Collection of Paperwork, Photographs and rare Badge to an Assault Boat

Collection of Paperwork, Photographs and rare Badge to an Assault Boat

Code: 10352

SOLD

An exceptionally interesting collection of paperwork to Obergefreiter Reinhold Gabor, Army Pioneers, who served as an Assault Boat Pioneer with the Island of Rhodes Battle Group, Landing Craft Unit.
He remained there until the end of the war before becoming a POW and was awarded The Iron Cross First and Second Class and spent time in hospital after being wounded.
The collection Comprises:
1) Wehrpass, 20.6.41. Well completed and with his photograph on the inside cover. Generally very good condition but with the covers detached.
2) Soldbuch, 20.6.42. Heavily used condition with the covers detached and his photograph removed. Some loose pages and evidence of water staining.
3) Iron Cross 1st Class Award Certificate dated 19.3.45. Signed by the commander of the Eastern area of the Aegean Sea,Kommandant-Ost-Aegais, Generalmajor Otto Wagener (based on Rhodes). Stamp of PanzerGrenadier-Brigade Rhodos. Unit of Reinhold is given as Flottillenkommando/Panzer-Grenadier-Brigade Rhodos.
4) Rare oil cloth pioneer assault boat license, 14.8.42. Issued in Metz. With his photograph. Heavily used condition.
5) Rare sleeve emblem for pioneer assault boat coxswain.
6) A document stating one close combat day 9.9.43 south of Jannadi Rhodes. Signed by an Oberleutnant of Grenadier-Regiment Rhodos.
7) Part of his wound badge in black citation, poor condition.
8) Postcard sized photo of Reinhold in tropical uniform. At the back: Flottillenkommando Rodi Reinhold Gabor.
9) 13 photographs, several sizes. Some marked with air ministry at the back. POW photos, on board of ships etc.
10) Two POW statements that he has worked as a diver in mine clearance operations, 1946 with a German POW working coy in the Dodecanese area. Heavily used condition.
11) POW statement that he worked as a diver on board of the salvage ship Belrorie and the captain was very content with his performance, 1946.
12) POW statement that all items he has are his own possession, 7.5.48. POW camp Egypt.
13) POW certificate of discharge, 1948. Repaired with adhesive tape.
He was Boatswain on riverboats and served: May-Sep.42 with Pionier-Ersatz-Bataillon 8 in Metz France; Sep.42-Mar.43 with Pionier-Bataillon 22, the pioneer unit of the 22.Infanterie-Division based on the island Crete. From Mar.43 onwards he served with the pioneer unit and later assault boat unit of Sturm-Brigade Rhodos. 1943 Sturm-Brigade Rhodos (later named PanzergrenadierBrigade Rhodos) was formed and based on the Island by the Italian Army who controlled island and had a strength of between 6,000 and 8,000 men. Sep.44 the Germans took over control of the Greek island of Rhodes during a 3 day battle, “The battle of Rhodes” fighting the Italians on the island. Reinhold
Took part in a close combat on 9.9.43 south of Jannadi Rhodes. On 10.9.43 he was wounded in his shoulder and eye.
1.7.44 he was awarded the EK2 by Panzer-Division Rhodos and in 1945 he was awarded with the EK1. Rhodes was now a fortress surrounded by the allied forces and between March and May 45 he served with the 15.Landungs-Flottille Rhodos, a naval infantry landing craft flotilla.
On 8.5.1945 German troops on the Island of Rhodes surrender to British Forces. After capitulation he worked as a diver in a German POW working coy active under allied command in the Dodecanese area, Greek islands (including Rhodes) in the South Eastern Aegean Sea. He also worked as a diver on board of the salvage ship Belrorie active in the same area.
1948 he was in POW camp 380 PW camp MELF in Fanara/Bitter Lake Egypt and discharged at the end of that year.