rare pictures from Cholm - Wehrmacht-Awards.com Militaria Forums

Stijn David · 09-23-2002, 05:34 AM

Hello,

Sometimes one is lucky enough to find those little treasures that one is constantly looking for , in my case it is most certainly in accordance either with the battle of Cholm or with Glider pilots and then this happens ........

Cordial greetings,

Stijn David · 09-23-2002, 05:42 AM

Hello,

Yes indeed => a picture taken somwhere during the second part of the Cholmbattle ( the actual encirclement ) and showing both Luftwaffe and Heer personel , this picture has the following written on the reverse " Luftwaffe & Heer eine Brüdergemeinschaft, Cholm 1942 " and came out of a ( Luftwaffe ) Cholm vets. photo album.

This picture is quite unique and the Heeres Uffz. seems to be just awarded the Iron cross 1 e class ( look how new the cross shines + he is holding what appears the award certificate in his hands .

the second person on the left is a LW obergfreiter , glider pilot ( note the glider pilots badge ) and he is wearing a operational clasp above his gliders badge !!!!!!

The third person shows once again a Heeres soldiers who ha sthe iron cross ribbon stiched trough his buttonhole .

The last person is once again a glider pilot ( with only the glider pilots badge )

also quite typical for pictures from soldiers at the Cholmbattle is the unshaved look , just hoping it is of some interest and thanks for looking

**Akira Takiguchi** · 09-23-2002, 05:45 AM

Great, this IS actually from Cholm, I have the same picture. The pic shows a guy with a clasp + a glider badge, nice combination again.

Stijn David · 09-23-2002, 05:48 AM

Hello Akira,

Thanks my friend , it is most probably that one person took the picture during the battle of Cholm and duplicated them during the war or short afterwards , this pic. comes from a austrian Cholmvet that i know personally ( FYI i know he was a friend of your Cholm. glider pilot => O.Schäuble

and they did meet a few times after the war .)

Cordial greetings,

**Akira Takiguchi** · 09-23-2002, 05:49 AM

Hmm... The paper held by the army guy looks like a piece of folded newspaper, not his award certificate...

Stijn David · 09-23-2002, 05:58 AM

Hello Akira,

You could be correct => i wondered also about it but it is just to unclear , i also wonder if these guys survived the war , the third from the left is the youngest in my opinion.

I have been talking towards another CHolmvet. last week and he was till shocked pretty much today when talking about the battle ( he was mainly in the eastern part of the city ) , he was 19 when he did fly in the pocket, he promised me to write his personal story down, i wonder if i ever wil read it ? , another thing to keep in mind when looking into the battle of Cholm is the high losses of teh defenders ( for example : the 2 nd. Kompanie / Gren.Regt.409 was flewn in during the battle => total 67 man, after the battle has ended there where only 17 still alive from those initial 67 !!!!! and that in 57 days of fighting !!! ) , it must have been quite a hard time over there .

Cordial Greetings,

**Akira Takiguchi** · 09-23-2002, 06:08 AM

The tragedy of Cholm wasn't limited to the soldiers. Civilians were not evacuated when the encirclement began. So ominous losses! When I see seemingly endless rows of bodies, I have to wonder what actually happened there...

Stijn David · 09-23-2002, 06:12 AM

Hello,

Yeps Akira you are 100 % correct , i think we can call it a hell and all those who have been there ( both russian ( civilian & soldiers ) & German ) have my deepest respect .

I think it is a battle that shows the horrors of war perfectly and that wa war is more then just earning awards , etc .....

I also wonder from allt he wounded over there howmany would have died afterwards ? , or still suffer today => there is one case known today towards me where a german cholm. vet actually was kinda nuts for the rest of his years after he had served his time over there ...... ( mental wounds are forever )

Cordial Greetings,

**Akira Takiguchi** · 09-23-2002, 10:20 AM

OK, to make plural expression legitimate (!?) I add the closeup of Stijn's photo...

The newspaper held by the army guy says "38 000 BRT" (... versenkt).

Suddenly one thing came to my mind... The papers are to cope with the nature's request???

**Jos Le Conté** · 09-23-2002, 10:55 AM

Hi,
Interesting picture !
The close-ups are great,but is it possible to post a bigger picture of the whole photo ?

Jos.

Stijn David · 09-23-2002, 11:55 AM

Hello,

Thanks Akira for making close ups, etc ... it prooves that i was wrong in my assuption of the paper being a award document

Just look at those wonderfull glider pilot badges , ooohhhhhhhh ..........

Thanks once again ,

ps : i wonder howmany pics we have duplicate ? , i have a few more.

Ian Tannahill · 09-23-2002, 05:35 PM

Giday everyone,

Thanks Stijn and Akira for sharing these wonderful photographs with us.

Stijn, I particularly like the photo of the glider pilot who is wearing the flight clasp. Do you know who he is?

All the best,

Ian

P.S. Lets rename this forum the Cholm/glider pilots forum?

Ken Jasper · 09-23-2002, 05:56 PM

Thank you all for the photos.. I particularly appreciate the photos of the glider badges. This is one that has eluded me over the years.

Stijn David · 09-24-2002, 04:10 AM

Hello,

Thanks for the interest , Im sorry Ian => untill today i have no clue who this person was ? , a early recipient ( glider pilot ) of the flight clasp , i wil have to ask the remaining vets. if they have a name, etc .. ?

Cordial greetings,

Kurt Monsen · 09-24-2002, 05:37 PM

Can any of you recommend a good website about cholm? I want to read more about the things you are so fascinated by.
Kurt Monsen