Germany - Third Reich: An extremely rare Russian Front Winter operations 1941 to 1942 retreat from Yuchnov to Smolensk 183rd Infantry Division Medical Service War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords with surviving citation typed to the reverse of the award document, awarded to Sanitat Unteroffizier Engelbert Schellenberger, 2nd Medical Company 219, part of the medical services of the 183rd Infantry Division, who having served initially as a Clerk and Runner, was then assigned as a Reception-Unteroffizier with the Temkino Casualty Collecting Station, ‘and smoothly mastered the tasks which arose there. The care of valuable medical equipment was transferred to him during the winter months. It is thanks to his energetic action that he succeeded without his own vehicle in bringing equipment entrusted to him complete, intact and in safety from Yuchnov to Smolensk.’ The retreat from Yuchnov to Smolensk occurred as a result of the first Russian winter offensive, and his award of the War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords was made to him on 1st September 1942.
War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords Award Certificate, issued to: ‘San.Uffz. Engelbert Schellenberger, San,Komp.2/219’, dated 1st September 1942, signed in ink ‘Dettling’ for August Dettling, as Generalmajor and GOC 183rd Infantry Division, later Generalleutnant and recipient of the German Cross in Gold on 7th March 1942. The reverse of the certificate has the extremely rare original typed citation for the award, this signed in ink ‘Dr Deinhardt’ as Oberstabsarzt and acting Company Commander.
Engelbert Schellenberger saw service as a Sanitat Unteroffizier with the 2nd Medical Company 219, part of the medical services of the 183rd Infantry Division, and was present out on the Russian front, and serving as a Clerk and Runner and then as a Reception-Unteroffizier with the Temkino Casualty Collection Station, during the Russian winter of 1941 to 1942 and the retreat from Yuchnov and Smolensk which occurred as a result of the first Russian winter offensive, when he earned the War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords, awarded to him on 1st September 1942.
The citation for his award, which in an extremely rare form is typed onto the reverse of his award certificate, reads as follows: ‘Unteroffizier Schellenberger, after previous activity as a Clerk and Runner, was assigned as a Reception-Unteroffizier with the Temkino Casualty Collecting Station and smoothly mastered the tasks which arose there. The care of valuable medical equipment was transferred to him during the winter months. It is thanks to his energetic action that he succeeded without his own vehicle in bringing equipment entrusted to him complete, intact and in safety from Yuchnov to Smolensk.’
Schellenberger, who would have seen active service in the Balkans during 1941, and then would have serve in central Russia during 1941 to 1943, would also being entitled to the Eastern Front Winter War Medal.