WWII Funeral/Mass Cards, Sterbebild, Show Yours

[Salvage Sailor]

Aloha Everyone,

 

In both World Wars, the men in my immediate family served in the US armed forces and fought overseas against our Bavarian Cousins. Most survived, some did not.

 

Several were killed in Poland and Russia, but this is the Sterbebild of one of my Bavarian Cousins serving as a Vormann in the RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst - Reich Labor Service)

 

He was killed in France just after the Normandy breakout.  Based upon the date, he may have died in the battle of Chamois, the last day of the closing of the 'Falaise Gap', but it's also the day that Paris was liberated, 20 August, 1944.

 

Feel free to add your own examples of WWII Sterbebilder to this topic.

 

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Reichsarbeitsdienst - Reich Labor Service https://www.feldgrau.com/WW2-German-National-Work-Service-Reichsarbeitsdienst

 

 

 

Caption:  A group of U.S. infantrymen pose in front of a wrecked German tank while displaying a captured swastika flag. The infantrymen were left behind to mop-up in Chambois, France, last stronghold of the Nazis in the Falaise Gap area. August 20, 1944.

[patches]

After conferring with a MOD who I asked if this subject can be dealt with, not seeing a topic on these. Was given the Go Ahead to start this topic on these items, interested parities can feel free to add theirs.

 

The R.O.B we're seeing means Reserveoffizierbewerber a Reserve Officer Candidate, on he bottom we see the printer, he's in Waldmuenchen.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldm%C3%BCnchen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[patches]

My thanks to Pround Kraut who's smoothed over some of the rough part in terms, such as the above R.O.B, as well as locations, on this one he IDed the home of this Mountain Trooper.

 

Herman Viehhauser. Oberpoint is most likely the name of the farmyard. Very common in Austria. I found one Oberpoint as a part/farmyard of the village Opponitz in Lower Austria.

 

 

He maybe was in the 5.Gebirgs Div, and Gef in Italien, as Opponitz is several miles, say around 60 milies east of Salzburg, the garrison of the 5th Gebirgs Div.

 

[patches]

Now ths one is the most curious of all, this is a Mass Card of one who died as a POW in Russia as you see. October 44 he died, could this be a Post War one???? from say the 50s???, would the Soviets inform the Germans or the Red Cross on this???, seems they wouldn't right,, not even in the post war 40s and early 50s would they inform anyone, would they? seeing that horrible tit for tat they did with POWS, all those men the Germans captured from the Red Army and visa versa, the Stalingrad capitulation, the Army Group Center ones and all the ones in between and before and after the mentioned periods.

[patches]

Franz Stadler Fallschirmjäger most likely from the 3. Fallschrim Division in Der Normandie. Period handwriting on this we see added und Gatte with the printed Bruder crossed out with Gatte, Gatte being Husband.

 

 

Would you beelve there is another Franz Stadler card existing out there, this one too has the hand written corrections, on the top, u. Gatte rather the und Gatte, looks like the same hand with same pen did this right!

 

[Proud Kraut]

I did some more research concerning the card depicted in post # 3. It´s for sure a post war made card.

[patches]

I did some more research concerning the card depicted in post # 3. It´s for sure a post war made card.

Thanks Lars. Interesting, my guess is a officer, or more likely a NCO kept a private or say semi official Kriegstagebuch, noting things in a military manner, to include deaths at this particular camp, maybe it was done at other camps as well?? and when these men were released in the late 40s or early 50s turned it in to whoever was the debriefers, maybe the members of any new German government intelligence agency, and deaths that could or were noted were noted by them, and the family was informed.

 

It's possible Wührer was at a front area transit POW camp when he died, doesn't say how he died, an Artilleryman, maybe wounded and died from wounds???, as Stalino is in the Eastern Ukraine, and in October 1944, wasn't really that far from the front, not in terms in say a camp near the Urals the European or Asian side of the Urals, and certainly not in terms of Siberia.

 

 

[daskrieg]

From my collection

[daskrieg]

Helmuth Rinelmann U-Boot 75

[patches]

A real interesting one, a Sailor transferred to an Army or SS unit, and there were a lot of them in late 1944, SS in this case, Libau, that's Courland, so he may have been in the 11. SS Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, this unit was in Courland, the Courland Pocket, the 11. SS Pz Gren Div was evacuated from the port of Libau in January 1945 to fight again, and this unit despite it being a Norwegian and Danish core unit, did have ethnic Germans in it, as well as taking in transferred men from the Air Force and Navy in late 44 into 1945. He was from Regen or near Regen, Regen is in Western Bavaria on the Czech border, most unusual to see Bavarians in the Navy, at least in any great numbers right.

 

[patches]

This one, Friedrich Breitenlader was no doubt in the 2nd Parachute Division, it's the 2nd that's in action at Kirovograd in December 43.

 

 

[patches]

Helmuth Rinelmann U-Boot 75

https://uboat.net/men/commanders/1011.html

 

daskrieg, where was he from? image to small to see

[daskrieg]

There is no personal information it only says he died a heroic death in the 30th year of his life and who gave his life for his friends. I gave permission to the U-Boat Forum to utilize this death card for information of this U-Boat captain there may be more information on the U-Boat forum if you wish to know more about Captain lieutenant and Commander Ringelmann

 

He was born 21April1912 in Munich.

Perished 28Dec1941 in the Mediterranean due to actions against the HMS Kipling

[patches]

There is no personal information it only says he died a heroic death in the 30th year of his life and who gave his life for his friends. I gave permission to the U-Boat Forum to utilize this death card for information of this U-Boat captain there may be more information on the U-Boat forum if you wish to know more about Captain lieutenant and Commander Ringelmann

 

He was born 21April1912 in Munich.

Perished 28Dec1941 in the Mediterranean due to actions against the HMS Kipling

Thank you.

[ed101]

I always thought this young trooper could be on a recruiting poster. Cocky angle of his cap, devilish smile, lots of medals, one of my favorites....

[ed101]

This is the only one I have seen Stalingrad.

[patches]

I always thought this young trooper could be on a recruiting poster. Cocky angle of his cap, devilish smile, lots of medals, one of my favorites....

Another one from Regen or near Regen,

[Jack the Collector]

I do not have a lot of these.Most of mine have a end of war theme or significant unit,medals etc.This one April 20,1945 in Silesia.

 

Back............

[Jack the Collector]

KIA at Leningrad

[patches]

A interesting one I found, a Policeman, died of wounds in Yugoslavia. partisan actions we would have to guess.

[bryang]

My Mom was German (East Prussian, actually).  Her biological father was killed in the Eastern Front in 1943.

 

Alfonse Joseph Skorski was in the Luftwaffe and had volunteered for the Fallshirmjagers prior to his death.  I don't know what exactly he did, however one of the only three photographs of him shows him wearing naval white uniform at sea, but bearing Luftwaffe rank.

 

After my Mom died I found the letter her father had written her shortly before he was killed in action.  Extremely sad letter - he wrote of how bad it was "in the east," and that he and his comrades pretty much accepted that they would soon be dead.  He stated his pride in conducting his duty for his country, and offer apologized to his mother for the hardship he had exacted upon her as a young man.  Finally he sent his love and asked the family to look after his "little Erika."  My Mother.  She was three when he was killed.

[patches]

On 4/22/2020 at 5:43 PM, patches said:

A interesting one I found, a Policeman, died of wounds in Yugoslavia. partisan actions we would have to guess.

 

[patches]

On 2/22/2020 at 7:40 AM, patches said:

This one, Friedrich Breitenlader was no doubt in the 2nd Parachute Division, it's the 2nd that's in action at Kirovograd in December 43.

 

 

[patches]

9 hours ago, bryang said:

My Mom was German (East Prussian, actually).  Her biological father was killed in the Eastern Front in 1943.

 

Alfonse Joseph Skorski was in the Luftwaffe and had volunteered for the Fallshirmjagers prior to his death.  I don't know what exactly he did, however one of the only three photographs of him shows him wearing naval white uniform at sea, but bearing Luftwaffe rank.

 

After my Mom died I found the letter her father had written her shortly before he was killed in action.  Extremely sad letter - he wrote of how bad it was "in the east," and that he and his comrades pretty much accepted that they would soon be dead.  He stated his pride in conducting his duty for his country, and offer apologized to his mother for the hardship he had exacted upon her as a young man.  Finally he sent his love and asked the family to look after his "little Erika."  My Mother.  She was three when he was killed.

 

 

 

 

That's an interesting one, the only thing I can think of was he was initialy a member of a Sea Plane Detachment aboard one of the Capital Ships, maybe a mechanic on for the planes. Unlike the U.S. Navy and the British Navy who used Navy Aviators for their sea planes aboard these big warships,  the German Navy used Air Force Aviators, and I suppose any other personel in these decrements were Air Force too, yes Goering insisted on it, (Everything that Flies Belongs to Me!) and they wore the Air Force uniforms, curious he wears Navy Whites right.