Kiel, Germany. April 1942. Informal portrait of Lothar Scholz in his German Infantry uniform just ...

Kiel, Germany. April 1942. Informal portrait of Lothar Scholz in his German Infantry uniform just after his enlistment in the Wehrmacht (German Army). He was sent to fight in Russia and was wounded three times. The third time, he was flown from Russia to a hospital in Germany, and was awarded the Iron Cross (2nd Class). After attending officer's training, he was sent back to Russia, but his platoon was outnumbered by Russian soldiers and dispersed. He destroyed all identification, including most of his uniform and was taken Prisoner of War (POW) by the Russian soldiers and was transported to a POW Camp near Konigsberg in Germany, and later taken to a camp in Siberia. In September 1945, he was sent home due to ill health and was discharged from the Wehrmacht in December 1945 by British troops, who at that time occupied to zone in which he and his family lived. (Donor L. Scholz)