Grandfather's awards

[byf41]

My grandfather was a WWI Vet. and was called up for part of WWII, Because of his age he didn't stay for the entire war.
He had a business and lost it because he didn't join the Nazi party. He had a large family to take care of and ended up working at Kugelfischer. Kugelfischer was the largest Ball bearing factory in Schweinfurt. He was at work on February 24, 1944,
when it was bombed.

 

[CanadianAR]

Did he survive?

That’s a really really cool grouping! Very nice

 

[byf41]

Yes, they pretty much missed the factory, very little damage to the building. Just his luck his locker was damaged. He worked with acid and wore wooden shoes at work.
Some one took his good shoes, that was a big deal because they were hard to get and expensive during the war.

 

[Peter U]

Nice family grouping.
It is one of the more interesting Arbeitsbucher I have seen, he was a prime target for the USAAF.
Thanks for posting it.


With which unit did he serve in WW1?

 

[byf41]

Thanks Peter, I don't have a lot of info on him. I didn't know he was in ww2 until my aunt sent my father his Wehrpas. I know more about my fathers service. Here are some better pics.

 

[Peter U]

He was with the 12th Bavarian Infantry Division, in the 12th company of Bavarian Infantry Rgt 27; the 12th company usually is a MG company.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/12._Königlich_Bayerische_Infanterie-Division
An interesting late WW1 unit, the EKII wasn't awarded with light criteria, it is a bravery award, especially when awarded to low ranking EM.

 

[byf41]

Thank you for that info. I don't think he told my father much about it. All my father told me was he was in some awful fights and spent a winter in the trenches.

 

[Amberg]

Very nice grouping!
If you want to learn more about your grandfather in WWI you should search the casualties lists (WIA) http://des.genealogy.net/eingabe-verlustlisten/search
and ancestry.
Most of the Bavarian documents (Stammrollen) survived.

 

[byf41]

Spent some time with my father this week, he told me my Grandfather hated working at Kugelfischer but the job saved his life. Near the end of the war he was given a date to report to the Volkssturm.
He told his foreman at Kugelfischer and he said he wanted to talk to him at the end of the day. He told him he needed him ( every thing that moved needed ball bearings) and he took care of things for him to stay.

 

[sturmgrenadier]

Very cool documents and story, thank you for posting it.