Info on a RAD man

[Shooter McGavin]

I'm researching an old RAD album that had a sidenote about this man being a famous soldier later on in the war. His name is Josef Wiedeman can anyone find further info on his fate or service history?

Josef Wiedeman

This photo was taken in September 1934 and he was im Arbeitsgau XXX, Bayern-Hochland, headquartered in München.
Thanks!

[Shooter McGavin]

Please can anyone help? I will post more pictures from the album as a deal...

[Shooter McGavin]

Happy holidays everyone! I thought it would be interesting to watch him grow up...

Hitlerjugend 1935

RAD1

RAD2

In the Army now!

[Shooter McGavin]

Portrait with HJ Golden Leader's Sportsbadge

Can anyone identify the patch on his arm? It seems in the wrong place for a specialist badge...

Also, can anyone identify the breed of his GIANT horse!? Perhaps a Trakehner?

I'm always trying to gain any info. Questions/comments very welcome!
Thanks and enjoy!

[Shooter McGavin]

I fond his name on a memorial, it looks like he was killed in one of the battles for Kiev.
RIP

source: genealogy website....
http://grabsteine.genealogy.net/tomb.ph ... =1&lang=de

[Volyn]

I'm researching an old RAD album that had a sidenote about this man being a famous soldier later on in the war. His name is Josef Wiedeman can anyone find further info on his fate or service history?
image.jpg

This photo was taken in September 1934 and he was im Arbeitsgau XXX, Bayern-Hochland, headquartered in München.
Thanks!

Here are some things that I learned about him.

He was killed 19 October 1943 near Kiev, this means he took part in the German counteroffensive phase of the Second Battle of Kiev (1943). I do not know which unit he was assigned to, hopefully we can figure it out?

"The Second Battle of Kiev was part of a much wider Soviet offensive in Ukraine known as the Battle of the Dnieper involved three strategic operations by the Soviet Red Army, and one operational counterattack by the Wehrmacht which took place between 3 October and 22 December 1943."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kiev_(1943)

Apparently he was the rank of an Obergefreiter at the time of his death and he was 25 years old, therefore, he was born in 1918 but we do not know when he entered the Heer.

Josef Wiedeman - Memorial.jpg (36.49 KiB) Viewed 1028 times

There is something confusing about this information:

1. He seems to be way too low of a rank for someone who was part of the Hitler Youth and then RAD so many years before the War. Assuming he spent <1 year in RAD and then joined the Heer, he would have been a soldier for almost 8.5 years. Even if he spent 4 years in RAD (1934-1938) and then he joined the Heer, he would have been a soldier for 5 years. He also wears the HJ Golden Leader's Sports Badge on his Heer uniform, which indicates that he should have stood out among his peers and risen higher in the enlisted ranks than an Obergefreiter would suggest.
2. The date on his Hitler Youth Photo says 1935, but you write that he joined RAD at the age of 16 as of September 1934. Maybe this was common in the beginning, but a Law passed on 26 June 1935 set the minimum age at 18 to join RAD.https://www.feldgrau.com/WW2-German-Nat ... eitsdienst
3. Can you please confirm that your information is accurate, and if you can add anything else to clarify some of these points?

Here is some of his RAD Information -

RAD 6-302 .jpg (26.89 KiB) Viewed 1028 times

Based on his RAD badge, he was part of RAD-Abt. 6/302 Kiefersfelden am Inn in 1934, it later moved to Upper Bavaria 1936. http://forum.balsi.de/index.php?topic=2060.0


Hitler Youth Information -

The Hitler Youth Badge that he is wearing on his left breast pocket might be the 1933 Nurnberg Day Badge. It resembles the outline of the badge that you can see on his uniform in the photo, since he was part of RAD as of 1934 this is one of the only badges he could have received by then.

Can anyone identify the region patch on his left shoulder, I cannot read the German writing?

Josef Wiedeman - Hitler Youth Uniform.jpg (39.01 KiB) Viewed 1028 times

[Shooter McGavin]

Based on his RAD badge, he was part of RAD-Abt. 6/302 Kiefersfelden am Inn in 1934, it later moved to Upper Bavaria 1936.

Thank you!!!!
I wish I had more info and dates, but going through the pictures again I have 2 topics to add:
1. There are lots of photos with their uniforms showing the pocket badges. Sorry I forget the real term for them but they seem like they are grey or white and made out of cloth material, but they could be metal. One of the pictures shows it clearly so hopefully we can identify it!

2. There are numerous pictures of events in the village of "Epfach". I have not been able to find any information on this place, before or after the war...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epfach

I will number these photos so things don't get too disorganized!

[Shooter McGavin]

#2

#3

[Shooter McGavin]

#4. Dated oldest in album:. September 1933

#5

[Shooter McGavin]

I'm interested to know what "G.T.E.V" stood for. Also can anyone tell us what this might be? Parades/Marches/Rallies?

#6

#7

[Shooter McGavin]

#8. I wonder what's going on to the right of the photo?

#9

#10. Band

[Shooter McGavin]

BDM marching with HJ!
They seem to also visit a wooden cross or memorial of some sort.. maybe WW1?

#11

#12

#13

#14

[Shooter McGavin]

Does anyone know where to find more info the village of Epfach, past or present? I enjoy "then and now" photos but Google Earth and Street view is not available in Germany, but I will stay on topic!

#15

Thanks again!
Happy New year everyone!

[GregSingh]

G.T.E.V. = Gebirgstrachtenerhaltungsverein

See here:
Trachtenverein
Heimat- und Trachtenverein "Lechroaner" Epfach

[Sejanus]

Volyn wrote:

He was killed 19 October 1943 near Kiev, this means he took part in the German counteroffensive phase of the Second Battle of Kiev (1943). I do not know which unit he was assigned to, hopefully we can figure it out?

How do you know for a certainty that he was killed taking part in a counteroffensive? Do you have his personal documentation to prove that?