research into Ewald Matthes

[thecyclist64]

Good afternoon everybody. Unbelieveably after 80 years, this photograph was discovered by a relative of mine in Germany only yesterday.

The gentleman in question is called Ewald Matthes. He is listed as missing in action on the Russian front and that is all we know about him. We do know that he was originally from East Prussia, possibly Insterburg, but no date of birth.

He was originally believed to be a member of the Heer, but as the photo shows, he was Luftwaffe. I think the badge might be Bodenkampfabzeichen, but not too sure.


If anybody has access to the various data bases that might yield some more info about this chap, I would be grateful for your help. Many thanks in advance.

[Adrian]

That's a Luftwaffe Flak badge for me. Looks like red backed collar tabs as well which would fit.

[Sensei]

A Flak badge for me aswell.

Tobias

[thecyclist64]

Thank you gentlemen. Just knowing that the badge is Luftwaffe Flak brings me a little more knowledge about what he did in the war.

[Willmore]

Hi there.

I think this is his Volksbund entry.

Name: Ewald Matthes
Date of birth: 27.01.1920
Place of birth -
Death/missing date: 01.12.1944
Death/missing place: Krakau / Saybusch
Service rank: -

According to the information available to us, Ewald Matthes has been missing since 01.12.1944.

Ewald Matthes | Grabersuche-Online

Kind regards,

Will.

[thecyclist64]

Thank you for that Willmore. A lot more info than I had a few hours ago

[Witt]

If Ewald is listed by the Volksbund, the entry Will has pointed out would belong to him. They only have four entries for someone by that name. One died in Germany, another in Italy, but the other two fell in the east. One of these can be ruled out as he was a Grenadier from Saxony.

Not sure why this Ewald Matthes is listed as fallen/missing at Krakau/Saybusch as they are 90km apart. Did not find any casualties in Saybusch in December 1944. Two casualties cards found in Krakau in December 1944. In the first weeks of December there were these two casualties at Krakau Flugplatz from 6. Batterie of gemischte Flak-Abteilung 235 (v). No trace of Ewald in the DRK missing records for this Abteilung however. There appears to have been a heavy flak presence around Krakau. B-24s from various Bomb Squadrons of the 15th Air Force were flying missions around this area of Poland in December.

Attention Required! | Cloudflare

[thecyclist64]

Thanks Witt, you and the others have brought me a lot more info than we had a few days ago. All that we knew from years ago was that he was missing in the east

[thecyclist64]

Quick question Witt. Do you think Ewald was part of 6. Batterie of gemischte Flak-Abteilung 235 (v) ?

[Witt]

I would not want to say that Ewald was in 6./gem. Flak-Abt. 235 (v) for certain but definitely on the shortlist if he was in a flak unit in Krakau. Hopefully the shortlist will provide you something until more is discovered about Ewald.

In December 1944 there were many flak units partially because of the two airfields in the city. We know 6./gem. Flak-Abt. 235 (v) was in the city as two of its men died on 13 December at one of the airfields for unknown reasons. The Stab/Heimat-Flak-Abt. 59/VIII was also in Krakau and had been since its formation in the city in October 1943. In December while under 17. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 17) it came with s.Heimat-Flak-Bttr. 239/III, 240/III, 250/VIII; le.Heimat-Flak-Bttr. 17/VIII and 19/VIII.
Other units in 17. Flak-Division are known to have been in the city in June 1944 so at least for me I would think most were still there in December. These were the Stab/Flak-Regiment 17 (mot.) as just mentioned above. Also I./gem. Flak-Regiment 4 (mot.) and I./gem. Flak-Regiment 5 (mot.) that summer.

Then you look at deZeng’s research on the airfields in Poland. There were the two airfields being used by the Luftwaffe. One near the heart of the city, marked at 50°03’N 19°56’E (although this drops on the Vistula River), and the other roughly 4km northeast of the heart at 50°05’N 19°59’40"E.
The first airfield is the bigger of the two realized by its location and garrison size. It is to note that the garrison units listed are not complete and dates are not very accurate. Flak units defending this field included Stab/I. Flakkorps (Oct 44)?; elements of Stab/17. Flak-Div. (May
44); Flak-Rgts.Stab 7 (mot) (Sep 44); I./Flak-Rgt. 19 (Stab, 1.-5. and Flak-Kol.) (Sep 44);
Flak-Lehr-Abt./F.A.S. I (Stab, 1.-5. and Flak-Kol.) (Sep 44); Flakscheinw.Abt. 620(V) (Stab and 1.-4.) (Sep 44); gem.Flak-Abt. 802 (Jan 45); Stab/le.Flak-Abt. 864 (ETr.) (Sep 44);
Stab/Heimat-Flak-Abt. 59/VIII (with 5 to 7 batteries) (1943 - Jan 45); Flak-Auswertezug 48 (mot) and 99 (mot) (Sep 44).
The second airfield was defended by elements of II./Flak-Rgt. 43 (Mar 44); elements of I./Flak-Rgt. 61 (Mar 44); mittl. Heimatflak-Battr. 1/VIII (Sep 44); mittl. Heimatflak-Battr. 2/VIII (Sep 44).


You see that a handful of these units came up in the listings in other areas that I was looking at. It should constitute the vast majority of possibilities for the period in question.

Regards, Ben