Grandfather schaetz

[HeinrichFrey]

I estimate that the photo was made between ´38 and `40. Bohemia would fit to the following infantry-divisions:
46. Infanterie-Division
Einsatz und Unterstellung:
Aufgestellt am 24. November 1938 in Karlsbad. Teile der Division wurden erst bei der Mobilmachung errichtet. (IR 97, III./Art.Reg.114, Aufkl.Abt. 76 und Pi.Bat. 88) Im März 1943 wurde die Division östlich von Saporoshe wieder aufgefrischt. Im März 1945 wurde die Division zur 46. Volks-Grenadier-Division umbenannt.
1942
Datum Armeekorps Armee Heeresgruppe Ort
Januar XXXXII 11. Armee Süd Krim
September XXXXII Befh. Krim A Krim
Oktober XXXXIX 17. Armee A Kaukasus

1943
Datum Armeekorps Armee Heeresgruppe Ort
Januar XXXIX 17. Armee A KUBAN
März Kgr. bei 17. und 4. Pz.Armee

and

"my" 389th:
Aufgestellt am 27. Januar 1942 als "Rheingold"-Division der 18. Welle auf dem Truppenübungsplatz Milowitz in der Nähe von Prag.
Die Division ging im Januar / Februar 1943 in Stalingrad unter.
Neu aufgestellt am 17. Februar 1943 als Kampfgruppe bis zum 1. April und zur Volldivision bis zur 1. Juli.
Nach dem Ausbruch aus dem Kessel von Tscherkassy mußte die geschwächte Division Teile an die 57. Infanterie-Division abgeben. Dafür wurde sie durch die Schatten-Division Milowitz wieder voll aufgefrischt.
Die Reste der Division kamen bei Kriegsende au der Halbinsel Hela in russische Gefangenschaft.
1942
Datum Armeekorps Armee Heeresgruppe Ort
Februar in Aufstellung Milowitz
Mai z. Vfg. Kleist Süd Donez, Charkow
Juni z. Vfg. 6. Armee Süd Donez, Charkow
Juli VIII 6. Armee Süd Donbogen
August XI 6. Armee B Donbogen
September VIII 6. Armee B Stalingrad
Oktober LI 6. Armee B Stalingrad
Dezember LI 6. Armee Don Stalingrad

I hope Your german is still good enough to understand this.

Source: www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de



1943
Datum Armeekorps Armee Heeresgruppe Ort
Januar LI 6. Armee Don Stalingrad
April in Aufstellung

[familyties]

still waiting for a reply from WASt, I'm looking at all the info you have all given me and trying to narrow things down...Does anyone know what year the Russians started to patrol the western bohemia borders? Just wondering if it was before Ludwig Schaetz died or after. Not had much luck as to where he died. Did not find him on the links that all of you have been so nice and helpfull to give me. My german is not very good but with the help of my computor i am getting very good with the translation.
regards Sylvia

[HeinrichFrey]

The patrols began in May `45. You should research the 46th Inf.-Div. under www.feldgrau.com .

[familyties]

Just had a one page letter from WASt today. Said they wanted more information to say that i am the family or relative from my Grandfather before they will give me any details.. All i have is my mothers marriage certificate from England and her death certificate, and the photo from My Grandad. Plus my birth certificate...I will send a copy of them but i'm not sure that it will be enough....Drat i was hoping for some good news. regards Sylvia

[Me-109 Jagdfleiger]

Hi Sylvia,
I got the same letter from WAST asking for more proof such as a death certificate, when i sent in looking for info on my Great Uncle, would you please keep us updated if sending a copy of your records works or not, If so then i may have something to work with seing im in the same boat as you are right now and have been unable to turn up a death certificate for some one who died in 1953,
All the best,
Jonathan

[Alex Dekker]

Just had a one page letter from WASt today. Said they wanted more information to say that i am the family or relative from my Grandfather before they will give me any details.. All i have is my mothers marriage certificate from England and her death certificate, and the photo from My Grandad. Plus my birth certificate...I will send a copy of them but i'm not sure that it will be enough....Drat i was hoping for some good news. regards Sylvia

If it's all you have, send them copies. My father's story is almost the same: My father knew nothing about his father (my grandfather), so I sent all we knew to the WASt. I told them my father never had any written 'proof' of his father, no name only two pictures. A friend of mine visited the WASt, showed them the pictures and a third one he found in a book (my grandfather as a POW) and up the information came.

I would say, tell them all you know, send them all you got.

[familyties]

I will definatly keep you informed if it works. It's hard when you don't have any papers of the person concerned like so many descendants who are trying to get information. Even my mother never had any when she went to England. But we will see what happens.
thankyou and regards Sylvia

[Alex Dekker]

I told the WASt all I knew. They provided me a POW-card of my Grandfather. He told the US Army he had three children. Two of them in Hannover (I got their names at that time, those were my two German uncles), so the third one had to be my father. The WASt doesn't have my grandfathers Soldbuch or Ahnenpass, they could not compare the pictures we got. In the end (it's like a fairytale ) I did found a niece of my grandfathers second wife, she send me postwar pics of my grandfather. To be honest, I was in doubt a few times: was I searching for the right man? In the end, I was. And the funny thing was, looking at the pictures we received, it was like looking at my father. Gave a weird feeling, but it made me very, very happy.

Don't give up!

Alex