Unteroffizier Wilhelm Wacker - Photographic portrait

[stratasfan]

How I got a scan of this photo was interesting. My GGUncle (Mom's Dad's Mother's youngest brother) joined up in 1945 as soon as he was of age. He was in the Army QMC and served two years in Germany, during the occupation. While in Germany, he met a girl from Ihringshausen. They became engaged, and then were married as soon as he got shipping home orders. (I have a letter from him explaining to the family how it had to do with getting married close enough to his return date so that they didn't have to pay for her passage over.) They were happily married until my GGUncle's early death in 1977. They had no children, and Aunt Margaret remarried. She died much later, although, sadly, I never got to meet her. Well, Uncle JD and Aunt Margaret have always been my personal family "heroes" if you can say that. Ever since we were tiny tots and always looking through the family photo album.

 

So, I started trying to find relatives and friends who knew them, as I am working on a scrapbook with all the photos and letters from/of them. Well, I found an elderly couple who had lived near Aunt Margaret in later years, down in Tennessee. I wrote to him, and he sent me photocopies of a couple of pictures he had from them. He said there was one of JD in his uniform. Well, the minute I pulled the paper from the envelope, I knew it wasn't Uncle JD! However, it was unmarked. So, I found Aunt Margaret's much-younger brother (who still lives in Germany), and got somebody to translate a letter for me and sent him a copy. Turns out this was their oldest brother who, against his parents' wishes, joined the German Army very early (he apparently had really gotten interested in Hitler Youth mettings, etc.). All the brother knew was that he had died during the Seige of Leningrad.

 

I found a death record for him, and it gave his death as 1 May 1944, at a place called Mirowiza. He is buried in a cemetery at Potylicz.

 

I was told that the ribbon on his tunic is an Iron Cross and that he was in Panzers. I think someone mentioned something would be pink on his uniform. If anyone can add some info by looking at his picture, would greatly appreciate it! Thought I would share the photo, as it is a nice portrait.

 

[Eric Queen]

Nice story and photo. The branch color (waffenfarbe) of the Panzer units was pink so the piping on the hat, collar tabs and shoulder boards should be pink (see below).

 

As for the ribbon bar, the one on the left is the East Medal and I think the one on the right could be the Spanish Civil War commemoration medal but I am not 100% sure.

[Brig]

Nice portrait, and interesting discovery. Family trees are full of surprises if you dig deep enough

[Tony v]

Elizabeth

 

Very nice photo with an interesting family history. Thank you

 

Tony

[stratasfan]

Just found this casualty card, and wondering if anyone can tell me what it says? I think it is going to state his unit and place he died?

 

 

[Proud Kraut]

Unteroffizier Wilhelm Wacker was born January, 11th 1921 in Ihringhausen, district of Kassel (last residence: Goethestrasse 5 in Ihringhausen)

 

He was a member of 2. Kompanie Ski-Nachrichten Abteilung 152 (2nd Co. Ski-Signal Battalion 152, which was part of the 1. Skijaeger Brigade).

Replacement unit: Nachrichten Ersatz Abteilung (Signal Replacement Battalion) No. 1 Koenigsberg/Ostpreussen

 

He died on May, 1st 1944 near Mirrowitze 25 kilometers southwest of Kowel.

 

Cause of death: "A.G.Spl. Kopf" (most probably: Artillerie Granatsplitter. Kopf) - Artillery shrapnel. Head.

 

Interesting family history, thanks for sharing!

[Preppy Picker]

Very interesting unit. He might be wearing lemon yellow piping for the signals unit and was is some sort of half-track or armored wheeled vehicle.  Not exactly a Panzer soldier but armored signals in a ski unit. Amazing really.

[Proud Kraut]

Because of the "Winterschlacht im Osten" medal and the side cap I would date the first photograph 1942/1943 when he served as an Obergefreiter in an Armor unit. He could be very well transferred to another (signal) unit for several reasons later. It´s only a guess but I suppose he then (in 1944) wore a different uniform.

[stratasfan]

Wow! Thanks, Lars! Super info! Which thing on him in the picture is the Winterschlacht im Osten medal? What is that, too, I might add.  So, the uniform he's in is Armor/Panzer. What would a Ski Signal unit do? Does that mean like skis as in Winter-snow skis? 

[Proud Kraut]

Yes exactly. From the 1st Ski Division Wikipedia article: "The 1st Ski Division (German: 1. Skijäger-Division) was a mountain infantry unit of the German Waffen-SS/Army trained to use skis for movement during winter. It was created on the Eastern Front in the autumn of 1943 in preparation for upcoming winter operations. It was enlarged into a full division in the summer of 1944." Edit/Note: In fact it was Heer (Army) not Waffen SS.

 

The "Winterschlacht im Osten" medal was awarded to all Wehrmacht members who fought in the winter 1941/42 at the eastern front. (Edit: This medal had a couple of Landser´s nicknames: "Gefrierfleisch-Orden" (frozen meat medal) or, referring to the ribbon: "Rollbahn-Orden". The "Rollbahn" was the main supply road from west to east. The black color of the ribbon represented the Rollbahn under control of the Wehrmacht, the red color represented the areas beside the Rollbahn, often under contol of Soviet partisans.)

 

In 1943 the side caps were replaced by the new field caps so I think your photo is from 1942 or 1943.