Description
Heer Soldbuch to Unteroffizier Hugo Geier
Born in 1910, he enlisted in the German Army in January 1940.
He served most of the war with:
Grenadier Regiment 20 (10 Panzer Grenadier Division) (Before: Inf Reg 10, 10 ID)
After the start of the western campaign, the division was placed under the 16th Army, which had the task of tracking divisions to the front armies. On May 19, 1940, the division was then placed under the 12th Army and used from May 14 on the Oise-Aisne Canal as flank protection. In the second phase of the French campaign, the “Battle of France”, the division took part in the 12th Army’s advance towards south-eastern France. The division passed Verdun to the west and south-west, followed the Maas on the west side and stood on the Langres plateau at the end of the western campaign. The division remained in France as an occupying force until September 1940. The division then moved to its home garrisons, where it was still motorized in 1940.
The 10th Panzergrenadier Division was formed on June 13, 1943 by renaming the 10th Infantry Division (mot) in the Krichev – Klimovichi area. Panzer Battalion 7, set up for the division in France, did not join the division until December 1943. It was transported to southern Russia at the end of October 1943, after it had been deployed to OB West, and used there to support the front. Between August and November 1943, the division was assigned StuG Battalion 239 as a replacement. Between mid and late May 1943, parts of the division were deployed to fight partisans in the area south of Bryansk. In May and June 1943, the division fought in the area north of Orel for Vyazma. Between July 5 and July 12, 1943, the division was in heavy defensive fighting south of Orel. On July 14, the division fought at Ponyiri. From July 17, the division marched back into the area north of Orel and then stood in heavy defensive fighting between Bolkhov and Bryansk in the course of the evacuation of the Orel Arch.
Geier was wounded in July 1943, and delivered to a hospital in Minsk, Belarus. Due to an explosion he lost the most part of his hearing as well as being physically injured with grenade splinter.
He was sent to do guard duty after recovery:
Landesschützen-Bataillon 828
From 1943 the battalion was stationed in Nuremberg-Langwasser, also in Military District XIII. From 1944 the battalion was again stationed in Hammelburg. There it was used by the commander of prisoners of war XIII.
In late 1944: Panzergrenadier-Ersatz- und Ausbildungs-Bataillon 20
In March of 1945, they were mobilised and Geier was to see action once again.
Awards
- Iron Cross Second Class
- Iron Cross First Class
- Eastern Front Medal
- Infantry Assault Badge
- Black Wounds Badge
- Silver Wounds Badge
Summary
A very nice Soldbuch to a combat experienced NCO. A really great photograph not often seen as good as that!
