Description
An incredible set of Feldpost here to the “Communist Willy Siegmeyer”
Sent from Soldat Willy Seigmeyer
Schutzen-Regiment 962 – Penal unit destroyed in Tunis with the German Africa Corps
Regiment 962 and 961 were formed at the end of 1942 in Belgium as Disciplinary 999 Brigade and were based in the Antwerp Region. A so called “Bewahrungseinheit” or “Strafbattalion” were German soldiers who had done some kind of failure ( Theft’s, almost Deserter’s, or so called “Cowards in the front of the Enemy”, and so on. Being in this unit was the only chance of Rehabilitation, it’s debated as to whether this unit was a penal unit, dispite this assumption the ordinary ranks were not permitted to wear the National Eagle, collar patches or cockade on their uniforms, nor were they allowed to wear the traditional army belt with the National Eagle displayed on them. In March 1943 the unit had reached up to Division size and became 999 Division, at the same time 961 and 962 rifle Regiments ( MOT ) were sent to North Afrika and were redesignated as the 999th Leichte Afrika Division. Actual units in N.Afrika were.
Willy Siegmeyer is mentioned here:
Naumburger in opposition and resistance against National Socialism
“Geboren am 25. März 1911, Kellner, Schreberstraße 15, 9 Monate 1933/1934 inhaftiert, 1942 Strafbataillon 999, verstorben am 21. November 1977.”
“Born on March 25, 1911, Kellner, Schreberstrasse 15, imprisoned for 9 months in 1933/1934, 1942 Penal Battalion 999, died on November 21, 1977.”
https://www.naumburg-geschichte.de/geschichte/uebersichtwiderstand.htm
( Collected before – Collection of Walter Grunert, Naumburg )
The grouping consists of:
- Letter sent from 48398 E – Schutzen-Regiment 962 – 25.2.1943 – Sent from Africa to Hertel from Soldat W. Seigmeyer
- POW Letter Sent – 2nd of May 1944 -7.PM New York City, USA – US Airmail Stamp – to Hertel Batreau – Censored By US Censor 11589 – Arrived in Germany – Censored by German High Command – Inside – Water/Ink Censor – Sent from POW Camp Carson USA.
- Collectors Remarks – Short synopsis in German language – Post from the communist Willy Siegmeyer, after years in prison he was sent to the Front with Penal Unit 999. In Africa, he made it to US lines as a POW. Letter from his time as a POW on 2nd of May 1944.
More on Camp Carson
Fort Carson was established in 1942 as Camp Carson in the months after the US entry into World War II. It was named after a frontiersman, trapper, Indian fighter, and general, “Kit” Carson. During WWII, Fort Carson was a training center for about 125 units, most famously the 10th Mountain Division. Carson also trained all sorts of other personnel, including cooks, nurses, tank battalions, and Greek infantry and Italian ordnance units.
Fort Carson, just south of Colorado Springs, made an ideal location for training mountain units for deployment to the European Alps or other mountainous areas. The demands of such terrain required Fort Carson to maintain the last mule trains in the US Army. From Fort opening to 1956, mule teams packed gear for Army mountain units; the senior mule, Hambone, served as mount for First Sergeants for thirteen years, survived until 1971, and was buried with full military honors. On the first day of 1943, Camp Carson opened a POW camp for about 9,000 German, Italian prisoners. The POWs worked to relieve a manpower shortage in Colorado, farming and canning and generally providing labor, for a low but real wage.
Camp Carson became a fort in 1954, expanded its base land considerably in the 1950s and 1960s, and became home to armor units; today Fort Carson is home to the 10th Special Forces Group, 4th Infantry Division, and a large and varied collection of other and tenant units.
https://www.fortcarsonhousing.com/history
Final Comments:
There are not many stories like this and makes for a prime research project first source material.