Ancestry - 2.4million WW2 German 'Gefallen' Files Added

[hucks216]

Ancestry in Germany have now added 2.4 million cards for those soldiers killed between 1939-1948 although I am led to believe that those cards relating to late 1944 don't exist but I have yet to check any for that period so can't confirm. As you can see each card provides a wealth of details, family & service information including field unit, their basic training unit and dogtag details and in some cases how they were killed. The first image shows a memorial card I have along with his Volksbund entry so very basic details. The third & forth images show the recently added card for him which opens up a whole load of extra details.
They cover all 3 branches of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS (including KZ guards). So far I have had an approx 80% success rate in searching for cards relating to items in my collection. Some have just a single card while others have 2 or 3 double sided cards.

[HetzersGonnaHetz]

Thank you for sharing this hucks. I’ve seen a few people sharing these cards on forums and was clueless where they had come from all of a sudden so this has helped clear it up. When I get my ancestry membership back for some family history I’ll definitely utilise this feature for my deathcards. Got one in particular of a man who died of wounds in Jan 1946 so this might help clear it up somewhat. Do the cards become thin from 44 onwards or just during that period of 44?

Regards
Harvey

[BlackCat1982]

Harvey, the data gets thinner from mid 1944 onwards. It's a matter of luck whether you get a hit from July 44 onwards, which is frustrating. Very few from 1945, Teutonic efficiency collapsed with the enemy at the door.

[HetzersGonnaHetz]

Harvey, the data gets thinner from mid 1944 onwards. It's a matter of luck whether you get a hit from July 44 onwards, which is frustrating. Very few from 1945, Teutonic efficiency collapsed with the enemy at the door.

Many thanks BlackCat. That isn’t surprising about post-mid44. Still got a few deathcards from before that date anyway, so still worth getting a subscription.

Regards
Harvey

[BlackCat1982]

If you'd like any help post a Sterbebild here abouts and I'll gladly have a look for you.

[Watchdog]

This looks brilliant. I am an Ancesrty member but I always struggle with navigating the site, it just doesn't seem to speak Northern English

At one point even though I filled in the whole search page with 100% accurate details it just refused to acknowdge that I exist!!!

So, would somebody save me from a premature rage induced anurism and point me in the right direction to access this?

Just something like "It's over there you senile old git!" would probably suffice

As usual, all assistance etc etc

Mark

[Gunny Hartmann]

This looks brilliant. I am an Ancesrty member but I always struggle with navigating the site, it just doesn't seem to speak Northern English

At one point even though I filled in the whole search page with 100% accurate details it just refused to acknowdge that I exist!!!

So, would somebody save me from a premature rage induced anurism and point me in the right direction to access this?

Just something like "It's over there you senile old git!" would probably suffice

As usual, all assistance etc etc

Mark

Agreed it's not the easiest site to navigate and can be frustrating, i put in all the details about my Grandfather and all it came up with was a tracer card, no mention of his discharge or awards etc.

[BlackCat1982]

This looks brilliant. I am an Ancesrty member but I always struggle with navigating the site, it just doesn't seem to speak Northern English

At one point even though I filled in the whole search page with 100% accurate details it just refused to acknowdge that I exist!!!

So, would somebody save me from a premature rage induced anurism and point me in the right direction to access this?

Just something like "It's over there you senile old git!" would probably suffice

As usual, all assistance etc etc

Mark

Once you have logged in click on Search at the top of the page, then to Military, then on the right you see some military collections, click on full list and you should see German casualties. This is assuming your level of subscription covers it. I agree it's not the easiest to fathom. Good luck chuck!

[Paul D]

Have been using it for a couple of weeks with some great results . I have many Narva Sterbebild and have now found out that 2 of my Panzers ones were in fact from 2 Kompanie s Panzer Abt 502 the unit commamded by Otto Carius and the only Tiger unit to fight at Narva .

[HetzersGonnaHetz]

If you'd like any help post a Sterbebild here abouts and I'll gladly have a look for you.

Hi BlackCat, I really appreciate that mate, as long as its not too much trouble? The details of two that you might be able to help with I'll list below, and if there's a match then that's excellent, and many thanks in advance.

Otto Asböck, KIA 1944 (November 14th to be more exact). His picture on the Sterbebild is him in a camo FJ Smock, so I would've thought he was with an FJ unit in that area (Enschede, Netherlands), but there were a few FJ units operating in that area at that time from what I've been told so if his exact unit and cause of death is on the casualty card that would provide me with lots more insight.

Josef Hackl, also KIA 1944 (March 12th). I have been helped a great deal by a member here who provided insight on which unit he was with when he died (likely Kampfgruppe Witt) while fighting around Dergatschi during Third Kharkov, but if his Casualty Card mentions his day-to-day unit before he went into battle with KG Witt that would be great as I could look into his movements earlier in the war. Also his cause of death if it mentions it for a bit more information.

When I did a rudimentary search on these men on the 1939-48 Card Catalogue it came back with results but I was blocked by a paywall so I couldn't see the cards myself. I hope this isn't too much trouble to do mate. Once again, highly appreciate it.

Regards
Harvey