Potential Waffen SS

[history1]

You´re welcome.
No, you´re wrong, the G.E.B.49 was formed before WWII (please use an online translator for the text in the link):
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... at49-R.htm
This was the unit he was conscriped to. But they often got transfered several times.
It was the replacement unit, reserve battalion 375 , which did train and provide new soldiers for the Infantry Regiment 174
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... t375-R.htm

[ransomhades]

Understood, thanks for the clarification, any idea what battle he may have died in ?

[history1]

It seems you didn´t read
viewtopic.php?p=2297186#p2297186
or maybe you missed the info on that website only as it´s in German.
The next to last sentence is "Am 15. Oktober 1942 wurde das Regiment zum Grenadier-Regiment 174 umbenannt. =
on Oct. 15th 1942 the regiment was renamed into "Grenadier-Regiment 174 ".
When you follow the link (by clicking onto the units name in the text) to the later unit you get to:
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... R174-R.htm
It´s always worth to take a look onto the unit a regiment/battalion was part of, in this case the G.R.174 was part of the 81st Infantry Division.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... n/81ID.htm
In this situation map you can see at the top above the Roman number "XXVIII" the number "11) in a circle, above is "Dratschowa" located what is in the brown card misspelled "Dratschewo". It was the location of Ochmann´s grave.

However, IMHO, we can not be sure that this is the same man is the ID-tag is different.

[ransomhades]

Bardzo Dziekuje! I didn't see that part of the lexicon page but will have a thorough read through. Yes my biggest concern is the date on the Wehrnummer, I wan't to be 100 percent certain it is the same man

[history1]

I think we need more informations from your friend! At the moment we don´t even know if his great uncle did survive the war. If yes his relative might be the man on the 2nd card I published in post #8.
And this KIA is a wrong path only.

[ransomhades]

He has no more info unfortunately, his father left that page of the Soldbuch in his possessions when he passed away and his grandfather had passed when he was a boy. It was a recent discovery and he had just heard stories as a youth of his great uncle and service in the SS. I don't suppose that at the outbreak of the war he could have been just an infanteer and later joined the SS?

[history1]

[..] I don't suppose that at the outbreak of the war he could have been just an infanteer and later joined the SS?

That wasn´t uncommon, AFAIK, especially when people were injured or handicapped in a certain way. A place as guard in some camp was way safer than front service. You need also to keep in mind that the SS published job offers in the newspapers with very attractive sallary what was another magnet.

[ransomhades]

I didn't realise that about the job listings in the papers, that's fascinating to think how many young soldaten would have been intrigued as soon as they saw the pay bump they could get.

[ransomhades]

Going back to the actual Soldbuch page does his Erkenunngsmarke number tell us his original unit? Also do you have any idea of how I could verify if he was SS? I do know a lot of records were destroyed during the war

[history1]

I read it as "Stb [Stab=staff]. III. [battalion]/I [-nfantry] R [-egiment] 410/2"
but this unit is neither from Köln/Colognia.
"Founded" in Groß Born (now Borne Sulinowo, Poland)
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... R410-R.htm
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /GR410.htm
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... /122ID.htm

Your best bet is the Bundesarchiv in Germany:
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/EN/Content/ ... en-en.html
But be prepared to wait at least 1,5 years until a response.

[ransomhades]

Dziekuje bardzo !