Flak & Fallschirmjäger Grouping – Flak-Rgt. 4 & FJR 16/17 – 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division – Holland 1944-45!

Rare original WWII grouping belonging to Obergefreiter Kurt Schürmann, a Luftwaffe Flak soldier who served with 4./Flak-Regiment 4 (mot.) and later with Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16 & 17 of the 6. Fallschirm-Division.

The grouping contains his heavily used and extensively annotated Soldbuch, together with his Arbeitsbuch, original award certificates, photographs and additional personal documents.

Particularly interesting are the documented awards and wounds:

• Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, awarded 23 May 1944
• Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
• Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold, awarded 5 March 1945 – only 1/2 half of the document!

The award certificate for the EK II additionally identifies him as Obergefreiter Kurt Schürmann, 4./Flak-Regt. 4, with the 17. Flak-Division represented on the document. The 17. Flak-Division operated extensively on the Eastern Front; archival material specifically documents the employment of Flak-Regiment 4 under the division in 1942. Subsequently shows transfers into the Fallschirmjäger, including Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 16 and Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 17 of the 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division.

Particularly interesting is the later combat service in January 1945, when the 6. Fallschirmjäger-Division was deployed on the Waal–Maas front in the Netherlands. The Soldbuch contains entries associated with his Fallschirmjäger service and a January 1945 wound, followed by extensive medical/lazaret documentation. The division remained in this area until the major Allied offensive in February 1945

The grouping has clearly seen heavy wartime use, with extensive original repairs using period tape, tears, creasing, staining and general wear. Importantly, this is part of the historical character of the grouping and the documents have not been restored.

Condition: Poor/fair overall, but exceptionally interesting as an untouched and heavily used grouping. There seems to be a page added into the Soldbuch (double unit page – which seems not to match him?!)