97th Jäger Division document set

I collect anything and everything related to the 97th Light Infantry/Jäger Division. As those of you who collect specific units know, this can be a total crapshoot. Sometimes years pass without finding anything. But in 2019, I added seven different document sets to the collection (hence also a lot of other document selling on the trader!). Thought I would share the most recent arrival with you all!

Haven't done any research yet, but the subject is Konrad Grasser of Infanterie (later Jäger) Regiment 204 of the 97th. He was awarded the EKII on 22 July 1941 (signed by divisional commander Maximilian Fretter-Pico, Ritterkreuz), about a week after the division broke through the Stalin Line. In January 1942, he was awarded the Infantry Assault Badge. Unusually, you will also see the "Nachweis" for the award, the documentation of his participation in five qualifying assaults. In early February, he was promoted from Oberjäger to Feldwebel. Also in February 1942, he suffered his fifth wound and was awarded the wound badge in gold in April. Also in April 1942, he was awarded the EKI - though I'm not sure who signed it. The division was commanded at the time by Generalleutnant Ernst Rupp (who was later KIA). That year in August, he also received the Ostmedaille for participation in the brutal 41/42 winter campaign.

I have no documents for the rest of 1942 and 1943. The next document in Januar 1944 is a documentation for five close quarters combat days for, now, Leutnant Grasser. Note that all of those days occurred in 1941 and also note that there is no overlap with his qualifying assaults for the ISA. Finally, there are two pages from 1945. Now Oberleutnant, Grasser was apparently posted with Geb. Ers. u. Ausb. Btl. 100, a training unit which supplied troops to the 97th and other Jäger and Mountain divisions. His name appears multiple times on the schedule for a variety of instructions and lectures - including a political lecture ("A people without room against Asiatic tyranny"). He is not recorded at the Volksbund, so chances are good he survived the war. Being stationed in southern Bavaria in March 1945, it is furthermore likely that he was captured by the Americans - and thus may have escaped the fate of his division, who were captured by the Soviets en masse after their final defensive positions in Upper Silesia.

Nice award document set!