Wehrpass Feldwebel Pionier-Bataillon 196 96.ID EK1 VWA Russia

(D21152)
Heinrich Krusenbaum, Sergeant “Feldwebel” Army Pioneers.

1) Wehrpass, 18.1.40.
2) Denazification – clearance certificate, 17.5.47.

Entitled to: Iron Cross 2nd Class (4.10.41), general Assault Badge in Silver (10.10.41), Iron Cross 1st Class (25.3.42), Wound Badge (kind of wound badge not mentioned, probably black, 27.3.42), Winter War Medal (25.8.42).

Born 1909 in Düsseldorf. Special training with flame thrower, bridge building in water with strong flow, Brücken-Gerät “J”. He served: Apr.1940-Feb.41 with Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon 6 based in Elbing and Minden; Feb.41-Apr.42 with Pionier-Bataillon 196, the pioneer unit of the 96. Infanterie-Division active in Northern Russia (anti partisans operations (Noworsheff, Timoschkino and Degsho), Leningrad, Nowgorod, Newa). He got wounded (right leg and right arm) on 11.3.42 and served till Jul.42 with his replacements unit Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 19 based in Holzminden; Jul.42-Apr.43 service with Pionier-Lehr-Bataillon 3, a pioneer demonstration unit active under Division Nr. 467 based in Rosenheim; from Apr.43 onwards service with Ausbildungslehrgang Brücken-Gerät “J” (training unit for heavy pontoon bridges type J for vehicles, tanks etc.). Visible on page 12 that he was Sep.44-1945 active at the Western Front (Oberrhein area etc.), probably still with his training unit as some kind of emergence unit rushed to the front due to operation Market Garden?