Volksbund Letter-Translation

    Hello, I recently received this letter from the Volksbund in reference to my distant cousin, who was killed in Russia during WWII. I am embarassed to say that I do not speak enough German to translate it. I am hoping to gain his rank and unit number from this information along with the circumstances under which he met his death. I know that the eastern front was particularly brutal for the German soldier. I would appreciate any help. Thanks. The letter can be viewed in my dropbox account due to file size limitations on here.


    https://www.dropbox.com/sh/466…nhzaYkyz3VCXz10e7kOa?dl=0



    Joe Grage

    Hello Joe,
    here's what I read:
    Your cousin died on November 8th, 1942 at the military hospital of Wjasma, and was buried in the soldiers' cemetery of Wjasma South/West.
    His name and particulars are kept in the book of remembrance of the Duchowschtschina central cemetery installed by the Volksbund.
    No remnants of his corpse could be found to be transferred to this cemetery.
    As for his military unit, here's only his military postal address "Feldpost Leitstelle 521".
    There may be someone at he forum who knows about the system of military postal numbers.
    I hope this helps a bit.

    Hello Joe


    In the first document is also written:


    Duchowschtschina is situated 100 km northnorthwest of Smolensk. The Volksbund reburied there the soldiers who died and were first buried in the Smolensk,
    Brjansk and Kaluga regions. This cemetery is situated south of Duchowschtschina, about 400 meters from the Highway Smolensk-Duchowschtschina.


    In the second document (letter):


    The Volksbund has got the information that J. Steffen translated from the Wehrmachtsauskunftstelle (WASt).
    But at the end of the letter they wrote, that they are waiting for confirmation of the WASt.


    Regards
    Svenja