Deutsche Volkstrum ‘Civilian Volunteers’:
Civilian Volunteer in Volkssturm:
This is just another example of one of the local civilians, working people, and kids, retired people, who, maybe tried to ignore politics and the war, but were drawn into it none-the-less, and fought to the death, often the order, and shot if you ran or gave up, against horrendous invading armies from all over the world, in generally a city completely blown to peices.
Typical “Fortress-City” Volkssturm Combatant:
Volkssturm Wehrmacht Section leader:
Another old, First-War Veteran, knowing he can’t get out of it, and the Russians are coming, and they're going to come to him one way or the other, with a vengeance he knows, because his sons had both disappeared there, years ago. He would defend his ground, his Wife, and his town. His business, put him in part, just to operate, he’s grabbed his best suit, takes a water flask and one of the available weapons, his “Green Turrest Hat” dawns his decorations and his stormtrooper badge, and starts to get squared away with God, prepare for the inevitable.
Volksturm- ex-Hunting Club member, now section leader:
I’ve gotten a little flak over this one. And that’s ok too, it could have happened maybe uniform as all in this section, they were gathered together, and declared volunteers, the young “Hitler Youth” alongside first war veterans, and any male from 1school kids to old men in their 70s if they could carry or fire a weapon, they did if they could not, they carried the ammunition for them. It was a last-ditch effort, desperate battles in “Fortress Citys” as they were deemed, to fight to the last, and it was very brutal. So my thought was this old feller, put on the only thing he had that looked military, and given some kind of authority because of his stature in the town, would go out and try his best, but he just wanted to service this damn war, but with the Red Army coming at them in full force, with tanks and airplanes, and endless artillery pieces and soldiers coming at them fast, he would not have long to contemplate it all, and he would be lucky to service, as he does, somewhat look like a soldier, rather than just a hunting club member!
Ya the hat is not the best, and the uniform is a little bit of a reach, I’m going with it, just to tell this part of the story.
Ritterkreuztrager ‘Ernst Tiburzy’ Volkssturm Battalion Commander Konigsberg:
Ernst Tiburzy (26 December 1911-14 November 2004) was a German Volkssturm-Batailonsfuhrer (Major) who received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross for his performance fighting alone, and a number of destroyed T34 tanks with Panzerfausts during the defense of Konigsberg on February 10, 1945. He is one of only four Volkssturm members to have been awarded the decoration. He was mentioned in the addendum of the Wehrmachtbericht on 3 February 1945. The ‘Volkssturm’ or roughly the ‘Storm of People’ or ‘The Peoples Army’ was a German national militia of the last months of World War II.
It was not set up by the German traditional Wehrmacht, but rather by the NAZI Party itself, by the orders of Adolf Hitler on October 18, 1944. It conscripted males between the ages of 16 and 60 years of age, who were not already serving in some other military unit as part of the German Home Guard.
Eight Volkssturm Bataillions fought in the besieged and surrounded “Feestung” Konigsberg. The Volkssturm units fought at the different front sectors under the overall command of the Heer Sector Commanders. The Commander of the Volkssturm in Konigsberg was the NSDAP Kreisleiter (and Leutnant d.R.) Wagner.
As am the ideal example for all drave soldiers, from the 13-year-old Jungvolk Volunteers to the Olm worn-out men, was the Konigsberger Volkssturm-Bataillonsfuhrer und SA- Hauptsturmfuhrer Ernst Tiburzy. The then, 34-year-old had already been seriously wounded once before, was East Prussian, and received the Knights Cross on February 10, 1945. Tibuzy was the Bataillonsfuhrer of Volkssturm-Bataillon 25/82 in Festung Konigsberg.
When the Russians were making an armored assault, He attacked with a panzerfaust knocking one of the tanks out. When one of his cowardly platoon commanders tried to escape, Tiburzy shot him, grabbing more panzerfausts and going into the gauntlet, knocking out 4 more Russian Tanks.
The coming back he led his bataillon in a counter-attack on the Russian positions, and took them, then held his sector front lines.
In the Wehrmachtbericht of February 28, 1945, it said that; “The awarding of the Knights Cross to SA-Hauptsturmfuhrer Tiburzy, Commander of the Konigsberg Volkssturm Bataillon, for the destruction of 5 Russian Tanks”.
Tiburzy wears a cap cut like an M43 but with a fur-lined flap and a political national eagle on it, embroidered onto feldgrau material, which leads to the conclusion that there was some plan for uniforms for officers of the Volkssturm. Photos seem to show there was a rank system devised, Soldbucher (ID Booklet) was printed and Erekennungsmarken (ID Tag) was issued to some. Volkssturm members used civilian clothing or a mix of old military or paramilitary, and civilian clothing, many dressed up in their best suits or WWI uniforms. It is reasonable to think that many wounded and retired / veterans unfit for active duty, but having experience on their side, were drawn back into service to lead the local citizens to war!
A standard double claw buckle officer belt with pistole holster, breeches, boots, and a helmet of some sort of weapon, completed Tiburzys combat uniform. Thousands of German civilians, old and beyond their soldiering years placed themselves in harm’s way to defend their homes.
