Article about: Hello all, A friend of mine kindly asked me to find some information about a distant relative that served under the 3rd Reich as a Panzer crew member. Wolfgang Sonnenhohl was enlisted at the
A friend of mine kindly asked me to find some information about a distant relative that served under the 3rd Reich as a Panzer crew member.
Wolfgang Sonnenhohl was enlisted at the age of 17 and went MIA presumably dead at the age of 19 near Lodtz in January 1945.
In the pictures there is an official report of the investigation that was done during 1970's for the fate of Wolfgang but the conclusion is that he most certainly died during the severe fighting with the Red Army.
Now the question that my friend asked my was "what kind of badges and awards he might have won" so he can create a display of his photo and his awards...
Now my first thoughts were:
EK2
EK1,
Tank destruction badge,
Wound Badge,
German Cross,
Close Combat Clasp,
Tank Destruction strip,
War Merit Cross 1st class,
General Assault Badge,
Knight's Cross (a bit difficult according to his age, what do you think?)
Russian Front Medal,
SA sports badge & DRL Sports Badge again not possible due to his age...
Now this is my list so far... Have I missed anything? What do you think?
EK2.....Likely
EK1......possibly
Tank destruction badge....not likely(same as Tank Destruction Strip)
Wound Badge.....likely
German Cross.....possibly/not likely
Close Combat Clasp....possibly
Tank Destruction strip....not likely/possibly
War Merit Cross 1st class.....probably not
General Assault Badge....not likely
Knight's Cross (a bit difficult according to his age, what do you think?).........not likely
Russian Front Medal.......depending on date
SA sports badge & DRL Sports Badge again not possible due to his age......probably not
Don't forget Panzer Kampfabzeichen in silver.
Ralph.
Searching for anything relating to, Anton Boos, 934 Stamm. Kp. Pz. Erz. Abt. 7, 3 Kompanie, Panzer-Regiment 2, 16th Panzer-Division (My father)
Most of the awards listed are theoretically possible, with their likelihood ranging from extremely unlikely to highly probable.
He couldn't have been awarded the Eastern Medal [Ostmedaille], as that required participation in the 1941/1942 Winter Campaign.
As a tanker, he wouldn't have been awarded the General Assault Badge [Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen], but the Tank Combat Badge in Silver [Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber]. This is in fact by far his likeliest award.
A Tank Destruction Strip/Badge [Panzervernichtungsabzeichen] is unlikely for a tanker, as it was for destroying a tank with handheld, close-range weapons.
The Knight's Cross [Ritterkreuz] had nothing to do with age, but what makes you think he could have been a recipient? Ditto for the German Cross in Gold [Deutsches Kreuz in Gold]. These were prestigious, high awards for bravery and leadership.
The Iron Cross 2nd Class [Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse] is fairly likely, the 1st Class possible, the War Merit Cross 1st Class [Kriegsverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse] very unlikely.
It would seem to me that most of these were very unlikely, but for sure the silver Panzer badge and "Possibly" a 25 numbered one?
And having been killed in combat the Gold Wound badge.
Have you tried checking the Bundes Arkiv for a rekord of him? If those rekords can be found they will tell you at least some of what he had earned/been awarded.
Sarge
To be honest I haven't done any further research on him but it could be a very nice thing to do! Unfortunatelly I don't know how...
As for the badges and awards above there were only possibilities since there are no other records of him besides what I show you above... Everything else is lost!!
I've seen photographs of Panzer crewmen wearing General Assault badges... That's why I thought that these could be bestowed to tankers as well!
As for the Knight's Cross, there is nothing certain or hint about his career since all records were destroyed!
Badges of a Panzer crewman...
.
by LizardKing
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