Memoirs of fighting on the western front

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GermanPOWinUK
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Memoirs of fighting on the western front

#1

Post by GermanPOWinUK » 27 Aug 2016, 07:20

Hi. My name is Scott. Thanks for reading my first post on this forum. I look forward to reading what you and others shared in the forums.

Why I'm in Axis History forums:
  • In 1938, my German grandfather was conscripted into the Wehrmacht 79 Infantry Division.

    In 1944, during Operation Wellhit in German Occupied Boulogne, France he was captured a POW by Canadians.

    Captive until 1948 in UK POW Camp, after he was released, he journeyed home to post-war Badden-Wurttemburg, Germany.

    In 1948, my grandfather journeyed back to wife (my grandmother) and two young children (my mom and uncle) who resented his "taking charge" of family after 10 years disappeared while fighting war and POW camp.
Since 2010 I've translated, researched, and hoped to publish his handwritten journals, drawings, and photos of my grandfather's 1938-1948 Wehrmacht campaigns and POW captivity.

I hope to learn from you and to also contribute whatever I can to this forum. Below is a page from one of his private POW journals.
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erinnerungen052-min.jpg

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krichter33
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Re: Memoirs of fighting on the western front

#2

Post by krichter33 » 28 Aug 2016, 02:09

I wish you the best of luck in publishing this, I would love to read it!!!


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GermanPOWinUK
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Re: Memoirs of fighting on the western front

#3

Post by GermanPOWinUK » 29 Aug 2016, 21:02

@krichter33: Thank you. I will post here in future so you may read and give me your suggestions. Also, I obtained my grandfathers war military photoalbum, "Meine Dienstzeit", looks like the attached cover but without the embossed text at bottom. I'm looking for suggestions how to preserve the photos and album. Many photos are falling out of the album and the album cover is falling apart.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions for memoirs or research sources of Wehrmacht 79th Infantrie or German POWs.
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meinedienstzeit-min.jpeg
meinedienstzeit-min.jpeg (6.24 KiB) Viewed 668 times

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Sheldrake
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Re: Memoirs of fighting on the western front

#4

Post by Sheldrake » 29 Aug 2016, 21:31

GermanPOWinUK wrote:Hi. My name is Scott. Thanks for reading my first post on this forum. I look forward to reading what you and others shared in the forums.

Why I'm in Axis History forums:
  • In 1938, my German grandfather was conscripted into the Wehrmacht 79 Infantry Division.

    In 1944, during Operation Wellhit in German Occupied Boulogne, France he was captured a POW by Canadians.

    Captive until 1948 in UK POW Camp, after he was released, he journeyed home to post-war Badden-Wurttemburg, Germany.

    In 1948, my grandfather journeyed back to wife (my grandmother) and two young children (my mom and uncle) who resented his "taking charge" of family after 10 years disappeared while fighting war and POW camp.
Since 2010 I've translated, researched, and hoped to publish his handwritten journals, drawings, and photos of my grandfather's 1938-1948 Wehrmacht campaigns and POW captivity.

I hope to learn from you and to also contribute whatever I can to this forum. Below is a page from one of his private POW journals.
Hi,

Are you sure that the details you have posted are correct? The 79th Division was not formed until 1939 and was destroyed in Stalingrad. It was raised for a second time before being destroyed again in Romania in August 1944, a month before the fall of Boulogne.

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... n/79ID.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/79th_Infa ... Wehrmacht)

Why do you think he served in the 79th Infantry division. Do you have any other clues from his diaries about where he served and when?

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GermanPOWinUK
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Re: Memoirs of fighting on the western front

#5

Post by GermanPOWinUK » 31 Aug 2016, 22:23

Thanks, Sheldrake, for your questions and comments. Those facts bothered me too... I didn't understand how my grandfather who was with 79th Infantrie Div ended up in a UK POW camp IF he remained with 79th Infantrie Division (part of 6th Army) that was decimated in Stalingrad in early 1943.

Here's the story I learned after I got my grandfather's military records from Berlin/Deutsche Dienststelle:

His basic training began in 1938 at Altenburg with 102 Infantrie Regiment.

In Aug 1939 he was deployed with 79th Infantrie Division, Regiments 226, then 208 occupying France and eventually working Eastward for Operation Barbarossa.

On May 12 1942 he was bombed and wounded (shrapnel in right foot) at Lischatschewo [Poland?] train station. Sent to Military Hospital in Krakau and then Ohlau Poland for treatment, until his release from hospital in Jul 31 1942 first to Replacement Battalion 12 Mainz (Germany).

In Dec. 1942 he was reassigned to Recuperation Company Grenadier-Replacement Battalion 208 in Metz, France. He remained in France with various units/campaigns until his capture by Canadians in Boulogne, France Sep. 19, 1944. From France he was sent to UK POW camps and did not reunite with wife and two young children back home in Mannheim Germany until May 1948.

In addition to the Berlin Military records we have certain physical war memorabilia from my grandfather including war photos and the attached Wehrmacht Xmas plate (pictured) showing 79th Infantrie Division.

Thanks. I welcome your comments and suggestions that could help me accurately research my grandfathers military and POW history for the book I'm working on.
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79 infantrie div kriegs plate-min.jpg

bennojollo
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Re: Memoirs of fighting on the western front

#6

Post by bennojollo » 02 Sep 2016, 22:11

Hello,

I came across you're message, the photo album has III./Art.REgt. 24 on it.

Does did refers to the Marine Artillerie Regiment 24??

Any pictures of boulogne in it?

Battalion 208 was de Fortress Reserve from Festung Boulogne.

Greetings Ben

book lover
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Re: Memoirs of fighting on the western front

#7

Post by book lover » 05 Sep 2016, 02:48

Hi,Good luck with your book.I will buy a copy when it is published!

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GermanPOWinUK
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Re: Memoirs of fighting on the western front

#8

Post by GermanPOWinUK » 08 Sep 2016, 01:27

@bennojollo: The pictured photo album cover is NOT the actual cover of the album I have. It is another photo just to show the cover material and Nazi logo. The album I have has many photos of Western and South East campaign of 79th Infantrie Regiment. Many photos I've not yet identified or can read writing on back.

You wrote: "Battalion 208 was de Fortress Reserve from Festung Boulogne." Where could I find more information about that? Sources and citations?

@book lover: Thanks. I'll post more about the book as able and appreciate your feedback and support.

Attached a page in German from my grandfather's captivity during WWII UK POW Camp circa 1947 and my English translation.
Attachments
Post UK POW camp pg.pdf
(68.71 KiB) Downloaded 33 times

GregSingh
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Re: Memoirs of fighting on the western front

#9

Post by GregSingh » 08 Sep 2016, 11:06

On May 12 1942 he was bombed and wounded (shrapnel in right foot) at Lischatschewo [Poland?] train station. Sent to Military Hospital in Krakau and then Ohlau Poland for treatment, until his release from hospital in Jul 31 1942 first to Replacement Battalion 12 Mainz (Germany).
IR 208 of 79.ID was transferred to 62.ID in March 1942.
In May it took part in battles near Kharkov, when Soviets attacked. There on a major railroad you can find village called Lichatschewo (Lichaczevo), now in Ukraine, called Pervomaysky (Первомайский).

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