Germany – Third Reich: An interesting Battle of Moscow Silver Wound Badge and Iron Cross 2nd Class, Spass-Demensk Gold Wound Badge award documents, Wehrpass, Arbeitsbuch and other correspondence to Unteroffizier Walter Borsum, 10th Battery, Artillery Regiment 267, 267th Infantry Division who saw fighting on the Eastern Front as part of Barbarossa, having fought his way from the Polish border he would be wounded in the fighting outside Moscow on 14th November 1941, and later having recovered would be wounded again on 14th October 1942 in the fighting near Spass-Demensk, this leading to his eventual discharge on 16th July 1943.
Award Certificates:
1) Silver Wound Badge awarded at Munster on 9th February 1942 for 1 wound received on 14th November 1941 as a Gefreiter, 10th Battery, Artillery Regiment 267. Signed by the Head Doctor at Reserve Lazarette 3.
2) Iron Cross 2nd Class awarded at Munster on 30th April 1942 as an Unteroffizier. Signed by a General of Infantry as the General Officer Commanding Wehrkreis VI. Signed by General of Infanterie Gerhard Glokke
Glokke was awarded the German Cross in Silver on 1st August 1943.
3) Gold Wound Badge awarded at Hildesheim on 24th October 1942 for a wound received on 14th October 1942 as an Unteroffizier 10th Battery, Artillery Regiment 267.
Other Documents:
1) Wehrpass, issued in Hildesheim on 26th July 1938, with a photograph of the recipient in civilian clothes.
2) Arbeitsbuch, issued to Walter Barsum
3) Deutsches Reich, Kennkarte (identification card) awarded to his wife Hanna Trimpl.
4)Hannover State Farmers’ Association certificate dated 19th March 1936
5) Driving Licence, dated 24th August 1936
6) Hannover State Farmers’ Association certificate dated 22nd March 1937.
7) School certificate dated 25th May 1937.
8) Feldpost letter, 22nd November 1941 – A notice forwarding 106 Reichsmarks from his unit to Borsum after his wounding on 14th November 1941.
9) 23rd March 1942 - A note to the Reserve Hospital III at Munster forwarding on confirmation of Borsum’s promotion to Unteroffizier.
10) Payroll Tax Card to Walter Barsum for 1942.
11) Publication with regards to the commemoration of the 267th Infantry Division having completed a year in Russia.
12) Braunschweig, 29th May 1943 – A note informing Bursum his certificates for the Iron Cross 2nd Class and Gold Wound Badge would be returned to him after inspection.
13) Braunschweig, 16th July 1943 – Borsun’s discharge certificate
14) Braunschweig, 16th July 1943 – letter forwarding information about his discharge allowance.
15) Hildesheim, 16th July 1943 – A letter informing Borsun that the office will foeward on his income tax card for 1942.
16) Birth Certificate issued in Bierbergen on 12th November 1945 confirming the birth of Ferdinand Karl Walter Borsum in Bierbergen on 15th July 1920.
17) A postwar letter to his wife in Hildesheim, dated 25th April 1948
Walter Borsum was born in Bierbergen on 15th July 1920, and would join the Army on 1st November 1939 shortly after the outbreak of war. He would initially serve with the Heavy Artillery Replacement Battalion 55 at Braunschweig, before transferring to the 10th Battery of the Heavy Artillery Regiment 231 which would remain in Germany during the invasion of France and the Low Countries in May 1940. His unit from 6th February 1941 would become part of Artillery Regiment 267, attached to the 267th Infantry Division.
The division pushed south past Brest-Litovsk across the Bug and then marched via Bobruisk, Rogachev, Krichev, Propuisk and Chernigov to the Desna. From October 1941, it took part in the attack on Moscow and fought its way via Vyazma, Moshaisk and Schelkovka to the Moskva River, close to Moscow. It would be in the fighting close to Moscow that Borsum would be wounded on 14th November 1941, resulting in the awarding of a Silver Wound Badge. He would also later be awarded an Iron Cross 2nd Class on 30th April 1942.
After Borsum’s unit, 267th Infantry Division reached Moscow, they would be hit by the Russian winter offensive, after which it had to retreat via Nikolskoje, Borowsk and Wereja Rusa to the area between Juchnow and Spass-Demensk. The unit would remain fighting in the Spass-Demensk area throughout 1942, and having returned to his unit after his previous wound, Borsum would be wounded once more on 14th October 1942, resulting in his award of the Gold Wound Badge and eventual discharge on 16th July 1943.
It is clear from post-war correspondence that he survived the war.
