Original WWII German Soldbuch – Oberleutnant Ringel – Italy Milan 1943 – Grenadier Regiment 216 – 102 Inf Div – Iron Cross First Class – Escaped Pillau 1945 – POW Western Front! – Rare
Description
Soldbuch issued in 1941 to Stone Mason Master from the area of Braunau (CZ), Arno Ringel.
Frontline Units:
Landesschützen Batl 554Â
The Landesschützen Battalion IV/VIII was established during mobilization on August 26, 1939, in Görlitz, in Wehrkreis VIII. The battalion was formed from the Infantry Replacement Battalion 406. The battalion was apparently deployed to Reichenbach during the winter of 1939/40. On April 1, 1940, the battalion was renamed Landesschützen Battalion 554. The battalion was subordinated to Division z.b.V. 408. From there, the battalion was deployed to the Commander of the VIII Prisoners of War.
Feldkommandantur 1013
Field Command 1013 was established on August 22, 1943, in Military District VIII. Subsequently, the staff was subordinate to the General Staff of the 14th Army and then to the Plenipotentiary General of Italy and was located in Milan.
Regiments Gruppe 348 – (102 Infanterie Division)
Wounded in May 1944 – Bullet wound!!
Interestingly the unit is mentioned here:Â https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Divisionsgruppe/DivGruppe216.htm
Field Post Numbers: The units (Staff, Regimental Groups, and 14th Company) were all registered in the field post overview as parts of Divisional Group 216 from January 10, 1944. The 13th Company followed on March 22, 1944. The 13th and 14th Companies were then assigned to Regimental Group 348 from May 22, 1944. The regimental groups and the staff were renamed parts of Grenadier Regiment 216 between November 23 and 29, 1944.
Grenadier Regiment 216 ( 216 Infanterie Division) – Seems this was his last unit.
From August onward, the division continued its retreat across the Lessna, the Bug, and the Narew Rivers to the East Prussian defensive position until January 1945. At the end of 1944, Division Group 216 was renamed Grenadier Regiment 216. After the costly battle for East Prussia, the remnants of the division withdrew via Sensburg and Heilsberg to the Königsberg area. The division was finally smashed in the Rosenberg-Balga-Heiligenbeil pocket. Remnants managed to escape across the Frisches Haff to Pillau. These remnants continued fighting in Western Pomerania as Division Group 102, surrendering to the Americans at Trave on May 5, 1945.
Awards: War Merit Cross with Swords, Second Class, Jan, 1944, April 1944 – Iron Cross Second Class and Wounds Badge in Black, February 1945 – Iron Cross First Class – 102 Infanterie Division. He seemed to have defaced the Nazi Symbol on the entry with a smoke.
Equipment: P38 Pistol, Compass, Lamp
Diverse Paperwork Included: Drivers Licence, Permit to Drive in Milan Italy with his own car. Entry for bottle of Sparking wine, and Führer Present in Hospital June 1944. Border Crossing Permit to Denmark in 1943 on his way to Copenhagen in May of 1943! A POW Paper Issued by the Military Government of France.
Condition: Missing Pages 5 – 7 – Addresses , not really critical on this one as not much information was lost, its possible he used it to prove his residence for Repatriation in June 1945 (See below)
Final Comments
It seems that Ringel was an experienced and battle-hardened Officer, he was awarded the Iron Cross First Class in February of 1945, and he managed to escape the hell in Eastern Prussia (likely only with some sort of boat!) Making it back to the Western Front he was by June of 1945 he was in a French POW Camp, mentioned in pencil is that he was repatriated by the American XXII Corps to return to the former occupied region of the Czech Republic, where he was from. Overall this is a desirable Soldbuch of a frontline Officer who survived the Western and Eastern Fronts.
