Vilis Janums & Nikolajs Galdins

Greyfinn · Post by **Greyfinn** » 21 Apr 2003 13:42

I serch for any informations about Waffen SS Standartenfuehrer Vilis Janums and Waffen SS Obersturmbannfuehrer Nikolajs Galdius (RK winner). Need all infos - pre - war service and waffen ss service, post war life....and OF Course pics

))
Regards
Greyfinn

Juha Hujanen · Post by **Juha Hujanen** » 21 Apr 2003 14:05

I guess you ment Obersturmbannfuhrer Galdins. This is from Europäische Freiwillige Im Bild:CO of the 42nd Regiment of the 19th Division (latvian no.2). Executed by the Soviets in Leningrad.

Miss-Roderick-Usher · Post by **Miss-Roderick-Usher** » 24 Jul 2005 19:59

I've found another pic of Nikolajs Galdins as Sturmbannführer.
Galdins is on the left (I think it's Galdins or is it false?) and who is the guy at his side?

Nikolajs Galdins

Phil Nix · Post by **Phil Nix** » 25 Jul 2005 11:32

Here are some short notes on Janums
Phil Nix

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 25 Jul 2005 16:12

Hi Greyfinn!

Vilis Janums: born 7. January 1894 in Code parish, Latvia.
28. October 1914: Mobilised into the Russian Army 2nd Artillery Reserve Brigade.
January 1916: Graduates from Oranienbaum Officers Rifle School and assigned to the 198th Reserve Inf. Reg. as a Lieutenant
3. April 1916: Latvian Rifle Battalion
February 1917: 4th Vidzeme Latvian Rifle Reg.
18 February 1918: Released from military service
March 1919: Mobilised into the Red Army 4th Soviet Latvian Rifle Reg.
May 1919: Deserted
1. June 1919: Joined the armed forces of the Provisional Latvian government as a Lieutenant in the 2. Cesis Battalion.
30. August 1919: Battalion transferred into the 2. Ventspils Inf. Reg.
September 1919: Machine-gun Company commander, 2. Ventspils Inf. Reg.
1. January 1920: promoted to 1st Lieutenant
21. January 1921: promoted to Captain
9. August 1928 - 19. July 1930: attended the Czechoslovakian General Staff Academy
July 1930: Head of the Statistical Section, Operations Dept., General Staff
18. November 1930: Promoted to Lt. Colonel
February 1934: Instructor at the Senior Military Course, War Academy
February 1937 - August 1938: II battalion commander, 6. Riga Inf. Reg.
September 1939: Chief of Staff, Kurzeme Division
11. November 1939: promoted to Colonel
21. October 1940: Released from military service
March 1941: emigrated to Germany, returned to Latvia in July 1941

Phil’s post gives his WWII career. As a slight amendment to Phil’s notes, Vilis Janums was actually the first Chairman of the Daugavas Vanagi from January 1946 to December 1969.

Latvian awards held: Order of the Three Stars, IV Class; Order of the Three Stars, V Class; Viesturs Order, III Class with Swords
German awards held: DKiG; EK I and II
Russian awards held: St. George Cross, IV Class (award no. 986 336); St. Stanislaus Order, III Class with Swords
Czechoslovakian awards held: Badge of the Military Staff College of Czechoslovakia

Janums died in Münster, W. Germany on 6. August 1981.

Regards,

VJK

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 25 Jul 2005 16:25

Hi!

The pic referred to by Miss-Roderick-Usher is indeed of Galdins together with the Adjutant of the 42. Gren.Reg., Ostuf. Lukins.

Regards,

VJK

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 25 Jul 2005 18:13

Hi!

Nikolajs Galdins: born in Riga 9. October 1902.
12. July 1919: Volunteered for the Latvian Army
1924: Graduated from the War Academy and assigned to the 4. Valmiera Inf. Reg.
Later assigned to the General Staff in the rank of Captain.
During 1938/1939 was also an instructor of military matters at the 2. Riga High School. Pupils remember him as an elegant officer, always smiling and in a good mood, smoked foreign cigarettes from a special cigarette holder.
After the liquidation of the Latvian Army in 1940, Galdins was for a short time an officer in the 195. Rifle Reg. of the 181. Division, 24. Territorial Corps.
Galdins had a brother who was deported to Siberia in 1941.
October 1942: joined the volunteer units as Head of the Administrative Dept.
In the summer of 1943 Galdins was appointed Adjutant to the 1st (42. Gren.) Reg. commanded by the later Staf. Voldemars Veiss and served on the Leningrad front.
October 1943: appointed commander of III Battalion, 42. Gren Reg.
January 1944: appointed commander of 42. Gren. Reg.
Executed by firing squad in Leningrad on 5. October 1945.

Awarded the RK (25. January 1945); DKiG; EK I & II

Regards,

VJK

Miss-Roderick-Usher · Post by **Miss-Roderick-Usher** » 25 Jul 2005 21:37

Ehm, it´s me again

I´ve got another question ... or maybe two or like that ... ehm ...

Nikolajs Galdins ... was he married? Does anyone know that?
And, of course, had he children?
If one of these (or maybe, if both of them) somebody could answer with Yes:
Could I have some more informations about marriage, children and - maybe, if it´s possible - some photos of his family (if there existed one)?

And another wish were this: (I know, I want much, huh?

)
Do there exist some more photos of Mr. Galdins, maybe some of his childhood?
AND(!!!) ... don´t be shocked

a (maybe, not sure!) last question:
Does anyone know the place of his grave/tomb/R.I.P.-Stone or -shortly- the last place, he will ever sleep in?
(I know, THAT was very lyrical, but huh?! Why not?)

Thanx for any circumstances, AND (no, DON´T be shocked again!

) Thanx, too, for the last information above.

Mikedc · Post by **Mikedc** » 26 Jul 2005 17:21

Just a small question.

VJK write's down:
Janums born 7-1-1894.

Phil write's down:
Janums born 7-11-1894.

Which date is the correct one???

Thanks,
Mike

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 26 Jul 2005 17:34

Hi Mike!

7th January 1894 is the correct date.

Regards,

VJK

Mikedc · Post by **Mikedc** » 26 Jul 2005 17:42

Hello VJK,

Thank you.

A second question.
You wrote he was mobilized into the Russian Army on 28-10-1914.
Phil wrote on his paper 4-10-1914.

Which date is correct in this case(I've seen the date 4-10-1914 before because I also had that written down on my file)??

Thanks,
Mike

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 26 Jul 2005 18:18

Hi Mike!

I got the date 28. October 1914 from his biography "Pulkvedis Vilis Janums", published by Daugavas Vanagu Centrālā Valde and printed by Ambers and Publishers Ltd., Toronto, Canada. Unfortunately there is no ISBN number or even date of publication shown.

Regards,

VJK

Mikedc · Post by **Mikedc** » 26 Jul 2005 18:24

Thank you very much VJK.
And because this was written down in his biography we can assume that this is the correct date.

Something else again.

Is Pulkvedis jis first Christian name or does it mean something else, because I mean to believe I've seen
this word in other documents as well???

Greetings,
Mike

VJK · Post by **VJK** » 26 Jul 2005 19:27

Hi Mike!

The word "pulkvedis" is Latvian for Colonel.

Regards,

VJK

Miss-Roderick-Usher · Post by **Miss-Roderick-Usher** » 18 Oct 2005 00:06

Hello

What's Lukins first name?
Have someone a little biography of him, and pix?

And have no one an idea where Nikolajs Galdins' grave is? and maybe more pix of him?

Greetings sonja