SS in Salzburg in 1945

[Ralph Heinz]

Gentlemen,

Does anyone know what SS unit was in Salzburg, Austria at the war's end. I have an SS Obersturmfuhrer's hard used tunic that was captured by a 106th Cav. Group vet and he picked it up a couple days after the war had ended in that area when three SS they were observing (they wouldn't surrender) went into a building and disappeared having changed out of their uniforms and into civilian clothes leaving their uniforms behind.

What SS Division ended up in that area at the war's end? This officer had served in Russia and probably wanted to avoid being detained for possible war crimes investigations.

[Ken Jasper]

Ralph,

That is a tough question. A lot of stragglers ended up in that area of Austria and across the border in Bad Reichenhall and Freilassing in Bavaria . They may have been part of the SS unit on the Obersalzburg or in Stangass or Strub or they may have been SS troops that were part of the guard force at Von Ribbontrops castle which was a a few Kilometers outside of Salzburg.

[Luft62]

The following units were in Austria at the end of the war in Europe.

1st SS Pz Div LAH
3rd SS Pz Div Totenkopf
5th SS Pz Div Viking
12th SS Pz Div Hitler Jugend
16th SS Pz Gren Div RFSS

These units ended the war fighting in Austria - most of them being used in the Battle for Vienna.

Other SS units such as the 9th SS Div Hohenstaufen and the SS Cav div Florian Geyer had large numbers of men that made their way westward after the war to give themselves up to either US or British forces - but this they did further to the east than Salzburg.

I am certain that many of them, in ones and twos, tried to make their own way home avoiding the whole POW process - but for these men who were making their way from Hungary, this would have been at least a week or two after May 8.

I hope this was of some help.
Tim

[Mark Schroeder]

Curious question:

When I see pictures of refugees, it is almost always just old people and children and women. Wouldnt a physically fit young man kind of stand out in the crowd?

[ 02 August 2001: Message edited by: M. Schroeder ]

I know the LSSAH surrendered to Patton's 3d Army in Austria. I'd say that those boys probably weren't LSSAH because of the fact that when they went into captivity it was not even a thought any of them would be brought up on charges (thought the snow covering the bodies at MAlmedy who never melt?!). Most gave up without a fight. There are also accounts of men stripping their uniforms of decorations and cloth items before surrendering so they'd be treated a little better! Don't know though, could have been a few chisken****s in the LSSAH.

Kevin

[Ralph Heinz]

Gentlemen,

Thanks for all your replies. As I thought -- there probably were lots of stragglers at that stage from different units. The tunic is a prewar earth grey walking out tunic with an SS RZM tag inside dated 36. It's has an open lapel and is made from hbt cotton. It's got the Old Fighter's chevron and loops for a six place ribbon bar and loops for two badges. I'd guess the man was a vet of WWI, had served as an NCO in WWII and went to a Junker Schule late in the war and was commissioned. He certainly didn't start the war as an officer only to rise to the rank of 1st Lt. by war's end and with the Ost medal ribbon sewn in the button hole, he'd have been in on the war in Russia when they were killing Commissars, etc. outright.

The tunic shows a lot of use and it's my guess that the wearer put an old tunic to use late in the war because he needed to. It'll be in Michael Beaver's next book as I sent him many detail photos of it. All buttons and even the four belt hooks are SS RZM proof marked.

Another American vet who was in Salzburg at the war's end confirmed that they were letting other Wehrmacht go but detaining any SS.

Danke schon to all who replied.