Small grouping to a KM man

[Sokol]

He was in some kind of school of the MAN factory prewar. Long years postwar he was still in MAN, Kommandant of the MAN factory fire brigade. Again the name is Fritz, but it must be him.

[Sokol]

These are the papers. Going through them, I feel kind of happy he survived the war and lived long years after that! For sure the gentleman was alive in the 1970s. Probably has just passed, in the last months of 2010! Or maybe years ago, but this year has passed some relative who kept the stuff. And of course, which will be the best, there is a small possibility that he may be still alive! Who knows...


Anyway, we reached to the few photos. Group photo, probably prewar or early war. He is the one sitting on the right, I think. Probably his service was on Torpedo Boats, as long as the wall plaque says so and the badge he is wearing looks like that service.

[Sokol]

Another picture, must be during the war already, as some of the men have Iron Crosses. The photo is a bit out of focus and too much people on it, so I just took a random close-up photo, but by chance have captured him, too, in it.

[Sokol]

Two older pictures. Must be his grandfather's and father's family

[Sokol]

And finally, a page from a 1939 not large size magazine, where he must be on a picture of some sailors in their free time.

That's all. No service records, no award documents, no orders or badges, but it is a nice small piece of history from the life of a WW2 Kriegsmarine veteran

[piw]

Interesting little group - nice bit on individual history. Germans do love certificates - they seem to get one for everything!

[hucks216]

I have a plaque that is sort of similar to the one in this group but instead of a sailor's bust it shows a helmeted bust and awarded for winning a shooting competiton at around the same year as yours. I wonder if this sailors one is for something similar?

[Horst]

Theo -

Very nice grouping makes for a complete collection relative to this individual, thanks for showing,

Horst

[Justin P]

Good Job they were so bureaucratic Nice Grouping. Especially like the Photo in post #4 Thank you for sharing with us.

[HPL2008]

A nice grouping indeed; thanks for sharing!
Allow me a few comments and observations:

Post # 3: The book is stamped by the Lehrlingsschule der MAN (the MAN Trainee School), but it is not directly related to his actual vocational training. It is the documentation book for gaining the Reichsjugend-Sportabzeichen (National Youth Sports Badge). This badge is pictured on the book's cover.

Post # 4: Mr. Süßmeier was not yet a sailor of the Kriegsmarine at the time this photo was taken; he was with the Marine-HJ (Naval HJ) at Augsburg. (Note his cap tally and -badges. He is wearing the HJ membership badge, the HJ-Schießauszeichnung (Hitler Youth Shooting Badge) and what appears to be a DLRG (German Lifesaving Association) qualification badge.

Post # 6: The medal ribbon is actually for the KVK2, not the EK2.

Post # 7: His job training was as a machinist. (A qualification well suited for service both in the Navy and the Factory Fire Brigade.)

Post # 8: The document is for the same person with almost 100% certainty. "Fritz" is commonly used as a short/colloquial/affectionate form of "Friedrich".

Post # 9: Right, those are certificates for attending training courses with the Wasserwacht (Water Rescue Service) of the Bayerisches Rotes Kreuz (Bavarian Red Cross). Both were courses for motor boat instructors.