Wehrpass - Gleiwitz and Channel Islands

[russg]

Hi all,

Just thought I would post my latest wehrpass to a soldier who was in action from the very beginning of the war to the very last day......

Unteroffizer Josef Cyrys

2./ Grenadier-Regiment 582.

Entitled to :-

30/01/1945..Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern.

Units:-

04/03/1937—14/05/1937..16./ Infanterie-Regimenter 84.
15/05/1937—06/08/1939..11./ Infanterie-Regimenter 38.
07/08/1939—10/02/1940.. Verpftegungamt OB Baustab 12
11/02/1940—24/10/1940.. Verpftegungamt 298.
25/10/1940—20/03/1942.. Verpftegungamt 318.
21/03/1942—17/05/1944.. Verpftegungamt 319.
18/05/1944... 2./ Grenadier-Regiment 582.

Active Service:-

Infanterie-Regimenter 84.

On February 24, 1937, the III Battalion of the regiment moved into its new quarters on Paul Keller Straße and was then warmly welcomed by the people of Gliwice when it moved in and welcomed by the regimental commander and Bürgermeister Dr. Badenkopp. The parade for the Führer's birthday on 20 April 1937 in Krakow Square in front of spectators was the greatest military spectacle for the city of Gliwice since pre-war times. In late April 1937, the Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres, Generaloberst Werner Freiherr von Fritsch, accompanied by the Kommandierenden Generals, General der Kavallerie Ewald von Kleist, visited the regiment in Gliwice. At the beginning of May 1937, Oberstleutnant Hellmuth Koch, commander of the I Battalion of the regiment, left the battalion. He was replaced by Major Pisarski. On 15 June 1937, the regiment was marched to the Neuhammer/Queis military training area.

11./ Infanterie-Regimenter 38. and Verpftegungamt OB Baustab 12.

The Regiment was subordinate to the 8 Infanterie Division. The regimental staff was not formed until 12 October 1937, also in Kłodzko. At the same time, the I Battalion of the 28 Infanterie Regiment also set up a Battalion of the Regiment in Neisse, also Wehrkreis VIII. The regiment was now directly subordinate to the 8 Infanterie Division. At the beginning of November 1938, the I Battalion of 7 Infanterie Regiment was set up as the III Battalion of the regiment in Świdnica, also Wehrkreis VIII, and was temporarily stationed there. Also in the autumn of 1938, a Ergänzungs (supplementary) battalion of Infanterie Regiment 38 was set up in Freiwaldau, also Wehrkreis VIII. The III Battalion and the Ergänzungs-Battalion of the regiment were both later to be transferred to Kłodzko as well.

In June 1939, several visits to military training areas were on the agenda. In June 1939, the First Battalion of the regiment was at the Neuhammer military training area, also Wehrkreis VIII. On 1 August 1939, the regiment was banned from vacation. Then, on August 2, 1939, the advance order to transfer to the Polish border arrived. On August 6, 1939, the regiment marched to the railway stations, where it was loaded and shipped eastwards and took up accommodation in the Gliwice area. On August 23, 1939, the regiment moved its deployments to the Polish border. An hour before the attack, the regiment received the counter-order and moved back into the shelters near the border. On August 31, 1939, the alarm was raised again and the regiment was again moved directly to the border. At 5 o'clock it crossed the border at Gliwice. In the first two days there were heavy battles for the base fortifications at Nikolai and skirmishes at Wyry-Tychy. This was followed by the pursuit battles over the Dunajec and Nida rivers. On September 8, 1939, the Nida was crossed. Battles of San (13 September 1939) and Bilgoraj (17 September 1939) were the prelude to the Battle of Lviv and Tomaszow. The regiment fought particularly heavy battles at Tomaszow and Krasnobrod in the period from 20 to 25 September 1939. After the end of the Polish campaign, the regiment marched back to the German-Russian border, it was transferred by rail to the western border in early October 1939. On 26 August 1939 Verpftegungamt Baustab 12 was established by renaming the 10 and 11 Kompanie of the regiment.

On February 2, 1940, the regimental staff and all of the Infanterie-Divisions-Nachschubführer was transferred to the 298 Infanterie Division and then replaced again. Until mid-May 1940, the regiment was in the area around Cologne.

Verpftegungamt 298/ 298 Infanterie Division.
06/02/1940… Wehrkreis VIII, Breslau, Liegnitz, Tr.Ueb.Pl. Neuhammer… Activation, formation, training.
17/05/1940… Stadtkyll, Kronenberg… Transfer.
22/05/1940… Saint-Vith, La Roche-en-Ardenne, Libin, Opont… Advance across Belgium.
26/05/1940… Charleville, Liart, Montcornet, Advance, Rozoy-sur-Serre, Nizy-le-Comte, Neufchatel-sur-Aisne, Saint-Dizier, Pouilly-en-Auxois, Bricon, Moloy, Arnay-le-Duc, Autun, France…Offensive engagements, occupation duty
02/07/1940… Tarnow, Debica, Poland… Transfer, training.
24/07/1940… Oberglogau, Ratibor, Cosel, Neustadt, Silesia… Training.
03/08/1940.. Ostrowiec, Krasnik, Sandomierz, Janow Lube1ski, Urzedow, Budzyn, Tarlow, Solec, Rytwiany…Training, border security, road maintenance.
On 6 November 1940, the division surrendered a third of its units to the 335 Infanterie Division. (Staff 525, I./525, I./526, I./527, III./AR 298) The units were replaced.
Verpftegungamt 318/ 213. Sicherungs-Division.
03/04/1940… Wehrkreis VIII, Glogau… Transfer, training.
16/03/1941… Szprotawa… Training, redesignated 213.SichD.
19/05/1941.. Breslau, Garbatka, Pionki, Lublin, Zamosc, Chelm, Poland… Assembly, entraining, movement.
02/07/1941… Kovel, Lutsk, Sarny, Dubno, Rovno, Ostrog, Kostopol, Shepetovka, Novograd-Volynski, Berdicbev, Zhitomir, Korosten, Kalinovka, Zhashkov, Skvira…Advance into Russia, antipartisan operations, security duty.
01/09/1941.. tJman, Novo-Arkhangelsk, Smela, Kirovograd, Belaya Tserkov, Krivoi Rog, Dnepropetrovsk… Security duty, antipartisan operations.
01/10/1941… Aleksandriya, Cherkassy, Poltava, Kremenchug, Kobelyaki, Mirgorod, Gadyach… Security duty, antipartisan operations.
01/01/1942…Kremenchug, Tsarichanka, Lubny Kobelyaki, Rorany, Piryatin, Pereyaslav-Khmelnitski, Kiev, Globino, Zolotonosha… Security duty, antipartisan operations.
Verpftegungamt 319./ 319 Infanterie Division.
01/03/1942… Guernsey, Jersey… Movement, construction of fortification, training.
01/08/1942… Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney… construction of fortification, training.
01/01/1943… Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney… Release of replacement units for the
eastern front.

01/08/1943… Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney… construction of fortification, training.
The 319 Infanterie Division was formed on 15 November 1940 as a ground-based 13th Wave Division in the Gera area in Wehrkreis IX, consisting of one third each of the 87 Infanterie Division, the 169 Infanterie Division and the 299 Infanterie Division. After its formation, the division moved to France and occupied the Channel Islands of Jersey, Guernsey and Sark. After the withdrawal of the 83 Infanterie Division, the 319 Infanterie Division also took over the occupation of the island of Alderney. The division remained in the Channel Islands until the end of the war.

2./ Grenadier-Regiment 582.
Created on 15 October 1942 by renaming the 582 Infanterie Regiment and subordinated to the 319 Infanterie Division. On 19 April 1944, the Ost-Bataillon 643 was incorporated as the IV Battalion.

28/08/1944…Channel Islands…Given up as lost by OKB West.
The staff of Grenadier-Regiment 582 were located on the La Route de Noirmont at Noirmont Manor.
The Regiment was located in the south west of Jersey. The 2 Kompanie was located at Noirmont near the coastal emplacement at Noirmont Point. Their duty would include the protection and defense of these Coastal Batterie. The Batterie Lothringen located at Noirmont Point is still accessible today.




Cheers for looking,

Russ

[Willmore]

Hi Russ.

Great write up and thank you for sharing your latest addition with us.

I really like the photo of the English 'Bobby' (Policeman) too.

Kind regards,

Will.

[JERSEY 34]

Very nice, and if you ever decide to part with it please let me know as I collect Soldbuch/wehrpass to the Channel Islands and live here in Jersey.

[BlackCat1982]

Very nice find Russ, thanks for posting.

[Willmore]

I was interested in the shop sign in the photos and it turns out to be quite interesting.

Frontbuchhandlung -

Field book trade or front book trade refers to facilities of the German army during the First World War and the Wehrmacht during the Second World War to supply the troops in the German-occupied areas with books and press products.

Feldbuchhandel – Wikipedia

Kind regards,

Will.

[russg]

here are the reverse sides of the two photos, could anyone translate them for me.

Many thanks,

Russ

[Willmore]

here are the reverse sides of the two photos, could anyone translate them for me.

Many thanks,

Russ

Hi Russ.

On the top photo I would read -

Auf diesem bilde sehe
Ihs den Jersey Polizischen
aus Saint-Helier,
'Bobby' ???
Jersey, den 21.11.43

On this picture you see
It's a policeman on Jersey
from Saint-Helier,
'Bobby' ???
Jersey, 21st of November, 1943

On the bottom photo I would read -

Jersey, den 21.11.43
Deutsche Frontbuchhandung

Jersey, the 21st of November 1943
German front book trade

I am not 100% sure about the text from the first photo, so any corrections are welcome.

Kind regards,

Will.

[BlackCat1982]

Very nice, and if you ever decide to part with it please let me know as I collect Soldbuch/wehrpass to the Channel Islands and live here in Jersey.

I was trying to figure out where the front book building was, do you have an idea?

[JERSEY 34]

The photo was taken in the centre of St.Helier and is a well known one. Its on the corner of New Street and King Street. The shop used to be the 50 Shilling Tailors.