Help needed to translate wehrpass to oswald jakob.

[DUJAILAH]

Hi Chaps, I've been trying to 'write up' a recent buy and as usual I am struggling with some pages.

On page 32 can anybody confirm that I'm correct or wrong about his active service?

On page 12, what is his unit from 08/12 to 21/06/44 when he was in Russia? Also, between 23/08/44 to 29/08/44 is that an SS unit he was with? (please see blow up)

If anyone can add to my text below it would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Cheers,

Richard.


Wehrpass To Obergefreiter Oswald Jakob.
2./Panzer Artillerie Regiment 73.
Wehrpass issued on 04/05/1943.
Promotions: - Gefreiter on 01/08/1943 and Obergefreiter on 01/12/1944. Oswald was born on 19/12/1917 at Neumule???, St. Avold, Lorraine, France. In civilian life he was a baker as was his father Christian. Oswald was married with two children and of Catholic faith. Before the war he served as a regular in the French Army ("Französ Wehrmacht") as a Sergeant from 1936 to 1940. In the French Army he was in a Panzerjäger unit (Tank Hunter – Anti Tank Unit). After the French defeat in 1940, Alsace-Lorraine which had long been a disputed area between France and Germany was taken back into the Reich as part of the Gau Westmark administrative district. Now as a citizen of the Reich from this annexed region he was subject to military conscription, and was called into service in 1943. Oswald reported for conscription at Zeitz on 25/06/1943 joining his first Army unit Stamm kp.G.E.Btl.456. He served in Russia 08/12/43 to 30/12/43???? With ?????? I ??? Dnieper ????? and from 01/11/44 to 21/03/45 as part of the failed attempt to break the Siege Of Budapest ??????? when the 1. Panzer Division was attached to the IV SS Panzer Corps. Oswald ended the war serving with Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 73 of the 1. Panzerdivision. His fate is not stated in the Wehrpass, one can speculate that Jakob was either killed in action at some point in the spring of 1945, or surrendered, along with the remnants of the 1st Panzer Division to the Americans in the Austrian Alps at the end of the war. If he survived, Oswald may have returned home to Lorraine which again became part of France in 1945 and although Oswald’s political beliefs are not known he may have regarded himself as a Malgré-nous (see below).

Malgré-nous
The term Malgré-nous (French: literally “despite ourselves” or “in spite of our will”) refers to men of the Alsace-Lorraine region who were forcibly conscripted into the German Wehrmacht or in the Waffen SS, during the Second World War.
Based on orders from Robert Heinrich Wagner, the regional governor of Alsace, of August 25, 1942, some 100,000 Alsatians and 30,000 Mosellans were drafted into the German armed forces. Most of those answering the call served in the army and were sent to the Eastern Front. A smaller number served in the Waffen-SS. Many of these men, especially those who did not answer the call immediately, were pressured to "volunteer" for service with the SS, often by direct threats on their families.
Many Malgré-nous deserted the Wehrmacht in order to join the French Resistance or escape to Switzerland, thereby running the risk of having their families sent to work or concentration camps by the Germans. This threat obliged the majority of them to remain in the German army. After the war, they were often accused of being traitors or collaborationists. In July 1944, 1500 malgré-nous were released from Soviet captivity and sent to Algiers, where they joined the Free French Forces.
Thirteen malgré-nous were involved in the massacre of Oradour-sur-Glane together with one genuine volunteer from Alsace. In a trial in Bordeaux in 1953 they were sentenced to prison terms between 5–11 years, while the volunteer was sentenced to death. The trial caused major civil unrest in Alsace, as most of the malgré-nous had been forced to serve in the Waffen-SS, resulting in a general amnesty by the French National Assembly on 19 February 1953.
Of the 130,000 malgré-nous, some 32,000 were killed in action and 10,500 are still missing in action (and presumed dead). Between five and ten thousand prisoners-of-war died in captivity, most at the Soviet camp at Tambov. The last POWs were released in 1955. Forty thousand were left as invalids.

[bigmacglenn]

He was definitely never assigned to an SS unit during the period specified; He was assigned to a Heavy Artillery Replacement Unit...Amazing that this man served in the French Army as a Sergeant until 1940...to serve in the German Army from 1943...indeed taking part in the relief attempt on Budapest...Fascinating artifact that tells a man's story...
The Germans had a nickname for such men..."Die Wackes"...it goes back to the 1870-71 War..
Cheers, Glenn

[DUJAILAH]

Thanks Glenn, yeah I can see looking at the blow up scan that what I thought was SS is actually 65. Yeah, must have odd to have changed nationalities twice in 5 years!! Similar situation as with Polish troops in the German Army I suppose, cheers, Richard.

[hucks216]

That unit is Artillerie-Ersatz-Abt 65 which was based at Mülhausen and was a feeder unit for Pz.Art.Rgt 73... Artillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung 65 - Lexikon der Wehrmacht

The first entry on Page 32 records the defensive fighting (Abwehrschlacht) on the Dneiper River in the region of Kremenchug and Krivoy Rog.

[DUJAILAH]

Thanks hucks216, great info, cheers, Richard.

[Paul D]

A very nice book , certainly he was involved in some heavy combat in Russia , Hungary and the withdrawal to the Reich borders .

The Malgré-nous is certainly a controversial subject especially with regard to Oradour and the number of Alsations in 3 Kompanie Der Fuhrer who were involved , many more would probably gone on trial if the hadn't been Killed in Normandy !!

[HPL2008]

I filled in some of the blanks and made some additions; changes are marked in red:

Wehrpass To Obergefreiter Oswald Jakob.
2./Panzer Artillerie Regiment 73.

Wehrpass issued on 04/05/1943.
Promotions: - Gefreiter on 01/08/1943 and Obergefreiter on 01/12/1944.
Oswald was born on 19/12/1917 at Neumuhle in the district of Saint-Avold, Lorraine, France, called Neumühle/Sankt Avold in German and at the time the Wehrpass was issued part of the German Gau Westmark.
In civilian life he was a baker by trade as was his father Christian, although his last civilian occupation was as a motor vehicle driver. Oswald was married with two children and of Catholic faith; his wife's name was Maria. Before the war he served as a regular in the French Army ("Französ Wehrmacht") as a Sergeant from 1936 to 1940. In the French Army he was in a Panzerjäger unit (Tank Hunter – Anti Tank Unit). After the French defeat in 1940, Alsace-Lorraine which had long been a disputed area between France and Germany was taken back into the Reich as part of the Gau Westmark administrative district.
Of ethnic German ancesty, Oswald was given preliminary German citizenship subject to possible revocation ("Staatsangehörigkeit: Deutsches Reich a.W. [= auf Widerruf]") . Now as a citizen of the Reich from this annexed region he was subject to military conscription. Medically examined at St. Avold on 4/5/43 and found fit for active military duty, he was taken into the Reserve II and called into service the following month. Oswald reported for conscription at Zeitz on 25/06/1943 joining his first Army unit Stamm Kp.G.E.Btl.456. Once more examined and found fit for duty 28/6/43, he took his oath on 3/7/43. He served with a succession of various artillery units and was soon deployed to Russia.
Oswald saw heavy action: From 08/12/43 to 30/12/43, he took part in the defensive battles at the Dnieper , fighting in the Krementschug/Kriwoj Rog area and from 01/11/44 to 21/03/45 participated in the offensive- and defensive battles in the Stuhlweißenburg/Budapest area, when the 1. Panzer Division was attached to the IV SS Panzer Corps.
Oswald ended the war serving with Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 73 of the 1. Panzerdivision. His fate is not stated in the Wehrpass, one can speculate that Jakob was either killed in action at some point in the spring of 1945, or surrendered, along with the remnants of the 1st Panzer Division to the Americans in the Austrian Alps at the end of the war. If he survived, Oswald may have returned home to Lorraine which again became part of France in 1945 and although Oswald’s political beliefs are not known he may have regarded himself as a Malgré-nous (see below).

[DUJAILAH]

Thanks HPL2008, brilliant work as usual You've filled all the gaps I was struggling with, Cheers, Richard.

[DUJAILAH]

A very nice book , certainly he was involved in some heavy combat in Russia , Hungary and the withdrawal to the Reich borders .

The Malgré-nous is certainly a controversial subject especially with regard to Oradour and the number of Alsations in 3 Kompanie Der Fuhrer who were involved , many more would probably gone on trial if the hadn't been Killed in Normandy !!

Thanks Paul E, it's certainly one of my more interesting W.P.'s I wonder how many kept their paperwork after the war being such a difficult situation, Cheers, Richard.

[DUJAILAH]

Hi HPL2008, sorry, I've one further question. What is the letter after the three in 3/?. Art.Abt.(Mot.)935, the unit that Oswald served in Russia with? Cheers, Richard.