioned, please send me a private message.

By the way, Heinrich Sleboda died September 10, 1972 in the Maria-Hilf hospital in Bergheim.

Great stuff from both of you really brings more life to this kind of history.

Passed away in 1972 I wonder if his death was caused by mining. If he was a coal miner Black Lung was a big killer here in the States in those days.
 
Great stuff from both of you really brings more life to this kind of history.

Passed away in 1972 I wonder if his death was caused by mining. If he was a coal miner Black Lung was a big killer here in the States in those days.

Jordan, you could be right with your assumption and one of my family members, a miner, died because of the Black Lung.
 
Sorry to hear that I do know that Black Lung was a major illness back in the day in Linton IN. Large coal mining town years ago and still is today. My youngest uncle worked in one of the coal mines almost 10 years ago. Lucky for him so may safely rules and regulations are now in place that were not there years ago.
 

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