WEHRPASS etc TO WILHELM WIRTZ

[DUJAILAH]

Hi Chaps, I've recently picked up this Wehrpass, wedding pic & memorial card to a Obergefreiter WILHELM WIRTZ. I can work out most of the info; but I'm struggling with the pages below. I can only pic out words from the old style German script. Also pages 47 to 50 have been roughly torn out (normally these are blank) & a Major has written something about the Wehrpass on page 46 and dated the comment 24/07/1944 nearly 9 months after he was KIA on 29/10/1943.

Thanks in advance for any help,

Cheers,

Richard.

[HPL2008]

Page 26 documents that Wirtz had received his initial instruction about maintaining the secrecy of military matters and about counter-espionage measures by his company commander on 6 June 1940.
He was again thoroughly instructed about military espionage and counter-espionage by his then-current company commander on 18 December 40 .

Page 32 lists the engagements, battles and combat missions in which he had participated. The handwriting is giving me a hard time, but he saw action in France and later extensively in the east, including the Pripjet area, the Dnjepr and Gomel.

Page 34 lists wounds; he had first suffered a shrapnel wound to the head on 15 July 43 and had then suffered wounds to his throat and left hip on 28 October 43. Sorry, can't quite make out the nature of these wounds.
He died one day later - on 29 October 43 - at a Hauptverbandplatz (main dressing station) at Onufriejewka in Russia. The death card says he died from a gunshot wound to his lung suffered on 28 October 43. Either this is mistaken or he suffered the eventually fatal wound later on the same day.

The final entry on Page 46 says:
"Wehrpaß abgeschloßen, da Inhaber am 29.10.43 an Verwundung verstorben (Rußland)
Jülich, den 24.7.44"
i.e.
"Wehrpaß closed, as holder has died from wounds on 29 October 43 (Russia)
Jülich, 24 July 44"

Hope this helps.

[DUJAILAH]

Hi HPL2008, that's brilliant Very much appreciated, Many Thanks, Richard.

[hucks216]

From 23rd April 1942 to 15th February 1943 he was on security duties in The Netherlands before heading east and participating in the Kharkov counter-offensive in February & March 1943 ( Third Battle of Kharkov - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

He was a Catholic and was married on the 25th July 1942. He was born in Rath in the area of Aachen.

[hucks216]

Here is his entry in the Volksbund database...

[DUJAILAH]

Thanks Hucks216, I tried to get into the Volksbund; but I have real problems with it, Thanks again, Richard.