long time lurker, first time poster.
I am seeking any information available on a family member, SS-Oberscharführer Walter Göttsche born Quarnstedt 29.8.18, SS number 342713
I am in possession of copies of his NSDAP membership card, RuSHA file, Gebührniskarte, Stammrolle and Feldpostnummer (58048 E) so I have quite a bit of information about him already but I wanted to ask nicely what other information may be out there relating to him or his units. In return I cano offer some documentation relating to his commanding officer, SS-Obersturmführer Hans Fehrmann and two other SS men, SS-Hauptscharführer Krübel (no first name listed but either a member of LSSAH and/or HJ) and SS-Untersturmführer Gustav Reber, also LSSAH and/or HJ.
Walter Göttsche joined the Leibstandarte as a volunteer on 5.4.1937 as an SS-Anwärter and joined the 2. Sturm, I am assuming this is 1st Battalion 2nd Company. I don't have further timelines other than his handwritten Lebenslauf which states he was part of the Einmärsche into Austria, the Sudetenland and Bohemia and Moravia. The next record is on the 21.6.1940 when he is pictured in a photo taken in Metz, France by Karl-Gustav Lerche receiving one or more awards from Gen. Sepp Dietrich, with the photo in the public domain. It appears he has just received the Iron Cross First Class and is wearing the Sturmabzeichen as well as possibly the Kriegsverdienstmedaille or the Kriegsverdienstkreuz.
His medical records list him as suffering from war wounds on 12.5.41 (arm), 29.7.41 (thigh, leaving a 5cm scar) and 8.8.44 (chin). According to his own handwritten Lebenslauf, written in late-June 1944 he states that he was wounded in Russia on 30.8 but he does not list a year hence my assumption is 1943. The wounds earned him a silver Verwundetenabzeichen.
According to his handwritten Lebenslauf he took part in the invasion of Poland, the invasion of France and the Low Countries and the invasion of the Balkans. He was promoted to Unterscharführer on 1.9.1941 and later to Oberscharführer on 9.11.1943.
The promotion to Oberscharführer appears to have been associated with his wound suffered in Russia and was associated with a move from the LSSAH to the 12. SS-Panzer Division Hitlerjugend - he was one of the more experienced men sent to support the very young Hitlerjugend division. This promotion appears to have mirrored a promotion that Hans Fehrmann also received, and had the effect of removing both of them from the Eastern Front and into the West.
Walter Göttsche's handwritten CV, submitted as part of his marriage application sent on 22. June 1944 that he had been taking part in the battles on the Invasionsfront (in Normandy). His Feldpostnummer with Hitlerjugend associates him with the 25th Panzer-Grenadier Regiment. His marriage certificate, issued in Standesamt Berlin-Spandau is dated 15. November 1944, ending his wartime records in my possession. I am assuming he fought in the Battle of the Bulge and subsequently in Hungary before surrendering to the US Army near Linz.
What makes Walter Göttsche so unique as a soldier, in my opinion is that he was involved in combat from the first to the last day of hostilities and had also participated in the annexations prior to 1. Sept 1939. His RuS-Fragebogen, submitted as part of his marriage application lists him as a Frontkämpfer from 1.9.1939 and given that he survived the war and died of old age in 2010 it is safe to assume he fought until 8.5.1945. He appears to have been somewhat lucky in moving away from the LSSAH at the time that he did given the attrition they suffered in Russia post-late 1943 but he still is likely to have fought at Kharkov and Kursk. I am aware that both the LSSAH and the Hitlerjugend, particularly the 25th Pz. Gren. committed war crimes/atrocities.
If anyone has information on Walter Göttsche other than that listed above I would be very grateful. As I mentioned I have a document mentioning three other SS-men listed above I would be willing to share with other personal researchers.
Many thanks in advance
Klaus