Gebirgesjäger Regt.13 - Convolute

[Albion]

Hi Everyone,
Picked up this small Gebirgesjäger convolute during the Christmas break. Wound (Black) & Iron Cross 2nd Class certificates. The wound certificate was issued the same day as the soldier was wounded. I've a number wound certificates, generally they were issued a short time after the wounding, this is the first one I have with same day issue.
Researching the certificates, after the UV light test, the Feldpostnumber and signature Ott from 2nd Battalion commander match up. On the 29 October 1941, the day of the wounding,the Gebirgesjäger 13th regiment were involved in stubborn fighting at the electrical works at Surgress trying to capture bridges over the Mius river - without success.
The EK II certificate signature Braun, - Julius Braun was the 4th Division Commander, which the 13th Regiment was part of. Braun survived the war, lived on to write a book "Enzian und Edelweiss - Die 4 Gebirges-Division 1940 -45. With luck, you can wrinkle out a fair amount of background information.

[Justin]

Hi Albion

I like your Documents, As you say you can winkle some Nice information from these. Nice little piece of history for a reasonable outlay. Thank you for sharing your little Group with us.

[hucks216]

Hello Albion,
That is a nice little grouping you have got. Is the soldiers surname BLASI (I can't quite make it out)?
If you haven't already done a check, there are two Wilhelm Blasi's on the Volksbund site. Both were Obergfreiter and one was KIA on 3rd Sept 1944 in Romania, while the other was KIA on 7th January 1944 in Russia which predates your EK citation, unless it was a posthumous award maybe??
Soldier 1 - http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche//content_ergebnis_detail.asp?id=299512&sec_id=C8A05270401FC1AB39C26950D6890BC5D4B219BB
Soldier 2 - http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche//content_ergebnis_detail.asp?id=299513&sec_id=2EE212794170F3A878E2B0563CA160196F841511

Obviously there is also the chance that he is neither of these and he survived the war, but my money is on it being the first soldier as he was killed in the same general area that division was fighting in...
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Gebirgsdivisionen/4GebD.htm

[Albion]

Hello Kevin,
Thanks for your posting & the links. I had a quick look yesterday midday at the information on the Volksbund links, then later, yesterday evening, strangely the Volksbund header & advertiments were still there, but all the information had gone ? from what I remember your choice of the first soldier, who died in Romania, seems the most likely candidate. Blasi is not a common name - for instance, there are none in my telephone directory.
I did try about three years ago accessing Volkbund, but its not that easy, as they operate a strict criteria about joining - i.e.family member amongst fallen / missing service personnel, my strong anglo-saxon name is a dead give away, I had no chance. Your must let me know how you got that much information from them. I'm grateful you did.
I gathered nearly all my information from Lexikon -der -Wehrmacht. God forbid, but if the lexikon site went offline, collectors of general ephemera Wehrpasses, Soldbuchs, Urkunden, general Documentation etc would be left high and dry.
Thanks for the post kevin
Regards

[hucks216]

Here is the info on the Volksbund for the Blasi KIA in Romania...

Nachname: Blasi
Vorname: Wilhelm
Dienstgrad: Obergefreiter
Geburtsdatum: 28.04.1921
Geburtsort: Augsburg
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 03.09.1944
Todes-/Vermisstenort: s. Bereczek Höhe 632


Wilhelm Blasi wurde noch nicht auf einen vom Volksbund errichteten Soldatenfriedhof überführt oder konnte im Rahmen unserer Umbettungsarbeiten nicht geborgen werden. Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen befindet sich sein Grab derzeit noch an folgendem Ort:

Bretcu - Rumänien

[hai]

Hi Albion!

Not so long time ago I tried to write down my fathers war rememberings. He is 85 years and in not so bad healthy condition. He had to join the army 1943 and was wounded 3 times.
After some fights end of August 1944 he and the group leader were the only one left unhurt. He came to a new group (8 men) with the groupleader named Blasi. On Sept 2nd they threw back the Russians from their line. The next day September 3rd 1944 the Russian startet to fire from all barells and on the beginning of the battle the groupleader Blasi was hiding together with the MG42 - team some 25 meters left of my fathers hole. My father was together with a new comrade. The three men (Blasi and the other two got a shot from a RATSCH BUMM (76mm tank stopping russian gun) - all of them killed.
A handgranate fell just a few inches in front of my fathers hole and exploded just after they put their head down. My fathers new comrade and him also threw their handgranates down into the potatoe field in front of them. When my father finished doing this he was alone already, so he also tried to go back. After jumping back in short steps he suddenly got a shot through his left calves (the bones remained ok) but could manage to escape back...Since he came back to the lazarett strait away he cannot realy tell me me much more.

Greetings fromAustria

[Albion]

Hello Hai,
Many thanks for the extra information. It is quite rare to find out the actual details of a normal soldiers death when researching citations. Could you confirm that Blasi died at Bereczek, Romania. Did your father also belong to a Gebirgesjäger unit ? did your father say if Blasi a good soldier & comrade was.
Best Wishes
Albion

[hai]

Dear Albion!

As far as I can see from Blasis Wehrpass he was killed about 46° 02' 02" NORTH and 26° 18' 49" EAST near Bretcu in Romania. See Google earth!

My father was a Gebirgsjäger in the 4. Gebirgsjägerdivision and was exactly in the same unit like Wilhelm Blasi (6. Kompanie of the 13. Battailon and there in the same Gruppe). Will have to speak once again to my father about Blasi but I think he will not be able to tell me too much since he knew him for a few days only.

I never ever heared my father speaking anything negativ about one of his comrades!!!!

Greatings

[hai]

Dear Albion!

Sorry, I made a mistake!

Correct::001_wub:

My father was a Gebirgsjäger in the 4. Gebirgsjägerdivision and was exactly in the same unit like Wilhelm Blasi (6. Kompanie of the 13. Regiment/2.Battaillon and there in the same Gruppe).:001_wub:

Greatings