Share your Panzer Related Award Documents (Verleihungsurkunde)

[hucks216]

And after taking a bit of a liberty posting Soldbucher & Wehrpasse in a Citation section this will be back on track - I bought this citation set a few years ago and it is still one of my favourites. It belonged to Major (Ing.) Hermann Fischer who served with Pz.Jäg.Abt 27 (17 Pz.Div), Pz.Rgt 203 and then Pz.Rgt Großdeutschland. The set contains a whole host of renowned hand signed signatures, including one that is rarely seen unless it is the facsimile version.

Citations:

Promotion Citation to Hauptmann (Ing.) - signed by Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch (RK)
KvK II Kl mit Schwertern - signed by Generalleutnant Hans-Jurgen von Arnim (RK)
EK II - signed by General der Infanterie Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt's signature (RK + EL) (His signature is more usually seen as a facsimile on the citations for the Demjanskschild)
Promotion Citation to Major (Ing.) - signed by Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel (RK)
PAB Silber - signed by the famed 'Panzer Count', Oberst Hyazinth Graf von Strachwitz (RK, EL, Schwertern + Brillanten and DKiG)
EK I Notification - signed by a currently unknown Adjutant
EK I - signed by Generalleutnant Walter Hoernlein (RK + EL)

Major Fischer's Soldbuch, WH Fahrlehrerschein and post-war papers reside in another collection and the owner has kindly shared the scans of them with me (as I have done likewise with these citations) and from the Soldbuch it shows that after leaving Großdeutschland Major Fischer went on to serve with GD's replacement organisation at Cottbus and also with Technische-Lehrgruppe Panzer-Lehrgaenge 'Tiger'.

[hucks216]

I also have this set to if not the highest decorated Private of the 1939 Polish Campaign then at least one of the highest decorated Private soldiers in the campaign. A member of Schützen Rgt 12 of 4 Panzer Division..

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/photo...rouping-26067/

[hucks216]

A small set that belonged to a Walter Hartmann who was a Panzer IV commander in 4.(Pz)/Führer-Begleit-Bataillon when it ws formed from personnel at FHQ to fight as a Kampfgruppe in Russia.

Citations:

PAB Silber - signed by Kuno-Hans von Both (Pour le mérite, RK & DKiG)
Ost Medal - signed by Gustav Streve (Kommandant FHQ)
Black Wound Badge - signed by Wilhelm Pohlmann (RK)

[Bill T]

Man, you have some very nice groupings that continue to awe. That PAB doc w/ the Panzer Counts signature is killer too! And dont worry about the Soldbuch/wehrpass postings......they go along with the award docs, and I (and Im sure others) fully appreciate being able to see them. Thank you again.

I'm really liking the Hermann Fischer group. The signatures in that group couldnt have been any better IMO.
Thats awesome that you were able to find the owner of the Soldbuch, and receive scans too. That has to be an interesting one!

The 4th Panzer Div grouping is outstanding as well. To be able to prove that a Private was awarded both grades of the EK during the Polish Campaign is certainly an extreme rarity!! Never seen such a grouping before to be honest. I look forward to try and read the newspaper articles.

[hucks216]

Another Tiger related Soldbucher I have is this one for a medic in a Tiger Funklenk unit, Panzer Abt (Fkl) 301. Unfortunately no photo and no awards won (or at least entered) in the soldbuch but he started off in the infantry before transferring to be trained as a medic. Upon completion he was assigned to various Funklenk Kompanie/Abteilung. There are 2 FpNr's in the Soldbuch & on his Medic Ausweis.

04717 (numerous entries) in the SB dated from 1942 to late 1944...
(15.7.1942-24.1.1943) 2. Kompanie Panzer-Abteilung 302,
(24.3.1944-6.11.1944) 22.4.1944 1. Kompanie Panzer-Abteilung 301.
...and 01914 on the Ausweis dated for December 1944...
(24.3.1944-6.11.1944) 2.10.1944 Stab und Versorgungs-Kompanie Panzer-Abteilung 301.

From Tiger Units of the Wehrmacht ...
19 Aug 44 ordered to re-equip with Tiger Is with four companies
22 Aug 44 10 Tiger Is received from s.SS-Pz.Abt. 103
25 Aug 44-15 Sep 44 equipped with 21 Tiger Is [Jentz 2]
Oct 44 31 Tigers on hand, training at Grafenwöhr Training Area
2 Nov 44 arrival at the Western Front and subordination to LXXXI. Armeekorps.
10 Dec 44 14 Tigers operational
8 Jan 45 27 Tigers and 52 B IV demolition vehicles ready
1 Feb 45 12 of 23 Tigers and 21 of 45 B IVs operational
1 Mar 45 5 of 15 Tigers and 32 of 52 B IVs operational
16 Apr 45 last 3 Tigers blown up

[hucks216]

And here is a Soldbuch for Unteroffizier Erich Pfeffer who served originally in Schützen-Rgt 3 (3 Pz.Division) before be reassigned to the assault gun branch. He served with StuG-Abt/Brigade 184, the training & replacement unit StuG-Ers.u.Ausb Abt 200 and Kampfgruppe 'Burg' which I believe was formed by StuG crews from StuG-Ers.u.Ausb Abt 200 in the last months of the war...

Website... StuG

In the course if the war he was awarded:
Panzerkampf Abzeichen Bronze
EK II
Black Wound Badge
EK I

[hucks216]

A Panzer related Soldbuch from the Waffen-SS this time. It is a Zweitschrift issue but was issued in 1941 so saw more of the war then his original issue!

Willi Gerner was born on 31st August 1912 in Juterborg. He is listed in his Soldbuch as being approx 5'10" (176cm) tall, a protestant and unmarried. At the time of this issue of his SB SS-Inf Rgt 4 (mot.) was undergoing training prior to being employed as rear area security for Army Group North. Early in 1942 parts of SS-Inf Rgt 4 (mot.) were reorganised & reclassified as SS Rgt 'Langemarck' and was incorporated into Das Reich, with Willi Gerner serving with the HQ staff of Langemarck's II Btl. Gerner was eventually reassigned to the HQ staff of II/Pz Rgt 'Das Reich' in 1943 with which he spent the remainder of his war.

In April 1944 SS-Rottenfuhrer Gerner was issued his 98K rifle - his 3rd such issue of his war service - and just 2 days before D-Day he received a full uniform issue. On April 4th 1944 Gerner received the KvK 2 Klasse mit Schwertern, this during a period that combined training with frequent anti-partisan operations in the region of Montaubaun in the south of France. Willi Gerner had already received the Ost Medal on 14th January 1943.
Involved in the fighting in Normandy, Gerner was killed in the vicinity of Le Cambry on 29th July 1944 during the retreat from the Cherbourg peninsula by shots to the head and neck - as indicated by the unusual entry at the top of Pg 1.
Willi Gerner now rests in the La Cambe Cemetery in Block 47, Grave 195.

The Soldbuch has a number of interesting signatures:

Page 21 & 31 - SS-Obersturmfuhrer Karl-Heinz Boska (RK)
Page 30 - SS-Untersturmführer Franz Stadler (II/SS-Pz.Rgt 2 Adjutant in 1943)
Page 31 - SS-Obersturmführer Hans Pavelka (Deutsche Kreuz in Gold & KIA 16th Jul 1943)

[hucks216]

Three citation set to an Oberkanonier who served in the artillery regiment of 1st SS-Pz.Grenadier Division 'Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler' (designated as a Panzer Division later in 1943.)

Citations:

EK II - dated 20th March 1943 and signed by SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Josef 'Sepp' Dietrich (RK, EL, Schwertern + Brillanten)
Assault Badge - dated 16th May 1943 and signed by SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Gustav Mertsch (Deutsche Kreuz in Gold)
Black Wound Badge - dated 7th August 1943 for wounds received on 11th July 1943.

[Paul D]

Guys i'm now back from holiday and glad to see that this thread has got going thanks to Bill and Kevin , i'll post some of my citations in the next few days. Some excellent pieces of paperwork have been posted ,great examples of how much historical information can be learned from paperwork colecting !!

- - Updated - -

A Panzer related Soldbuch from the Waffen-SS this time. It is a Zweitschrift issue but was issued in 1941 so saw more of the war then his original issue!

Willi Gerner was born on 31st August 1912 in Juterborg. He is listed in his Soldbuch as being approx 5'10" (176cm) tall, a protestant and unmarried. At the time of this issue of his SB SS-Inf Rgt 4 (mot.) was undergoing training prior to being employed as rear area security for Army Group North. Early in 1942 parts of SS-Inf Rgt 4 (mot.) were reorganised & reclassified as SS Rgt 'Langemarck' and was incorporated into Das Reich, with Willi Gerner serving with the HQ staff of Langemarck's II Btl. Gerner was eventually reassigned to the HQ staff of II/Pz Rgt 'Das Reich' in 1943 with which he spent the remainder of his war.

In April 1944 SS-Rottenfuhrer Gerner was issued his 98K rifle - his 3rd such issue of his war service - and just 2 days before D-Day he received a full uniform issue. On April 4th 1944 Gerner received the KvK 2 Klasse mit Schwertern, this during a period that combined training with frequent anti-partisan operations in the region of Montaubaun in the south of France. Willi Gerner had already received the Ost Medal on 14th January 1943.
Involved in the fighting in Normandy, Gerner was killed in the vicinity of Le Cambry on 29th July 1944 during the retreat from the Cherbourg peninsula by shots to the head and neck - as indicated by the unusual entry at the top of Pg 1.
Willi Gerner now rests in the La Cambe Cemetery in Block 47, Grave 195.

The Soldbuch has a number of interesting signatures:

Page 21 & 31 - SS-Obersturmfuhrer Karl-Heinz Boska (RK)
Page 30 - SS-Untersturmführer Franz Stadler (II/SS-Pz.Rgt 2 Adjutant in 1943)
Page 31 - SS-Obersturmführer Hans Pavelka (Deutsche Kreuz in Gold & KIA 16th Jul 1943)

Some rare signaturtes there Hucks , Boska was a notoriously difficult one to get even on a post war photo !!

[Paul D]

EK I Document to Fritz Herzig whilst serving with SS Panzer Aufk Abt 5 of the Wiking Divison , the document is signed by the then Divisional Commander Felix Steiner. Steiner went on to become a Swords to the Knights Cross winner and one of the the most well known and respected Senior commanders of the Waffen SS , famous for his command of the III (Germ) SS Panzer Korps.

Fritz Herzig went on to win the DKiG whilst Adjutant of SS Panzer Brigade " Gross " in Estonia and Latvia in 1944 and then the Ritterkreuz in April 1945 whilst an SS Sturmbannfuhrer and Commander of the Tiger Abt schwere SS Panzer Abt 503 , this award was for the combat actions of his unit during the fighting at the Altdamm Bridgehead and in Berlin.