A company sergeant major – Hauptfeldwebel or “Spieβ” – deals with the administration of his flock. Taking care of the day-to-day running of the company was the task of the CSM, allowing the company commander to concentrate on other things. All records were kept on paper, including the war diary, pay lists, etc. A lot of those records were lost by the end of the war; destroyed, hidden (and often lost), or ending up in some archive, never to see the light of day again. There are so many missing pieces in the huge jigsaw puzzle that is the history of World War 2.
On a personal note, I’ve been busy with other things than updating this blog. I apologize for the lack of new posts, but I haven’t quite had the inspiration needed, and I’m currently involved in a project of which the deadline is approaching fast. That project has a bearing on history, too, which has prompted me to dig into yearbooks and catalogues from the 1920s. Historical research is fun, but it takes time and a lot has to be looked for in books almost a century old, as very little of the relevant information can be found online. Anyway, I’ll try to get my blog back on track, but March will be a busy month, with birthdays and other events. Still, after the dearth of posts in February, I think I can promise more content this month.
World War 2 in Photos 