Research Hungarian/German soldier

[Kapyong]

Hi,

This is my first post so bare with me as I am an absolute amature when it comes to Axis aspects of WW2.

I am attempting to help out a very good mate researching his fathers WW2 service with the German Army. The veteran was like a second father to me, he actually called me 'son number three', he was a great bloke, treated us all very well as kids and taught us some life lesson.

He was descended from Russian Cossacks and the family had to flee Russia during the communist takeover, they ended up in Hungary.

On occasion he would tell us a few 'warries' usually after a vodka or two.

I recall some of them quite well:

Peter joined the German Army at aged 16 years after war was declared with Russia, his aim was to kill communists, he had no interest in the western allies.

He was a Partisan Hunter and when I asked what unit he was in he replied "Just Special Police".

Stories of some action were mentioned and given todays climate should not be repeated here.

One I am happy to relate was that during the retreat into Germany(?), I am pretty sure the war had been declared over at this stage, he was with a number of other soldiers trying to make their way towards the western allies to surrender. They were in a valley with a river, they chucked their weapons in the river and were walking towards surrender. Russian troops were behind them so time was of the essence. They discovered that Partisans were blocking the valley, the German troops returned and retrieved their weapons (including a tank) shot their way through the Partisans and successfully surrendered to allied troops.

It sounded like he ran with a group that may have raised questions by certain other groups if we started to dig into his background too soon.

That's enough of the background story and I hope you are still with me.

We always wanted to see if his service documents survived but thought it prudent that we should wait until after his passing.

Peter wrote down the information that he could recall towards not long before his death and I will transcribe what he wrote verbatim below:


Joined German Police (HYPO) 1942-43 approx Dec in Budapest Hungary.
Recruiting officer name W. Smaroff Leutenant.
My training was in Belgrade Yugoslavia
1st training was Infantry (13th)
2nd training was Cavalry (1st)
My duty took me:
(1) Partisan warfare
(2) Headquarter as recruiting officer and courier
(3) Russian Front
(4) Prisoner of English Army in Klagenurt Austria
My first army record book was headed Deuche Wermacht (German Army) it was changed later to Waffen SS (by this time everyone was SS)
Befehlshaber Der Ordnunce Police (BDO)
(Supreme Commander in Belgrade) Name General May

On a second piece of paper he has written

HYPO Hilfs Polizei
Erste Polizei Reiter Staffel
Belgrade

Anyakonyvvezetoje
Budapest Fovarus XI Kerulbt
Usuba Onkurmanyzata
Polgarmesteri Hivata Magyarorszag

I have left the spelling the same as to what is on his handwritten notes, there may be errors given the passage of time and I think I have worked out what some of the information refers to.

It is possible that Peter's description of HYPO may be ORPO (Orderpolice) here Ordnungspolizei - Wikipedia

His reference to the BDO may be this unit Befehlshaber der Ordnungspolizei (BdO), here Befehlshaber der Ordnungspolizei (BdO) can that be confirmed? I am unable to determine which sub unit he may have been with.

Reference to General May could be August Meyszner, as it seems that he best fits for location and responsibilities. see here August Meyszner - Wikipedia

Speaking with Peter's son his father's reference to the Russian Front may well be just the fact he was on the Eastern Front but not the Russian Front as we would think, Stalingrad etc. We just don't know.

Many questions:

If his service records survived where would we apply for them?

Is it possible to identify his units from the information above?

What uniform and insignia would he have worn?

Any other pointers to further reading or research.

I don't wish to publish his real name however he was born during 1926 in Budapest and has a Russian surname.

Admins: If I have posted this in the wrong area please move as appropriate.

Thanks

Steve

[Kapyong]

Bump

[BlackCat1982]

If his records exist then they are held at the Bundesarchiv now;

Bundesarchiv Internet - Personal Documents of Military Provenance until 1945

His being inducted into the Ordnungspolitzei is not so unusual for a Hungarian. A great many were, a way of building resources without taking away German troops from the front line.

[Kapyong]

Fantastic, thank you very much for that.

I will pass that onto my mate and he can follow up.

Cheers