German militaria

Heer Panzergrenadier EM / NCO visor Pz.Gr.Regt. 73. 19 Pz. Div.

This visor was veteran acquired from Niemann trough a collector who worked out his personal history. A brief history on his service can be read underneath. The visor is in excellent condition and in the rare Panzergrenadier piping colour. The lining is marked VI indicating the size 56. The visor was made by J. Lettel from Hannover. The visor retains its original insignia and would be very hard to upgrade. Interestingly this Visor was with the veteran in Paris where his transport was strafed by Allied fighter planes where he lost the visor. Beautiful and textbook cap with a interesting history!

The visor belonged to Helmut Hans Niemann, who served with Infanterie Regiment 73 since 1.1.1940, then transferred to Geschutz Kompanie, Schutzen Regiment 73. Then to the 11. Kompanie Schutzen Regiment 74 in 1941. In 1942 he was transferred to 9. (S.I.G.) Kompanie Schutzen Regiment 73 which was renamed to 9 (S.I.G.) Kompanie Panzergrenadier Regiment 73. This unit was part of the 19. Panzerdivision and served on the eastern front.

At the beginning of the 1943–1944 winter, the 19. Panzer-Division was withdrawn from the front and relocated west of Kiev to take part in the Christmas Offensive near Brussiloff/Broussilov.

The 19. Panzer-Division suffered heavy losses and was forced to withdraw into the Jitomir region.

The division was then deployed in the Shepetovka area and, together with the 1. Panzer-Armee, was drawn into the Kamenets-Podolsk Pocket in March 1944.

At the end of May 1944, the 19. Panzer-Division was transferred to Denmark to be rebuilt.

Helmut Niemann was then granted four weeks’ leave in Western Europe. He spent a few days in Paris before taking a sightseeing trip to Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. When the Allied landings began on 6 June 1944, he was recalled to Paris and was then ordered to report to the training camp at Arys-Rostken/Orzysz in East Prussia in mid-July 1944.

His Panzergrenadier Schirmmütze was lost together with his personal belongings just outside Paris when the transport convoy was strafed. (Train or bus; no further information is available.)

From there, Helmut Niemann and the 19. Panzer-Division marched towards the Grodno–Białystok region before being deployed on the Russian bridgehead at Wark, 50 km south of Warsaw and 43 km north of Radom.