Anyone looking for information on German Vets?

Volksbund der Deutscher Kriegsgraberfursorge e.V. (German War Graves Commission) is at:

http://www.volksbund.de/

It is in German only though.

 

Dear Carl,
I am looking for info on Corporal Siegfried Melinkat of the 5th SS Panzer Division-Wiking.
All I know is that he was awarded the Iron Cross...

 

Dear Ryan: Let me check my Waffen SS vets organizations addresses and I will see if I have it and send it to you. That will be the best way I can think of to get info on someone who isnt a DKG-TDB, or RKT recipient.

If I do have it, I will post it here and send you an email.

 

Hello everybody on the forums , with a special hello for Carl,i've finally got my finger out and registered mate.
Message for Panzerjager are you still wanting info on SS Unterscharfuhrer Siegfried Melinkat,SS PZ RGT 5 as i know quite a bit about him.
Cheers...Paul

 

Hey hey hey!! Very glad to see you here my friend!!! I cant wait till we can have a photo or two of Captain Annand on the British vets forum. Also, im hoping I now have a source for Medal of Honor Recipients...

Take care mate and soon as the booklet arrives-I will let you know and I will have a print out to you.

PS: Im glad to see you here--you just have to be around for posting #2000.

 

Paul :

Would you do us an honour and post a bio with particulars about Siegfried M of SS Pz. Abt. 5 for us ?

E

 

No problem Erich,i'm afraid i haven't got time at the moment ,got to go to work!! But hopefully i'll get it done tonight when i get back.
Cheers..... Paul

 

Wonderful sir ! Anything on the many that served and are almost unknown. One of the big reasons I hunt down ex-Luftwaffe vets that were very much in the background, but still very ctive in the war.

Danke

E

 

Erich,
I couldn't agree more,it is always good to get information on and the experiences of those who were in the thick of the action but are one of the millions who did their duty without the "Recognition" that others received for their service .
Here is a brief bio of Siegfried MELINKAT.
Born 10/11/24 in East Prussia
Joined the Waffen SS as a Freiwillige in Nov 1941 at Berlin-Lichterfelde.
Posted in March 1942 to SS Pz Abt 5 Wiking.
Served with 2 Kompanie SS Pz Rgt 5 until the end of the war under Ritterkreuztrager SS Hauptsturmfuher Willi Hein.
1942/43 loader in a Panzer III
1943/44 gunner in a Panzer IV
1944/45 Commander of a Panzer IV
Won the following awards:
EK II ,EK I , Panzerkampfabzeichen in silber,3.stufe (50 tank assaults) and the wound badge in black for two wounds.
A true Panzer mann !!Who is proud of his service and his Regiment and comrades.
I hope this interesting to everybody.
Cheers....
Paul


Hope this is interesting for somebody

 

Excellent Paul !

In the information that you have on him does it mention the total tank "kills" that he had as gunner and then later as tank commander ?

Thanks,

E

 

((After my 2000th postings award ceremony ends they play the Star Wars music for Luke Skywalker and Han Solos own Golden Medallion awards ceremony))

Very well said Paul. Do you know if this man still lives? I might have their organization address and a way to get a letter to him.

[ 30 October 2001: Message edited by: C.Evans ]

 

Carl, I'm trying to find any knights Cross recipents from the second panzer div. or if you don't know any, do you have any suggestions on any KC recipent to write to. I mean any heer or waffen SS soldier as my knowledge of the atlantic or air war is sadly limited and I wouldn't know what to say to them.

Thanks.
Yours truly, panzergrenadiere (or call me Drake if you want.)

 

Erich,
Sorry i don't have any details on the number of Kills that Siegfried had whilst a Gunner and Commander.He wrote a couple of articles which are included in Will Fey's book Panzer battles of the Waffen SS about his time in combat in Russia and Hungary but they don't include any "Kill" stats.
I don't know whether you have this book but it's a must for anyone interested in the SS Panzer Divs in the last two years of the war.
Cheers.....Paul

 

Thanks for the information Paul ! Yes, I have Fey's book and you are correct, some of the best W-SS stories I have ever read. The pics have been published elsewhere but the stories make the price of the book well worth it. Say, you don't by chance have any bio info on any of the aces of the 11th SS or SS Schwere Abteilung 503 would you ? I have Wolfgang Schneider's excellent Tigers in Combat 2 but there is really nothing on the individual commanders or crewmen......



E

 

Drake: I will have to crosscheck the names from my list with the names on the RKT site. This will take some time but will do it as quickly as I can. Mine is in alpahbetical order and theirs is in rank order--so you know what that means? going back and fourth. Im pretty sure I do have RKT from the 2nd Pz--and i know in fact I have 1-2 from the 2nd SS Pz Div.

Writing to them is simple: Allow yourself a limit of 3-4 questions on your first letter. If asking for a signed photo and expecting a reply--you MUST send money to them to help them with postage and materials costs--they do not charge to sign a photo or to write to them--its just they get so many requests and it winds up costing them alot of money they need to live on

If asking for just a signed photo--DEFINATELY send them a MINIMUM of $6.00. It covers their cost of having a copy od a photo made--covers their cost for stamps and an envelope--they really make no profit from the money they get. Also, you stay on their good side if you do send postage and limit your questions on your first letter.

After you have a rapport with them and you want to write again--they will let you. Just remember, if you ask them many questions--please give them some money for their costs and time--it doesnt have to be much--but they will appreciate your interests and your attempt at covering their costs a bit--even if they dont make anything from it but at least it isnt costing them anything either.

Sample questions you might ask are:
1)When were you awarded your Knights Cross?
2)Where did you serve?
3)(if was in a vehicle of somekind) what kind of airplane did you fly or what kind of Panzer did you fight in?
4)Who was your commanding officer?

or something of the kind above.

Never accuse them of anything--remember-WE werent there and WE cant be a judge on someone for something WE didnt witness.

A most vital thing to know is: never NEVER, ask them if they will sell you a badge or some momento--they will be insulted and consider that a big slap in the face--and never call them a nazi.

Some months ago--someone here on these forums, P.Oed some RKTs off, and I was blamed for the action. This is why almost no one has access to the RKT addreses lists freely anymore. These men mean a heck of alot to me and many others. Since the persons responsible for ticking them off, only I will give an address out and only if I trust that person. Im too involved with these vets to let a mishap happen again. Privately is also the only way I will send addresses and they will be limited to two to a trusted person at a time.

Some addresses I will never give out--other than to a very few--will be Remy Schrijnens, Erich Topp and Sepp Allerberger and Martin Drewes. The reason is because im either very good friends with some of these men, or that im very protective of these fellows for various reasons.

I dont want to sound rude about this but--thats how it has to be because of a few who abused these vets.

I will egt back to you as soon as I can

 

Great post Carl ! Couldn't agree more....


For a few bucks more to these guys as you said you could probably ask up 20 or so questions. Unless you are familiar with what this vet has in his ownership, don;t make the questions too technical. since dealing with Luftwaffe men mostly I must have a background of what the vet did and what front they served on to ask a proper question(s) about missions, what was you most difficult ?, how did your staffel perform in the spring of 44 against overwhelming P-51 fighters, etc.....you see my idea I think. If as Carl said you just want some basic info and a pic with signature(s), do send monies. These chaps are not getting any younger, plus the shipping costs and having to make copies of their fotos from their albums takes time and energy, so proove to them that you are serious, send some big bucks ! I send a minimum of $20.00, even if it to a rather unknown pilot or crewman. It shows that I respect them for what they did and who they are plus it gets them going on giving up of themselves, and that is information. many have never and never will be interviewed. Of course some are burned out and will never answer you neither will you ever see your monies and what you put into your letter ever again. A thought too is to write in German the best you can or get someone to help you translate a letter into Deutsch. The Luftwaffe vets anyway are very impressed with that and may continue a regular correspondace with you. If not they will inform you.

viele Glück !

Erich

 

Erich--thanks. You also provided some great info that I had not thought about. Its good also to sort of send a sort of "disclaimer" just in case one does not get an answer. Thankfully for the most part-thankfully these men are full of honor, and will answer anyone.

 

Agreed Carl, the only hang-up I see for Drake, you and I or anybody else in contacting vets overseas is our present mail system due to the ever present terror problems.......we just have to wait it out and not be discouraged.

E