Germany. A Wehrpaß And Documents To Gefreiter Johann Frischmann, Wia At Sevastopol

The collection consists of: A Wehrpaß (107x148mm, extremely fine). It is a “Zweitschrift”, a second copy due to the original having been lost or destroyed by the enemy. The document is dated to Ansbach on August 5, 1944 and signed in blue ink by a Lieutenant Colonel and Head of the Wehrmeldeamt (Army Recruitment Office) Ansbach, the name is indecipherable.

A Gesundheitsbuch (health book) (143x206mm, extremely fine), starting with Frischmann’s mustering on February 4, 1942. The final entry is from March 27, 1945.

An evaluation of Frischmann (212x151mm, near extremely fine) after one month of service in the 1st Company of Grenadier Training Battalion 186. The document is dated to Ansbach on May 21, 1943. Frischmann is described as astute, yet his physical performance is improvable. (Frischmann is only 5’1” and weighs 110 pounds.)

Five military hospital admission/discharge papers (193x130mm to 209x141mm, better than very fine to extremely fine), four of which have been stapled together. The first two are dated to Vienna, one on April 1, 1944, the other on April 29; the third is dated to Mauer-Öhling on April 30, then Forchheim on June 7, and the last one to Altdorf on August 17. All are connected to Frischmann being wounded by a grenade splinter to the lower right arm.

Two identical summaries (210x148mm, extremely fine) of Frischmann being wounded and then treated over a period of several months, written by the local medical officer in Jitschin. Both are dated to February 20, 1945, one has been stamped on March 5, one on March 10.

A request for re-evaluation of Frischmann’s diagnosis (209x297mm, extremely fine) by another medical officer, since the original diagnosis seemed to not have been entirely accurate. The request is dated to Jitschin on March 3, 1945, while the re-evaluation took place in Jungbunzlau on March 12.

Footnote: Johann Frischmann was born on January 25, 1924 in Hauptendorf (today a district of Herzogenaurach, Bavaria). He learned to be a bricklayer, but worked as a shepherd before being drafted. Frischmann was first mustered on February 2, 1942, but deferred for a year, most likely to serve in the RAD (Reich Labour Service). On April 19, 1943 he was drafted and placed in the Grenadier Replacement and Training Battalion 186 in Ansbach. After completing his training, Frischmann joined the 1st Company of Reserve Grenadier Battalion 163 from May to December 1943. A short spell from mid December 1943 to mid January 1944 in the Marching Company z. b. V. (for special use) 281 followed. The information given is then somewhat contradicting. Frischmann is said to have been stationed on Crimea starting on January 15, yet at the same time was deployed to the 10th Company of Grenadier Regiment 920, which was stationed in Normandy, where the regiment was eventually destroyed in June during the Allied invasion of France. Frischmann left this unit in early March and transferred to the 6th Company of Grenadier Regiment 290. Given that the two units have almost identical names, maybe it was the second unit the entire time. This regiment was ultimately destroyed in Sevastopol in May of 1944. Frischmann was not present during this final stand, however, since he was wounded on March 17. Here another contradicting piece of information is encountered, as the receiving of a Wound Badge in Black is dated to March 1, which is obviously a mistake, since the medical papers confirm the date of Frischmann being wounded. He took a grenade splinter to the lower right arm, resulting in broken bones and ultimately a stiffened wrist and partially immobile fingers. Recovery was complicated and drawn out, taking ca. one year. During this time Frischmann belonged to the Grenadier Replacement and Training Battalion 481. He was promoted to Gefreiter (Lance Corporal) on September 1, 1944. Due to the slight handicap Frischmann was left with he was spared from additional front service. He joined the 3rd Company of Landesschützen Battalion 847 in Bamberg, Bavaria in late March of 1945. No further information is given.