SS Diary – SS-Schütze Noss – 18. SS Panzergrenadier-Div “Horst Wessel” (SOLD)
Description
SS Diary to SS-Schütze Oswin Noss
Noss joined the Waffen SS in 1944, he was after a short training sent to his frontline unit with the 18. SS-Freiwilligen Panzergrenadier-Division “Horst Wessel” – he was specifically assigned to the Panzer-Aufklarungs Abteilung 18. Then to the Panzerjäger (Tank Hunter Troop) Interestingly, Noss was assigned a Schwimwagen at times and even wrote how it nice it was to drive it. By November 1944, Noss was in positions not far from Budapest and the day he was killed he noted in his SS diary that they knocked a KV1 Tank out. His items must have been taken from his body when he was killed.
SS diaries filled out are extremely rare, and a source of information on the specific unit that is impossible to find anywhere else.
Entries
April 30th 1944
Begin trip to Riga, Latvia at 16:31 – Training begins on Tuesday.
May 2nd 1944
Assigned to SS-Pz.-Aufklärungs– Ersatz-Abteilung in Riga–Strand (also known as SS-Tr.Üb.Pl. “Seelager)
Noss details his journey to Riga. Darmstadt, Frankfurt, ?, Berlin, Königsburg – Riga Main station.
May 24th 1944
With the transport to Obesce (ÓBECSE now in Serbia – this was the meeting point for the Horst Wessel Div) to Aufklarungs Abteilung 18, over the Duna (river).
The entries follow on for the next days, detailing rivers and cities crossed, such as Vienna to Budapest. Noss states the full journey town for town, till May 31st. He also notes that they traveled there with 30 other soldiers.
June 13th 1944
Fired Live – in a small competition he lists the scores.
June 14th 1944
Amazing lunch – meat filled dough, sauce and potato salad and pudding. So much!
June 21 1944
Summer party in Zsabya
June 24 1944
Recruit training comes to an end. Sent to the Panzerjäger (Tank Hunter) troop as a messenger.
July 11th 1944
Alarm to make ready! 2000 to the train station, at 0100 meeting with the train with the antitank guns.
July 12 1944
0830 – Leaving from Zsablya (?)
July 13 1944
1830 through Budapest
Bomb damage in Budapest is quite bad.
July 14 1944
On watch – looking for aircraft.
0900 – Describes an action (hard to read)
July 15 1944
1050 in Tournao (?)
July 16 1944
On Watch – for aircraft. Arrived in Stanislau (Ivano-Frankivszk – Ukraine) loaded of the train and slept in a barn .
July 17 1944
During the drive, attacked by two Soviet aircraft, no losses.
Vehicles unloaded in motorised march. The rest of the Company is loaded on.
1100 drive further towards the front. 1430 In a small village behind the front, unloaded. The evening preparing.
July 18 1944
Last preparations, prepare to move into positions. Drove to the positions in the night. 0200 in the positions. Slept in the Schwimmwagen in the rain.
July 19 1944
Built Bunker. Ready by midday. Any amount of rain and muck.
July 20 1944
(?) Again in the rain, Hard to move, muck.
(?) Drive with Obersturmbannführer – Any amount of Butter, cream, bread, marmalade, …
July 21 1944
In support, drive to the troop. Slept well. Food: fried potatoes. (?)
July 22 1944
Afternoon diving bombing attacks from Russian fighter and bombers, also firing from wing mounted MGs. In the troop two are wounded, one in the company is killed.
July 24 1944
Weapon inspection. Fighting in the air, with Soviet fighters. Two ‘Iwans’ shot down. Getting ready for infantry actions. Infantry attack enemy counterattack on the village with antitank help.
July 25 1944
1130 Attack begins. Strong Russian artillery fire and firing not far from us. Village taken. 1900 moved back.
July 26 1944
In a village through the night and day. Any amount of milk, 9 eggs fried. 2200 secured the area against partisans. 0530 – March.
July 27 1944
Retreat. On the way, any amount of milk and eggs… (?)
July 28 1944
Again ate well and drank well!
July 29 1944
Various entries about money, food, killing a cow and pig for food and preparing it all and driving…
August 4 1944
20 Km further back on the Rollbahn. (?)
6 Km further to Skola
August 6 1944
Through Skola, Attack of a Russian aircraft with on board machine guns. In the mountain valley.
August 7 1944
Still here in Eger (Hungary) Attack from Russian bombers, with bombs and onboard machine guns on the rail bridge and train station.
August 8 1944
Quiet time in Eger
August 9 1944
Leaving Eger, around 70km driving.
August 10 1944
In Paszika (Hungary) (Kishidveg – now Ukraine).
August 11 1944
Drive further 25km through Munkars. (Munkacs – now Ukraine).
August 13 1944
Cleaning of Weapons
Many entries not front related till.
August 29 1944
With the truck and Schwimmwagen searching for deserters!
September 7 1944
In the night, searching for enemy paratroopers!
September 17 1944
With the Pak (AntiTank Gun) firing live. Around 60 rounds of AntiTank and 20 shots of explosive.
September 25 1944
From Esztar in motorised March. (Esztrar, Hungary)
September 29 1944
Through Budapest in motorised March.
September 30 1944
Arrived in Bicske
October 11 1944
Loaded in Bicske (next three days on the train)
October 14 1944
Arrived in Rimaszombat, unloaded. Small town 3KM from the Slovakian border). Slept in park with barracks and beds.
October 15 1944
Offer of halt to hostilities from Hungary to the Soviet Union. With the Pak drove to the positions (Honoed-Base, train station and place to stay) Secure against Partisans.
October 18 1944
Röttenführer Hummer’s birthday. At 1920 evening with the comrades from the Pak team. As a guest, Knightscross holder Sonne. Any amount to eat and drink.
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October 19 1944
Drive to fight partisans. Returned to the base. (From the 18th till the 31st the division was fighting against the Slovakian National Uprising).
October 20 1944
Morning at 0600 drive to fight partisans in Slovakia. Entered positions in a village. Artillery falling close to us.
October 25 1944
SS NCO Roman Gruber (Found on Volksbund: Died in Brezno, SK) died because a Stug and Schwimmer drove over him. Unterscharführer (NCO) Molt ( Found on Volksbund: Died in Piesok, SK) killed by bullet to the head. Shocked at the amount of trucks we have found in our push forward.
October 26 1944
Unterscharführer von Kalben – Birthday. Great drive with the Schwimmagen. Celebrated the birthday, any amount of cigarettes!
October 31 1944
Celebrated my birthday. With Unterscharführer von Kalben (Volksbund: von Kalben went missing in Leobschütz O./S. in 1945) Mather, Brecht, Sturmmann Hoffmann. Drunk on liqueur.
November 1 1944
Drunk
November 2 1944
Drunk – with the Commander and Company Adjutant etc.
November 3 1944
Drive off!
November 4 1944
Slept in Huusta, private house.
November 8 1944
Drive off from Huusta. Evening arrival in Rimaszombot. (Rimaszombat – now Slovakia).
November 9 1944
Small party for 9th of November. Left at 1000 to battle. Evening stop, slept.
November 10 1944
Morning further, evening in Jaszbereny 30 Km behind the main front line. Slept here.
November 11 1944
Morning at the exit of the village. Can hear heavy Russian ‘drum fire’…
November 12 1944
Morning, Russian break out, with tanks and infantry close to the village. Moved back to Hatvan. Slept in a hospital. (Hatvan – Hungary, 60 KM from Budapest).
November 13 1944
In Hatvan. Russian aircraft attacks. 2 Payments received with my post as well as stamps for Christmas.
November 14 1944
Drive off in the direction of the front. (1 & 2 Cannon, 3rd Cannon is broken). As close tank hunters, we are at the front of the attack. 1st Cannon is broken also…
November 15 1944
Till 0200 in the night security, retreating movements. 3Km … to the position. Evening, back to Domy then slept. Searched for the Company. Still only with one cannon. (Domony – small village 20KM west of Hatvan).
November 16 1944
Drove to the Company. 0500 stopped on the Rolbahn and slept.
November 17 1944
Moved into positions 1KM behind the main frontline in winter positions. Its raining, enemy aircraft above. Built bunker. Only with one cannon… 23 T34 (Soviet Tanks) – 300M in front of the line. Russian Infantry 500m in front of our position. Cannon knocks out a tank Model KW1.
This is where the story of the young Waffen SS recruit Noss ends, on the rear of his photograph the text.
‘Your brother Oswin, July 1944. Killed on the 18.November 1944. Was buried with military honours in (?).’
Oswin Noss is mentioned in the German Volksbund Website, he has a grave in Hungary.
The division was holding the lines near Hatvan on the road to Jaszbereny – around 60 KM from Budapest. There is a farmhouse there and there was heavy battles in the area due to an important cross road intersection.
