SS-SCHUTZE OLAF GIERSTAD
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SS-Schutze: 10. Aug. 1941
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Olaf Geirstad was born in 1920 on the outskirts of Hamburg. He was raised by a German-Norwegian family and took up carpentry like his fathers before him. Later on in his adolescence he, like many young men his age, joined the Hitler Youth and was swept up with fanaticism. Although he never received much attention from his parents when he joined, he found a new home with his comrades in the Hitler Youth.
He was reportedly into playing around with machinery and woodwork. As soon as he was old enough, Olaf enlisted in the SS. His worsening eyesight had him assigned to the SS-Totenkopfverbande, and his first duties were as a camp guard in Buchenwald. However, he would not stay at this post long, and due to the SS-Division "Totenkopf" receiving extremely high casualties in Russia, Olaf was transferred into 2./SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1. which was operating in the sector around Lake Ilmen.
Due to his bad eyesight he was given more short ranged targets and jobs, such as carrying wounded and covering the rear of the advance. During Autumn and Winter of 1941, the Soviets launched a number of operations against the German lines in the Northern sector of the Front. During one of these operations, the Division was encircled for several months near Demjansk in what would come to be known as the Demjansk Pocket. The division was involved in ferocious fighting to hold the pocket.
At Demjansk, about 80% of its soldiers were killed in action. The remnants of the Division were pulled out of action in late October, 1942 and sent to France to be refitted. However, Olaf Geirstad would not be one of those men to be pulled out and see his home again. In March of 1942, Olaf Geirstad was part of an anti-tank patrol operating in the area near Lushno. The patrol was lost, and all members were assumed captured or killed.
The last reports of him are burning approaching tanks and the crew members with a flammenwerfer while trying to hold back the soviet swarm for his comrades to escape. After the war, the Russian Army never claimed having taken Olaf Geirstad prisoner. His whereabouts are unknown, but his body likely lies hidden, somewhere in the forest near the village of Lushno.
He was reportedly into playing around with machinery and woodwork. As soon as he was old enough, Olaf enlisted in the SS. His worsening eyesight had him assigned to the SS-Totenkopfverbande, and his first duties were as a camp guard in Buchenwald. However, he would not stay at this post long, and due to the SS-Division "Totenkopf" receiving extremely high casualties in Russia, Olaf was transferred into 2./SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1. which was operating in the sector around Lake Ilmen.
Due to his bad eyesight he was given more short ranged targets and jobs, such as carrying wounded and covering the rear of the advance. During Autumn and Winter of 1941, the Soviets launched a number of operations against the German lines in the Northern sector of the Front. During one of these operations, the Division was encircled for several months near Demjansk in what would come to be known as the Demjansk Pocket. The division was involved in ferocious fighting to hold the pocket.
At Demjansk, about 80% of its soldiers were killed in action. The remnants of the Division were pulled out of action in late October, 1942 and sent to France to be refitted. However, Olaf Geirstad would not be one of those men to be pulled out and see his home again. In March of 1942, Olaf Geirstad was part of an anti-tank patrol operating in the area near Lushno. The patrol was lost, and all members were assumed captured or killed.
The last reports of him are burning approaching tanks and the crew members with a flammenwerfer while trying to hold back the soviet swarm for his comrades to escape. After the war, the Russian Army never claimed having taken Olaf Geirstad prisoner. His whereabouts are unknown, but his body likely lies hidden, somewhere in the forest near the village of Lushno.
DISCLAIMER: 2. Kompanie is a non-political organization We do not support naziism, or fascism. We are not associated with nor do we condone the actions of the Third Reich or the actual 3.SS Division.
