Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

Discussions on all (non-biographical) aspects of the Freikorps, Reichswehr, Austrian Bundesheer, Heer, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Fallschirmjäger and the other Luftwaffe ground forces. Hosted by Christoph Awender.
Post Reply
GKAson
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Nov 2012, 16:20

Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#1

Post by GKAson » 09 Nov 2012, 16:49

My late father served in Waffen SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Nordland" from July 43 to the 3rd May 45 at the end. I have recently found a few papers in his possessions one of which is a list of his service dates and locations that he had to prepare for questioning.

I would like to research his history and I would be pleased to have any information that members might have. The first entry is for training at Instandsetzungs-Abteilung Werkstatt-Komp in Schwabach bei Nürnberg. He was there from 1/8/43 to 15/9/43. He then was moved to Croatia up to 2/12/43 and then on to Russia. He was at the Narva bridgehead and got shipped out of Riga back to Germany. They finally surrendered to the American Army at Grabow near Mecklenburg. Strangely it was a black soldier unit but I cannot find any trace of that.

I have lots of things that he told me in my head but I would like to piece things together a bit better and get it written down.

Incidentally, his brother was in "Prinz Eugen" and spent most his service in Croatia.

Thanks for any help

Jebir
Member
Posts: 105
Joined: 08 Jan 2011, 23:52
Location: Denmark

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#2

Post by Jebir » 14 Nov 2012, 18:22

A good place to start is at Deutsche Dienststelle - http://www.dd-wast.de - where they keep records of german soldiers or volunteers. They charge a bit to conduct a search, but it is money well spent in the cases I know of :-)

I also have a bit of experience with Bundesarchiv in Berlin, who also charges a bit but where I have found good information about a volunteer I was searching for.

So that should get you started :-)
Not a lot of info on the unit itself - I don't know of any "black units" under Nordland, but perhaps someone else knows about this :)


history1
Banned
Posts: 4095
Joined: 31 Oct 2005, 10:12
Location: Austria

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#3

Post by history1 » 14 Nov 2012, 20:40

Jebir wrote:[...] I don't know of any "black units" under Nordland, but perhaps someone else knows about this :)
GKAson only stated that the person surrendered to american colored troops, not that Nordland had colored units.

history1
Banned
Posts: 4095
Joined: 31 Oct 2005, 10:12
Location: Austria

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#4

Post by history1 » 14 Nov 2012, 20:47

GKAson wrote:[...] They finally surrendered to the American Army at Grabow near Mecklenburg. [...]
Mecklenburg isn´t a city or village, it´s a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

And yes WAST is a good starter for you.

You might also read, if you didn´t allready:
http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=42 (with a reference list about the unit)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_SS_Vo ... n_Nordland
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... 1SSPGD.htm

GKAson
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Nov 2012, 16:20

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#5

Post by GKAson » 14 Nov 2012, 20:54

Okay, thanks very much for the starter, I will have a look at the link.

Yes, the US Army unit that they surrendered to was a Black African American (Which is the correct terminology these days) It was staffed by white officers.

Thanks for the help so far

User avatar
Regiment Norge
Member
Posts: 298
Joined: 13 Apr 2004, 00:00
Location: Norway

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#6

Post by Regiment Norge » 15 Nov 2012, 21:15

Hi!

You may also find some information concerning your fathers POW time in Allied captivity. Write to Suchdienst Munchen at this link:

https://www.drk-suchdienst.de/de

GKAson
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Nov 2012, 16:20

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#7

Post by GKAson » 16 Nov 2012, 01:09

Okay, thanks for that.

I know where he was from surrender as he was at a holding camp at Luneberg Heath. He was then moved to a POW camp in Belgium which had appalling conditions. He was then moved to Tadcaster Barracks in Yorkshire where he was brought back to full health. He was finally moved to Suffolk to work on a farm with others from his home town who had been grouped at the same POW camp.

Griffin brigade
Member
Posts: 331
Joined: 08 Dec 2003, 00:19
Location: England

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#8

Post by Griffin brigade » 16 Nov 2012, 22:27

Looks like your Father saw most of the heavy fighting that Nordland was involved in , have you any info on his exact units and was he a Volksdeutsche ?

cheers

Paul

Griffin brigade
Member
Posts: 331
Joined: 08 Dec 2003, 00:19
Location: England

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#9

Post by Griffin brigade » 16 Nov 2012, 22:28

Forgot to add if you haven't already go this book you need to get it " Tragedy of the Faithful " by Wilhelm Tieke.

GKAson
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: 09 Nov 2012, 16:20

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#10

Post by GKAson » 17 Nov 2012, 14:02

Hi Paul, PM sent

User avatar
Regiment Norge
Member
Posts: 298
Joined: 13 Apr 2004, 00:00
Location: Norway

Re: Waffen-SS "Nordland" - My fathers service

#11

Post by Regiment Norge » 19 Nov 2012, 14:44

I do not think Instandzetzungs-Abteilung 11 is mentioned in any work concerning the 11. SS-PGD. NORDLAND, this was a repair- and supply formation and they maybe worked closely with the SS-Pz.Abt. 11 Hermann von Salza.

As the war came to an end the member of IA. 11 may have been unsed as ordinary frontline soldiers, as happened to Pz.Abt. 11. When the unit lost their tanks they were transferred to both NORGE and DANMARK regiments as infantry. That happened in november-december 1944 in Courland.

Post Reply

Return to “Heer, Waffen-SS & Fallschirmjäger”