Need Info on SS-Sturmbannführer Walter Schmidt

[Bob U]

Im looking for a list of all the awards and dates for Sturmbannfuhrer Walter Schmidt of Wiking 28-1-1917 28-7-2000
I tried the search,unless I overlooked it I couldn't find this info.
Anything in detail reguarding his award of the Naahkampfspange in Gold would be greatly appreciated.

[freddiefro]

Bob U

These are the awards I have for Walter Schmidt (SS-Nr. 311 100) 21.01.1917 – 28.07.2000. It’s good that you gave his birth & death dates because I found 14 “Walter Schmidt” names in the WSS:

Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse: 20.09.1939
Panzerkampfabzeichen – Silber: 20.07.1940
Ostmedaille: 8.09.1942
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse: 14.09.1941
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen: 20.02.1942
Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber: 20.04.1943
Kriegsorden des Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold: 20.04.1943
Nahkampfspange in Bronze: 15.05.1943
Nahkampfspange in Silber: ?
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes: 4.08.1943 (as Führer III./ SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 10 “Westland”)
Eichenlaub (479) am RK: 14.05.1944 (as Kommandeur II./ SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 10 “Westland”)

I did find a Walter Schmidt who was awarded the Nahkampfspange III.Stufe (Gold) as Oberscharführer - Zugführer 3./ SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 3, but I don’t have the date of the award. Besides, your Schmidt spent all his time in “Wiking.”

-Fred

[Mikedc]

Other awards from this officer are:
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: 9-4-43
Deutsches Reitersportabzeichen in Bronze
Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen in Bronze
SS-Dienstauszeichnungen
Julleuchter der SS
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Gold
SA-Sportabzeichen in Bronze

Greetings,
Mike

[Doktor Krollspell]

Hello Gentlemen!
Walter Schmidt's last wartime rank was that of SS-Obersturmbannführer and he was one of the few highly awarded Waffen-SS officers that also made a career in the postwar Bundeswehr, reaching the rank of Oberstleutnant d.R.
Veit Scherzer (2005) does not mention any Nahkampfspange III. Stufe for Walter Schmidt.
Regards,
Krollspell

[Doktor Krollspell]

I did find a Walter Schmidt who was awarded the Nahkampfspange III. Stufe (Gold) as Oberscharführer - Zugführer 3./ SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 3, but I don’t have the date of the award. Besides, your Schmidt spent all his time in “Wiking.”

Schmidt, Walter. Recieved the Goldene Nahkampfspange on 27.08.1944 as SS-Oberscharführer in 3./SS-Pz.AA 3 "T".
Source: Karl Ullrich "Wie ein Fels im Meer - Kriegsgeschichte der 3. SS-Panzerdivision "Totenkopf"" (2nd ed. 1999).
Regards,
Krollspell

[Bob U]

Thanks to all!
This helps me alot!!

[Marc Rikmenspoel]

SS-Hstuf. Walter Schmidt, from SS-PGR 10 Westland, was photographed by Walter Frentz in color when he visited Hitler's headquarters to personally receive his EL. One of these color portraits is found on page 448 of later editions of Wenn alle Brüder Schweigen, and you can clearly make out that Schmidt is wearing a Silber NKS (the photo is circa May-June 1944).

[Doktor Krollspell]

And for all of you that don't have "Wenn alle Brüder schweigen"...
Walter Schmidt

http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de
Regards,
Krollspell

[Giorgio]

Hello all,
I tried the Axis search (starting from January 30, 2005!) as well as other sites but I and didn’t get exact info on SS-Obersturmbannführer Walter Schmidt (born 21 or 28 January 1917 in Bremen, SS-N° 311.100). Now that’s all I could collect on him:

NSDAP-Nr.: ? .
Died on July 20, 2000 in Bremen.

Promotions
SS-Untersturmführer: 09 November 1938.
SS-Obersturmführer: ?
SS-Hauptsturmführer: 30 January 1942.
SS-Sturmbannführer: 09 November 1944.
SS-Obersturmbannführer: ? March 1945.

Assignments
Platoon Leader within 4. Kompanie SS-Standarte Germania: from-to ?
Platoon Leader within 6. Kompanie SS-Standarte Germania: from-to ?
Platoon leader within 13. Kompanie/SS-Standarte Germania: from-to ?
Adjutant II. Bataillon/SS-Standarte Germania: from-to ?
Wounded in the West: when ?
Kompanie-Chef of Ersatz-Bataillon/Regiment Germania: from-to ?
SS-Hauptsturmführer & Commander 13.Kompanie/SS-Standarte “Nordland”: November 1940-1942.
SS-Hauptsturmführer & Adjutant to the SS-Infanterie-Regiment “Westland”/SS-Division “Wiking” (mot.): 01 August 1942-?
From 27 January 1943 until 31 October 1944, Schmidt was given the command (as SS-Hauptsturmführer) of the II.Bataillon/SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 “Westland”.

Did he take also command of III. Bataillon/SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 10 “Westland” ?
If anybody could help me with some more info on this officer that would be highly appreciated.

Giorgio

[freddiefro]

Some additional Info for Walter Schmidt: he joined the SS 9.11.1934; his NSDAP Nr. was 5 274 485; he was promoted SS-Ostuf. 1.07.1940.

Antonio J. Munoz's book "The Last Levy: Waffen-SS Officer Roster March 1, 1945" and John P. Moore's "Führerliste der Waffen-SS" both have him as Kdr.SS-Grenadier-Regiment 96 in March/April 1945.

-Fred

[Marc Rikmenspoel]

Schmidt was shot through the chest in the fighting near Modlin on october 31, 1944. He survived this in fairly good shape, so that already by early spring 1945, he was convalescing at the JS-Bad Tölz. During March 1945 the school staff and students became the cadre for the Nibelungen Division, and Schmidt took command of what became SS-Panzergrenadier Reg. 96 (RKT Markus Faulhaber took command of SS-PGR 95, while SS-PGR 97 was dissolved, with the other two regiments each receiving one of its two battalions, making both 95 & 96 four battalions strong).

Most of Schmidt's men were youths of roughly 16 from the Sonthofen Adolf Hitler School (was that a NAPOLA? I'm not sure...). Schmidt didn't like the idea of these underage soldiers becoming POWs, so since they were all experienced Hitler Youths, at the end of the war he took them camping in the Bavarian Alps. They put the outdoors skills they had learned in the Hitler Youth to good use, and after a few weeks, gradually dispersed to return to their homes across Germany. This spared hundreds of them from becoming POWs. Schmidt himself took on an assumed identity, and went to work for an American occupation unit. This end of the war information came to me from Yvo Janssens and Peter van Holsteijn, who used to run a website on the Dutch Waffen-SS. I haven't seen it published outside of one of my own books.

[Giorgio]

Thank you Mark, but which of your books do you refer to?
Giorgio

[acesfakia]

..is this one ...???? did he fight in Greece crete rethymno.....???

[acesfakia]

I think..he was in crete in Rethymno..and stay in Pigi Village..for a little time....41 !! After a 1-3 months ....he get ...sick/ill and transer to...Athen's ....and....Wiking...