Luftwaffe Soldbuch – Obergefreiter Kiedel – Fallschirm-Pionier-Regiment 20 (20 FJD) – Oder Front – Schwedt – Oath to Dönitz! (Hold)

Luftwaffe Soldbuch to Obergefreiter Kiedel. 

Interestingly, Kiedel joined and went through some training at flight school, but for some reasons he did not proceed further likely due to a medical problem, this is noted also in his Soldbuch.  

After a short stint with Fallschirmjäger Regiment 9 in Northern France, he was sent to a weapons technical school in Dresden. 

But as the war was coming to a close, he was sent to 

Fallschirmjäger Ersatz Batl Stendal

Fallschirm-Pionier-Ersatz- und Ausbildungs-Bataillon 1

Lastly, Fallschirm-Pionier-Batl 20

The division was to be assembled in the Liebenwalde area, about 35 km north of Berlin. Young Luftwaffe soldiers, mainly from the Kladow and Gatow Air War Schools, were sent to the regiments. The crews had reported to the air force and had no infantry experience.

In March 1945 the division, or the parts that had already been set up, were thrown onto the Oder front – mostly in the Schwedt area. The left wing of the division was about 2 km south of the city, the right wing about 10-12 km further south. On April 14, 1945, the division, was pulled from the front line and marched westwards, as its combat value was considered insufficient. 

On the 5.5.1945 – there is an entry on page 14. This entry as he was till with his unit on active duty, is an odd one! That he swore an Oath to Grossadmiral Dönitz! 

It would seem he had some sort of accident and was lucky to escape right at the end, pulling back with the division to the west he was hospitalised. 

A nice Soldbuch from a rather rare FJ Division.