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SS Feldgendarmerie Soldbuch

Peter U

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Staff member
Today I want to show you guys something special I found recently, a Soldbuch of a SS-Feldgendarme, a so called Kettenhunden (chain dog) because of the gorget they wore.
The Feldgendarmerie of the Waffen SS was also nicknamed Kopf Jäger (head hunters) because they hunted down and executed deserters.
Besides maintaining discipline amongst the troops they of course also had more mundane jobs to do, like for example traffic control.
And we perhaps also know them from the fake "SS Feldgendarmerie" cuff tittles you see on every militaria show. :laugh:


Werner Fugmann (°1924 - +1945) entered the Waffen SS in February 1943, he got his six weeks of basic training in the famous Lichterfelde barracks in Berlin.
Then he was assigned to the 6th company of SS Pz Gr Rgt 2 LSSAH, he joined them at the end of March 1943 when they were based in Charkow and were in the proces of rebuilding themselves after the heavy losses they sustained in reconquering this city.
In July 1943 his unit fought in the famous battle of Kursk and when this offensive soon became a debacle he and his unit were transferred to Italy.
While in Italy he was transferred to the staff company of Panzer Rgt 1 LSSAH, he wouldn't be a part of the tank crews but most likely was one of the MP's of this regiment.
When in late 1944 the Leibstandarte division is reformed in to a Panzer Division there is also a Feldgendarmerie company created, with this company he will serve until the end of the war.
In May 1944 he gets his first and only promotion and becomes a SS-Sturmmann; his service must be good because in September 1944 he is awarded the KvKII.
He survives the retreat from France and Belgium in the late summer of 1944 but in the battle of the bulge his luck runs out for the first time.
Around January 10 1945 the Leibstandarte troops are ordered out of the frontline in the Ardennes, it is during this retreat that he gets a shrapnel wound.
This wound, for which he gets the wounded badge in black, keeps him in hospital until March 17 1945.
What happens then with him we don't know exactly but the next fact we know is that he gets KIA in April 1945 in Pummersdorf (Austria) and is now buried in the German war cemetery in St Pölten.



His Soldbuch is one of those that never had a picture attached in it, it has been damaged by water and blood but most of the entries are still readable and I think it is a very interesting piece.
You can notice that he was issued a "Schlupfjacke", the famous W-SS camo jacket, jack boots and lace up boots, sunglasses and goggles; all equipment that indicate that he served in one of the Kubelwagen his unit had.
 

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extra images
 

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On my bookshelves I have the book "Hitler's warrior" an excellent biography of Jochen Peiper written by Danny S Parker (one of the best unbiased books written about this controversial figure) in it is an anecdote in which Werner Fugmann most likely was involved.

In the spring of 1944 the Leibstandarte is based in Belgium, in and around the big former Belgian army barracks of Leopoldsburg; in May 1944 four young soldiers, replacements that came to the Panzer Rgt from the SS-HJ Division, had stolen some chickens and a bicycle from a local farmhouse. They were caught, arrested and had to face a court martial, one of the prosecutors was Peiper himself, all four got the death penalty and were executed by firing squad in front of their unit on May 28 1944.
Even for the German army this was a severe verdict, in most cases these soldiers would have been transferred to a penal unit on the eastern front.
The real reason why these four young soldiers were executed wasn't the fact they had looted but more that Peiper wanted scare the young replacements he had just received in his unit in to obedience.
After the war a German prosecutor questioned Peiper about this incident, he declared that Sepp Dietrich was very upset by these executions, but he didn't regret it at all, it was necessary and all legal procedures had been followed.
 
Some images I found online of uniforms of SS Feldgendarmen with the gorgets and cuff tittle being worn.
 

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Awesome history lesson as usual. You’ve inspired me to collect these, I have another to post probably next week.


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Equipment

I see a pistol, bayonet, and rifle cleaning kit, but no rifle..

Always fun to read and learn.:thumbsup:
 
Bayonet was a sidearm issued to everyone, cleaning kit was probably for pistol. Good observations.


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Excellent SB and read as usual Peter. He would have had this SB on him when he was KIA or perhaps executed. Being a SS MP is pretty bad.
 
Awesome history lesson as usual.

Yes certainly! Thanks again for taking the time to post and write these. Interesting take away for me is the striking disparity amongst those troops. Pic #2.. not so much. #4 yes much more what I'd 'expect'
 

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