Wehrpaß - Artillerie Regiment 225 - Tödlicher Unfall (Killed in an accident).

[Willmore]

Hello everyone.

As usual please add anything you see or give any corrections where necessary.

Here we have a wartime Wehrpaß to a soldier who first served with an Infantry Regiment, then was transferred to an Artillery Regiment within the same Division.

The Wehrpass was opened on the 16th of October 1939 in Hamburg.

Franz Augner was a Wehrpflichtiger (draftee) who was born on the 14th of July 1911 in Hamburg which is the second largest city in Germany after Berlin and is located on the Elbe River in northern Germany. He was a Telegrapchen arbeiter (telegraph worker) by profession, his religion is noted as ev = evangelisch (Protestant) and he was Verh = Verheiratet (Married). He swore his oath on the 9th of April 1941.

His father Ferdinand was Gefallen (Killed in action) in 1916, as can be seen by the entry at the bottom of page 3 section 9 of the Wehrpaß.

Hamburg -
Hamburg - Wikipedia

Of note is the red stamp on the front cover and on various other pages of the Wehrpaß which says Abgeschlossen.
Abgeschlossen translates as concluded, finalised, closed.
Please Wait... | Cloudflare
What does abgeschlossen mean in German?


Page 4 -

He held the Fuhrerschein Kl. 4 (führerschein klasse 4) - Driving licence for light motorcycles (no more then no more than 50cc).

[Willmore]

Complete unit list (page 12) -

25.3.1941 - 20.4.1941 - 3./Kompanie Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 90
23.4.1941 - 30.4.1941 - 6./Kompanie Infanterie Regiment 333
versetzt zum Artillerie Regiment 225 (transferred to the 225th Artillery Regiment)
1.5.1941 - 6.2.1942 - Stabsbatterie I./Artillerie Regiment 225
Abgeschlossen

Infanterie Ersatz Bataillon 90
Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 90 - Lexikon der Wehrmacht

Infanterie Regiment 333
Infanterie

Artillerie Regiment 225
Artillerie-Regiment 225 - Lexikon der Wehrmacht
Das Artillerie-Regiment 225 des Heeres

225. Infanterie Division
225.Infanterie-Division - Feldgrau
https://www.axishistory.com/books/15...terie-division
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de...en/225ID-R.htm
https://www.balsi.de/Weltkrieg/Einhe...Startseite.htm


Training (Small arms - page 20) -

Karabiner 98
Leichtes Maschinengewehr 34


Service (page 32) -

2.3.1941 - 30.4.1941 - Küstenschutz an der Französischen Kanalküste und Atlantiküste
1.5.1941 - 1941 - -/-


Wounds and illnesses (page 34) -

6.2.1942 - Tödlicher Unfall - Staraja Russa.

6.2.1942 - Fatal accident - Staraya Russa.

Staraya Russa, a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia.


page 46 -

ich bin heute über selbstverstümmelung, Selbstmord, Fahnenflucht und Strafen im Kriege belehrt worden
ich bin heute über die Bestimmungen der Abwehr von Spionage, Sabotage und politischer Bersetzung in der Wehrmacht belehrt worden

I was taught today about self-mutilation, suicide, desertion and punishments in war
I was instructed today about the provisions of the defence against espionage, sabotage and political translation in the Wehrmacht

Signed 8.4.1941 by Franz Augner

[Willmore]

Information from the Volksbund -

Name: Franz Augner
Date of birth:14.07.1911
Place of birth: Hamburg
Death/missing date: 01.02.1942
Death/missing place: Staraja-Russa
Service rank: Kanonier

Franz Augner has not yet been transferred to a military cemetery set up by the Volksbund.
According to the information available to us, his grave is currently in the following place:: Staraja Russa - Russland

Staraja (Staraya Russa)
Staraya Russa - Wikipedia
Staraya Russa | Russia | Britannica

Ilmensee (Lake Ilmen)
Lake Ilmen | lake, Russia | Britannica


Casualty card information -

Name: Franz Augner
Birth date: 14 July 1911
Birth Place: Hamburg
Military Rank: Oberkanonier
Military Unit: Stabsbatterie I./Artillerie Regiment 225
Death date: 1 Febuary 1942
Death Place: Staraja Russa, südlich Ilmensee

His cause of death is noted as -

Unfall : der Kopf! Sturmgeschütz überfahren Vestorben! = Accident : the head! Run over by assault gun Deceased!

[Willmore]

I am not 100% sure about the translation, so please correct me if I am wrong.

Auf zur S'ost Polen, vielleicht ist ja ein Bruch von meiner Rücken dabei

On to south-eastern Poland, maybe I'll break my back


Kind regards,

Will.

[BlackCat1982]

Wow that would certainly do it! Another very interesting but tragic WP Willmore. You have a great eye for picking these out. Makes you wonder if he had some kind of premonition or just very unlucky.

[Willmore]

It certainly would. With stories like this, I often wonder about the actual circumstances of the soldiers death. Thanks BlackCat, I normally try and look for things that are a little different. Hopefully the meaning/translation or the caption is correct, but it certainly does seem like some kind of premonition.

[GlennAgain]

I am not 100% sure about the translation, so please correct me if I am wrong.

Auf zur S'ost Polen, vielleicht ist ja ein Bruch von meiner Rücken dabei

On to south-eastern Poland, maybe I'll break my back


Kind regards,

Will.

"Auf zur Post denn vielleicht ist ja ein Brief von meinem Kücken dabei"-- "Off to the post office as maybe there's a letter from my Chick among them "

[Willmore]

Thank you Glenn, I really appreciate your help.