ANTIK-WAR.LV

Hello, excuse me for writing in english.

I am looking for any information about a familymember:

Willem Janus van Gelderen, missed in action @ Zarini area (Priekuuli??.. on 16.10.1944)
(possibly he was under command of 11. SS Bewährungs-kompanie)


Thanks in advance!!


Corneel

Hello!

Zarini (Zariņi) ir very common name of houses, but maybe....

SS-Obersturmführer Hans-Gösta Pehrsson especially stood out in October 1944 in Trekni and one of his fellow soldier's remembered it this way: "In the Preekuln area the 3rd/SS Panzer Reconnaissance Unit 11 was not successful. This place was called Trekni. Pehrsson received an order for the 3rd company directly from Brigadeführer Ziegler: 'Attack! Conquer one strategically important point and keep it until the last men are alive!' After the attack, once we had driven the enemies away from the upland and occupied their bunkers, only a few men from Pehrsson's company had remained. It was terrible bloodshed, one-on-one. The Russians knew what was at stake and tried to use all possible means to reconquer the upland. For four days we tried to stay strong and beat off the enemy's attacks. On the fifth day we had to retreat. Pehrsson's command point was about 100 meters behind the bunker line. I'll never forget the moment he saw us. He yelled: 'Cowards, go back!', although he knew we had no other choice. And then he led his MG to attack and we followed him. We surprised the Russians, who were certain of their win, with 12 men. Russians had not seen it coming and we managed to capture more than 100 enemy's men."
For his personal achievements in Trekni during October 16 to 19, 1944 and for his Swedish comrades' actions, which among other things include destroying seven T-34 tanks, SS-Obersturmführer Hans-Gösta Pehrsson was presented for the German Land Force's Honor Roll.
http://www.eestileegion.com/?home/waffe ... rsson.html

http://balticmaps.eu/?lang=lv&draw_hash ... r=map&ls=o

http://www.kurland-kessel.de/friedhof/s ... lerie.html

Hi Flegms,

Sorry for my late reply but many many thanks for yours!!! I guess this is exactly what I needed. I could not find Zarini and now I know why. I appreciate your explanantion about Zarini. Things get more clear now.
The WASt / Red Cross gave us wrong info by writing it was north from Riga and because of my uncles replacement in Penal Company not much more was to be found so I got stuck.

I am going to follow and read your links and keep you informed!

best regards

In the area of Zarini on 01.11.1944 the position was occupied by the division 23.ϟϟ-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division "Nederland, you will drop 11. ϟϟ Bewährungs-kompanie, looking at the map these doors are suitable (on 01.11.1944 they occupied positions along the iron road) . Can you still know the facts about your family member (when he entered the service ...)?

Thanks for your reply,

We have gathered quite a lot of info atm. I teamed up recently with a familymember of my uncle's best friend who was there as well same day same story.. He wrote many letters which gave us lots of info. At Narva battle's endings they were together with SS Langemarck Kp.
I would like to know very much under which subcommand they were half oktober. Some say Danmark or Norge legion but it is also possible they were under 4th Dutch SS which became the 23. SS on 10 feb 45.
Unfortunately we did not receive any letters since late september '44 (last one was written with FPN 35194/11.SS Bewährungs Kp as far as I ve read)
This letter came from Konju (Jöhvi-Estland)

If you like I can pm you EKM info of my uncle's friend?

Best regards,

Corneel

..sorry forgot smth you asked.

We ofcourse wrote DRK en WASt for any info about our uncle's but the info they gave was not consistent unfortunately. Luckily after reading all those letters and connecting our stories we know more than wrong info from DRK/WASt.

They started their Ausbildung in Sennheim at 06.44 as SS Freiwilliger Pz Gren but never made it to their first mission: Croatia because they were sent to prison for about nine months (Danzig) After that 06.44 they went to Chlum / Seltcha(u)n (Bohemia) for a three weeks front-training At 07.44 they went by train on a two week journey to the HKL .. front .. Narva.

Best regards

add 2 Here s another german map from 18.10.44 Maybe you know it but just in case..