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Leutnant Hager
Full Name: Ernst-Otto Hager

Born: 20^th July 1918, Doben, Rastenburg, East Prussia
Civilian Occupation: Student

Awards: Iron Cross 1st Class, Iron Cross 2^nd Class

Leutnant Hager is a Platoon Commander in the 2^nd Company. He was formerly a student who did 6 months RAD service in 1936 before being called up for the army on 1^st February 1937
His father was an artillery officer in WW1 and inherited the family farm from his older brother who fell at Langemarck. Knowing more about horses than agriculture Leutnant Hager’s father began horse breeding instead. Leutnant Hager attended the local school and then the Gymnasium (Grammar School) in Rastenburg. He also became an expert horseman and won many equestrian titles.

After his RAD service the Leutnant was called up to Infanterie Regiment 1 at Allenstein. During training he was recommended as an Officer candidate and in the autumn of 1937 was promoted to Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter.

After a ten-day leave in early 1938 he reported to Kriegschule Potsdam for Officer training which he completed in October 1937. He was then posted to Infanterie Regiment 27, as new Officers weren’t permitted to serve with their former units. He was promoted to Leutnant in January 1939 and only had a few months left to serve when war broke out.

Leutnant Hager won his EK2 in combat in Poland and his EK1 for his leadership in France. Now a a seasoned veteran, he is a well-liked, respected and has earned the respect of his men as a brave and competent Officer.

Unteroffizier Kelner

Full name: Christian Kelner

Born: 29^th November 1898, Stettin, Pomerania

Civilian occupation: Clerk

Awards: Iron Cross 2^nd Class (WW1), Black Wound

Badge (WW1), Cross of Honour, Mecklenburg-Schwerin

Military Service Cross.

Unteroffizier Kelner is the Squad Leader. He is a native of Stettin and showed great promise as a scholar. However, times were hard and in 1913 his father got him a job at the local Brewery. Stettin being famous for it's dark lagers! His academic side was soon discovered and kelner became a junior clerk.

However, in 1916 Kelner volunteered to serve the Kaiser. After his basic training he joined an infantry regiment where his written talents soon found him sitting behind a desk in the regimental headquarters. In September 1917 Kelner was wounded in the right leg when an artillery shell landed on the regimental HQ. Whilst recuperating he became convinced he must fight at the front, but it wasn’t until late 1917 that he managed to persuade his commanding officer to transfer him to a front line company.

On the 13^th March 1918 whilst on patrol in no-man’s land one of Kelner’s comrades was wounded when a British bomber threw a Mills bomb. Kelner went back and dragged him to the safety of the German lines whilst under fire from the British patrol. For this selfless act he was awarded the Iron Cross 2^nd Class.

Kelner managed to get through the rest of the war unscathed. He was part in the great offensives in early 1918 but was captured by the British in May. After spending nearly a year in Yorkshire he returned to Stettin where he became Chief Clerk at the Brewery. He settled down and had a family and was expecting a peaceful life until he was recalled as a reservist in August 1939.

Unteroffizier Kelner is a quiet, but reliable man, much respected by the other troops.

Gefreiter Weisser

Full name: Erich Weisser

Born: 7^th June 1903, Schwinemunde, Pomerania

Civilian occupation: Tram Driver

Awards: Marksmanship Lanyard

Gefreiter Weisser is the squad’s M.G. gunner. He was fourteen when his father was severely wounded on the Western Front and returned home an invalid. Times were hard after the war, so Weisser and his older brother were forced to go out to work as the family could not survive on his father’s meagre pension. This, of course, was exacerbated by the inflation crises of 1923 and 1929 when the pension became worthless. When his older brother was killed in an accident at the Blohm and Voss shipyard in 1925, Weisser became the family’s only bread-winner.

After a number of dead end jobs Weisser finally got a job as a tram driver in his hometown. However, Weisser has a very natural knack for making money from virtually anything and was doing quite nicely until he was caught up in the first wave of enlistment of men over Wehrmacht age in September 1939.

A popular man Weisser has shown himself as a highly competent soldier who is quick to learn. In training he excelled on the ranges and is the best shot in the section. He holds the marksmanship lanyard for this skill, which singled him out for the role of gunner.

Leutnant Hager relies on Weisser to get his men items not normally available through normal channels. The Leutnant knows not to ask questions, for Weisser likes his drink and whenever possible will try and start a game of cards where his skill and slight of hand often mean he is a winner. His favourite weapon is a fighting knife kept in the top of his boot and has used to good effect both in close combat and at the card table.

Oberschutze Werner

Full Name: Karl Theodor Werner

Born: 9^th November 1896, Zaborze, Hindenburg, Silesia

Civilian occupation: Shipyard worker

Awards: Cross of Honour

Oberschutze Werner is a rifleman in the squad. He was brought up in a mining town in Silesia. A short, powerful man, it as only natural he should follow his father and brothers down the mines. He joined the hard, tough life at the coal-face in 1908.

In 1914 Werner dodged Government demands that miners should not volunteer and answered the call of the Fatherland. After basic training he joined a supply unit and served on the Eastern Front. It was here he developed a fear of horses that has been exacerbated by the Leutnant's own fearsome horse, Bayerischprinz. He was later transferred to the West but managed to survive the war without injury. The Treaty of Versaille handed Silesia to the newly formed state of Poland. Many ethnic Germans stayed, but Werner and his family relocated to Pomerania.

After sparodic periods of unemployment in the early 20s Werner secured a permanent job as a riveter at the Rovenich and Todt shipyard in Rostock. He married and had two children. His hobby of puppet making helps supplement the family income.

Werner always dreamed of Germany regaining control of Silesia and returning there with his family. So he was delighted when he joined Infantrie Regiment 27 as a reservist. However, he hopes that after the defeat of France he can return home to his family like so many other reservists.

Oberschutze Schwarzmüller

Full name: Karl Schwarzmuller

Born: 5^th February 1908, Woldenburg, Pomerania

Civilian occupation: Professional soldier

Awards: Wehrmacht 12 year long service medal

Schwarzmuller was born in Woldenburg to devoted parents. Although his father was a fireman, Schwarzmuller was impressed by the feldgrau uniforms he saw during the world war, and wanted to become a soldier. In particular he was fascinated by new technology like zeppelins and tanks. Schwarzmuller left school early and got a job at the local paper, the Woldenburg Zeitung, where he worked as a messenger boy, biding his time until he was both old enough to join the Army,and for a place to become available in an army of only 96000 men. In 1927 Schwarzmuller succeeded, but his hope of becoming a panzer driver was a was dashed before it began by the Treaty of Versailles.

Schwarzmuller opted to become an infantryman, joining the local 5^th Prussian Infantry Regiment. Here he stayed, happy and contented with army life, not even applying for transfer to any of the new armoured units when the 5^th Prussian Infantry Regiment then became Infanterie Regiment 27 during the expansion of the Wehrmacht in 1934.

To everyone's surprise he acquired a wife in 1938, and a baby son in 1939. He worries about them constantly but is still content to serve the fatherland. Schwarzmuller is a competent soldier, always handy with a grenade he follows orders to the letter.

Schutze Schreiber

Full name: Gustav Schreiber

Born: 20^th July 1913, Templeburg, Pomerania

Civilian occupation: Postman

Awards: None

Schutze Schreiber is a rifleman in the squad. He is another one who barely remembers his father who was posted as missing in action in September 1918.

On leaving school Schreiber followed in his father’s footsteps and became a postman. It was a nice easy job and it gave him a lot of spare time later in the day when he could indulge in his hobby of woodcarving. He married Truda, a nurse after meeting her when he had an accident on his postal round. They settled down to pleasant life and had a family.

Like so many others Schreiber’s plans for a comfortable life were ruined when war broke out in 1939. He was called up in September 1939 along with Weisser and many others, joining Ersatz Battalion 27. After his training he joined the 27^th Infantry Regiment just before Christmas.

Schutze Schreiber is a quiet and unassuming man. He is popular with the other squad members and in his spare moments he carves toys for them to send home to their families.

He has no interest in the war or politics and all he thinks about is getting back to his wife and young family. However, Schreiber performs his duty without complaint and impressed his superiors during the French campaign with his quick thinking and understanding.

Schutze Bergmann

Full Name: Ronald Bergmann

Born: 26^th May 1908, Damnitz, Pomerania

Civilian occupation: Carpenter

Awards: None

Schutze Bergmann is a rifleman in the squad. He was born in Damnitz, a small village near Greifenhagen. His father was German but his mother was Belgian, hence his Christian name. His mother had moved to Pomerania in the 1890’s when her father’s business took him there.

Schutze Bergmann’s father was the village carpenter. He was called up in 1914 to serve the Kaiser on the eastern front. In May 1915 he was severely wounded by shrapnel at Gorlice, being invalided out of the army and returning home. He taught Ronald his carpentry skills and in 1928 Ronald took over the business due to his father’s failing health - just four years later Ronald’s father died of tuberculosis. Ronald also supplemented his income by indulging in his hobby of amateur photography and regularly took portrait and wedding photos for people in the surrounding area.

Ronald stayed with his mother until, like Weisser, he was called up in September 1939.

Schutze Bergmann is a bit of a loner who can often be found in a quiet spot, reading a book or writing to his mother. He still carries a camera with him and takes photographs whenever he can. In France and Belgium the squad found him very useful – his mother had taught him well as he his fluent in Flemish, English and French - he is often sent out to procure provisions and barter with the locals.

Schutze Bremer

Full name: Paul Bremer

Born: 1^st August 1905, Mutzig, Alsace.

Civilian occupation: Machine operator

Awards: None

Bremer is a rifleman in the squad. He was born in Alsace and his father was a professional soldier who served with the 47^th Infantry Division before being killed in the Vosges in 1916.

This was the end of life as they knew it for his mother and the children as the family were evicted from their married quarters leaving them homeless.

The family moved to the countryside outside Swinemunde where they stayed on his uncle’s farm. Over the next few years Bremer and his two brothers worked hard on the farm in their spare time as manpower was in short supply.

After finishing his basic schooling Bremer turned his back on farming and went to work as machine operator at the local animal fat processing plant. In time he married and had a family but was always restless living away from his native Alsace. The problem was that since the end of the war Alsace had belonged to France. Bremer always swore he would return and vowed that he would avenge the death of his father at the hands of the French.

On 24th May 1940 Bremer was posted as missing in action following a company assault in northern France. His body was found two days later and he was given a proper military burial.

Schutze Hassel

Full Name: Paul Hassel

Born: 18th October 1910, Wismar

Civilian Occupation: Farm Worker

Awards: None

Until 1937 Paul Hassel lead a relatively quiet rural existence. The son of a tenant farmer he spent all his early years as a farmhand looking after the family herd. As a tenant of the abdicated Duke of Mecklenburg, he was born within site of the Mikilenburg (Old German for "Big Castle") that gives Mecklenburg its name. Such aristocratic connections had embued Hassel with a certain snobbery.

However, in 1930 at a moment of deep agricultural crisis in Germany, he fell in love with the district nurse who came to care for his dying father. The inevitable happened and the two were quickly wed before arrival of their first son. More children were added to the brood, and to supplement the meagre income of a tenant farmer, Hassel took to poaching to feed the family.

Therein lay the problem, for the Duke of Mecklenburg did not take kindly to people poaching in his lakes. A blast of buckshot from the Duke and stream of oaths from Hassel had him volunteering for the new Wehrmacht.

With his wife and children safely installed in comfortable accommodation in Gross Born, Hassel made an excellent professional soldier, and to the Regiment's delight, an excellent footballer that can beat any team put together by the 48th and 89th Infanterie regiments.

Schutze Voller

Full name: Kurt Voller

Born: 2^nd November 1920, Swinemunde, Pomerania

Civilian occupation: Student

Awards: None

Voller is the assistant machine gunner. Like Weiss he had plans for his future – his father is a dentist and had planned for Kurt to work in his practice after gaining his degree.

At 18 Kurt was called up for his RAD service and after 6 months was called up for his national service in the military. Despite being so young he is one of the more experienced members of the platoon having served well in both Poland and France.

Being assistant gunner means that he has to carry a lot of the spare ammunition for the MG34 which he is forever moaning about. It also means that he has to take over if Weisser incapacitated and he has also scored well on the ranges with the machine gun. The platoon have every confidence in Weisser and Voller who have formed a good team that can be relied upon.

Note

On the night of the 24 May 1940 Schutze Kurt Voller volunteered to act as Number two for an MG team persuing the entrapped BEF on the outskirts of Arras there they came under intense mortar fire Voller and some of the team failed to return - -He has been posted as missing in action.

Schutze Wendlinger

Full Name: Siegfried Wendlinger

Born: 2^nd May 1907, Wittenberg, Mecklenberg

Civilian Occupation: Lorry driver

Awards: 12 year service medal

Schutze Wendlinger is a rifleman in the squad. He was born and brought up in Wittenberg, a small town of 3,800 inhabitants, in Mecklenberg. He was lucky in that his family survived the Great War virtually unscathed. His father returned to his civilian occupation as a Policeman after the war and family life soon returned to normal.

After being taken by his father to a military open day at the local barracks Siegfried set his heart on becoming a soldier. In 1923 he left school at 16 and was too young to enlist so his father got him a job at the local wood yard. However in 1925 Siegfried realised his ambition and joined the Reichswehr.

The German army was limited to 100,000 men under the Treaty of Versailles and in order to limit the number of men with military training a recruit had to sign up for 12 years. Siegfried enjoyed his 12 years in the army and rose to the rank of Obergefreiter but he decided not to re-enlist as he wanted to spend more time with his young family. So, in 1937, Siegfried got a job back at the wood yard in Wittenberg working as a lorry driver.

However, within two years Germany was on the road to war and Siegfried’s quiet family life was shattered when he was called up again in August 1939.

Like others in the squad he will do his duty for his country but longs to return home to normality. Siegfried is quiet and reserved. His previous long military service means that he has a wealth of experience to share with the younger men and he has fitted back into military life easily.

Schutze Fehn

Full Name: Marcus Fehn

Born: 6^th March 1910 Stargrad, Pomerania

Civilian occupation: Bricklayer

Awards: None

Schutze Fehn is a rifleman in the squad and No.2 on the machine gun. His father, who owns a well known building firm in Stargard, served with distinction on the Eastern Front in the Imperial Army from 1914 to 1916 until wounds ended his army service.

Following in his father’s tradition Marcus volunteered for duty in the new Werhmacht rather than await conscription.

Despite his mother’s Polish extraction Fehn is a loyal German and a capable Soldier with a talent for being a bit of a joker. He is also liked & trusted by his comrades.

He is sometimes considered a little reckless with his life in combat by his superiors but there is no questioning his courage and he can always be counted on to get results especially with a bag of grenades.

Schutze Mahr
Full name: Julius Mahr

Born: 24^th January 1921, Rostock, Mecklenburg

Civilian occupation: Student

Awards: None

Mahr is a rifleman in the squad. He was born in Rostock, the place his father landed in 1919. Formerly a German Officer, he had served under Letyow-Vorbeck in East Africa. However, Germany’s surrender found him penniless and back in the fatherland. Such poverty meant he pushed Mahr hard to excel at his studies, wishing him to become a doctor. Mahr was soon called up to do his 6 months in the RAD. By the time this ended, war against Poland had just begun.

Mahr’s father managed to pull some strings with his old friends in the military, and as soon as he had completed his service in the RAD, Mahr went back to university, starting his doctor degree, instead of being called up. However, the high morale of the German people after the victories in Poland convinced Mahr to join the Wehrmacht. He was recruited by Wehrkreis II, the German military district which covered his home town of Rostock, and sent to join Infanterie Regiment 27, just before the invasion of France.

Schutze Mahr is the least experienced of the platoon, and has yet to see combat. His “attempt” at a doctor degree means that he has some medical knowledge, and this has made him the informal medic of the platoon. This could prove useful in the battles to come.

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*Unteroffizier Kelner* Full name: Christian Kelner Born: 29^th November 1898, Stettin, Pomerania Civilian occupation: Clerk Awards: Iron Cross 2^nd Class (WW1), Black Wound Badge (WW1), Cross of Honour, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Military Service Cross.
Unteroffizier Kelner is the Squad Leader. He is a native of Stettin and showed great promise as a scholar. However, times were hard and in 1913 his father got him a job at the local Brewery. Stettin being famous for it's dark lagers! His academic side was soon discovered and kelner became a junior clerk. However, in 1916 Kelner volunteered to serve the Kaiser. After his basic training he joined an infantry regiment where his written talents soon found him sitting behind a desk in the regimental headquarters. In September 1917 Kelner was wounded in the right leg when an artillery shell landed on the regimental HQ. Whilst recuperating he became convinced he must fight at the front, but it wasn’t until late 1917 that he managed to persuade his commanding officer to transfer him to a front line company. On the 13^th March 1918 whilst on patrol in no-man’s land one of Kelner’s comrades was wounded when a British bomber threw a Mills bomb. Kelner went back and dragged him to the safety of the German lines whilst under fire from the British patrol. For this selfless act he was awarded the Iron Cross 2^nd Class. Kelner managed to get through the rest of the war unscathed. He was part in the great offensives in early 1918 but was captured by the British in May. After spending nearly a year in Yorkshire he returned to Stettin where he became Chief Clerk at the Brewery. He settled down and had a family and was expecting a peaceful life until he was recalled as a reservist in August 1939. Unteroffizier Kelner is a quiet, but reliable man, much respected by the other troops.

*Gefreiter Weisser* Full name: Erich Weisser Born: 7^th June 1903, Schwinemunde, Pomerania Civilian occupation: Tram Driver Awards: Marksmanship Lanyard
Gefreiter Weisser is the squad’s M.G. gunner. He was fourteen when his father was severely wounded on the Western Front and returned home an invalid. Times were hard after the war, so Weisser and his older brother were forced to go out to work as the family could not survive on his father’s meagre pension. This, of course, was exacerbated by the inflation crises of 1923 and 1929 when the pension became worthless. When his older brother was killed in an accident at the Blohm and Voss shipyard in 1925, Weisser became the family’s only bread-winner. After a number of dead end jobs Weisser finally got a job as a tram driver in his hometown. However, Weisser has a very natural knack for making money from virtually anything and was doing quite nicely until he was caught up in the first wave of enlistment of men over Wehrmacht age in September 1939. A popular man Weisser has shown himself as a highly competent soldier who is quick to learn. In training he excelled on the ranges and is the best shot in the section. He holds the marksmanship lanyard for this skill, which singled him out for the role of gunner. Leutnant Hager relies on Weisser to get his men items not normally available through normal channels. The Leutnant knows not to ask questions, for Weisser likes his drink and whenever possible will try and start a game of cards where his skill and slight of hand often mean he is a winner. His favourite weapon is a fighting knife kept in the top of his boot and has used to good effect both in close combat and at the card table.

*Oberschutze Werner* Full Name: Karl Theodor Werner Born: 9^th November 1896, Zaborze, Hindenburg, Silesia Civilian occupation: Shipyard worker Awards: Cross of Honour
Oberschutze Werner is a rifleman in the squad. He was brought up in a mining town in Silesia. A short, powerful man, it as only natural he should follow his father and brothers down the mines. He joined the hard, tough life at the coal-face in 1908. In 1914 Werner dodged Government demands that miners should not volunteer and answered the call of the Fatherland. After basic training he joined a supply unit and served on the Eastern Front. It was here he developed a fear of horses that has been exacerbated by the Leutnant's own fearsome horse, Bayerischprinz. He was later transferred to the West but managed to survive the war without injury. The Treaty of Versaille handed Silesia to the newly formed state of Poland. Many ethnic Germans stayed, but Werner and his family relocated to Pomerania. After sparodic periods of unemployment in the early 20s Werner secured a permanent job as a riveter at the Rovenich and Todt shipyard in Rostock. He married and had two children. His hobby of puppet making helps supplement the family income. Werner always dreamed of Germany regaining control of Silesia and returning there with his family. So he was delighted when he joined Infantrie Regiment 27 as a reservist. However, he hopes that after the defeat of France he can return home to his family like so many other reservists.

*Oberschutze Schwarzmüller* Full name: Karl Schwarzmuller Born: 5^th February 1908, Woldenburg, Pomerania Civilian occupation: Professional soldier Awards: Wehrmacht 12 year long service medal
Schwarzmuller was born in Woldenburg to devoted parents. Although his father was a fireman, Schwarzmuller was impressed by the feldgrau uniforms he saw during the world war, and wanted to become a soldier. In particular he was fascinated by new technology like zeppelins and tanks. Schwarzmuller left school early and got a job at the local paper, the Woldenburg Zeitung, where he worked as a messenger boy, biding his time until he was both old enough to join the Army,and for a place to become available in an army of only 96000 men. In 1927 Schwarzmuller succeeded, but his hope of becoming a panzer driver was a was dashed before it began by the Treaty of Versailles. Schwarzmuller opted to become an infantryman, joining the local 5^th Prussian Infantry Regiment. Here he stayed, happy and contented with army life, not even applying for transfer to any of the new armoured units when the 5^th Prussian Infantry Regiment then became Infanterie Regiment 27 during the expansion of the Wehrmacht in 1934. To everyone's surprise he acquired a wife in 1938, and a baby son in 1939. He worries about them constantly but is still content to serve the fatherland. Schwarzmuller is a competent soldier, always handy with a grenade he follows orders to the letter.

*Schutze Schreiber* Full name: Gustav Schreiber Born: 20^th July 1913, Templeburg, Pomerania Civilian occupation: Postman Awards: None
Schutze Schreiber is a rifleman in the squad. He is another one who barely remembers his father who was posted as missing in action in September 1918. On leaving school Schreiber followed in his father’s footsteps and became a postman. It was a nice easy job and it gave him a lot of spare time later in the day when he could indulge in his hobby of woodcarving. He married Truda, a nurse after meeting her when he had an accident on his postal round. They settled down to pleasant life and had a family. Like so many others Schreiber’s plans for a comfortable life were ruined when war broke out in 1939. He was called up in September 1939 along with Weisser and many others, joining Ersatz Battalion 27. After his training he joined the 27^th Infantry Regiment just before Christmas. Schutze Schreiber is a quiet and unassuming man. He is popular with the other squad members and in his spare moments he carves toys for them to send home to their families. He has no interest in the war or politics and all he thinks about is getting back to his wife and young family. However, Schreiber performs his duty without complaint and impressed his superiors during the French campaign with his quick thinking and understanding.

*Schutze Bremer* Full name: Paul Bremer Born: 1^st August 1905, Mutzig, Alsace. Civilian occupation: Machine operator Awards: None
Bremer is a rifleman in the squad. He was born in Alsace and his father was a professional soldier who served with the 47^th Infantry Division before being killed in the Vosges in 1916. This was the end of life as they knew it for his mother and the children as the family were evicted from their married quarters leaving them homeless. The family moved to the countryside outside Swinemunde where they stayed on his uncle’s farm. Over the next few years Bremer and his two brothers worked hard on the farm in their spare time as manpower was in short supply. After finishing his basic schooling Bremer turned his back on farming and went to work as machine operator at the local animal fat processing plant. In time he married and had a family but was always restless living away from his native Alsace. The problem was that since the end of the war Alsace had belonged to France. Bremer always swore he would return and vowed that he would avenge the death of his father at the hands of the French. On 24th May 1940 Bremer was posted as missing in action following a company assault in northern France. His body was found two days later and he was given a proper military burial.

Schutze Hassel Full Name: Paul Hassel Born: 18th October 1910, Wismar Civilian Occupation: Farm Worker Awards: None

Until 1937 Paul Hassel lead a relatively quiet rural existence. The son of a tenant farmer he spent all his early years as a farmhand looking after the family herd. As a tenant of the abdicated Duke of Mecklenburg, he was born within site of the Mikilenburg (Old German for "Big Castle") that gives Mecklenburg its name. Such aristocratic connections had embued Hassel with a certain snobbery. However, in 1930 at a moment of deep agricultural crisis in Germany, he fell in love with the district nurse who came to care for his dying father. The inevitable happened and the two were quickly wed before arrival of their first son. More children were added to the brood, and to supplement the meagre income of a tenant farmer, Hassel took to poaching to feed the family. Therein lay the problem, for the Duke of Mecklenburg did not take kindly to people poaching in his lakes. A blast of buckshot from the Duke and stream of oaths from Hassel had him volunteering for the new Wehrmacht. With his wife and children safely installed in comfortable accommodation in Gross Born, Hassel made an excellent professional soldier, and to the Regiment's delight, an excellent footballer that can beat any team put together by the 48th and 89th Infanterie regiments.

*Schutze Voller* Full name: Kurt Voller Born: 2^nd November 1920, Swinemunde, Pomerania Civilian occupation: Student Awards: None


Voller is the assistant machine gunner. Like Weiss he had plans for his future – his father is a dentist and had planned for Kurt to work in his practice after gaining his degree. At 18 Kurt was called up for his RAD service and after 6 months was called up for his national service in the military. Despite being so young he is one of the more experienced members of the platoon having served well in both Poland and France. Being assistant gunner means that he has to carry a lot of the spare ammunition for the MG34 which he is forever moaning about. It also means that he has to take over if Weisser incapacitated and he has also scored well on the ranges with the machine gun. The platoon have every confidence in Weisser and Voller who have formed a good team that can be relied upon. Note On the night of the 24 May 1940 Schutze Kurt Voller volunteered to act as Number two for an MG team persuing the entrapped BEF on the outskirts of Arras there they came under intense mortar fire Voller and some of the team failed to return - -He has been posted as missing in action.

*Schutze Wendlinger* Full Name: Siegfried Wendlinger Born: 2^nd May 1907, Wittenberg, Mecklenberg Civilian Occupation: Lorry driver Awards: 12 year service medal
Schutze Wendlinger is a rifleman in the squad. He was born and brought up in Wittenberg, a small town of 3,800 inhabitants, in Mecklenberg. He was lucky in that his family survived the Great War virtually unscathed. His father returned to his civilian occupation as a Policeman after the war and family life soon returned to normal. After being taken by his father to a military open day at the local barracks Siegfried set his heart on becoming a soldier. In 1923 he left school at 16 and was too young to enlist so his father got him a job at the local wood yard. However in 1925 Siegfried realised his ambition and joined the Reichswehr. The German army was limited to 100,000 men under the Treaty of Versailles and in order to limit the number of men with military training a recruit had to sign up for 12 years. Siegfried enjoyed his 12 years in the army and rose to the rank of Obergefreiter but he decided not to re-enlist as he wanted to spend more time with his young family. So, in 1937, Siegfried got a job back at the wood yard in Wittenberg working as a lorry driver. However, within two years Germany was on the road to war and Siegfried’s quiet family life was shattered when he was called up again in August 1939. Like others in the squad he will do his duty for his country but longs to return home to normality. Siegfried is quiet and reserved. His previous long military service means that he has a wealth of experience to share with the younger men and he has fitted back into military life easily.