Shutze Tomsen
Name; Tomsen, Dieter
Born; 21st October 1914 Seefeld
Civilian Occupation; Manual Worker
Tomsen's military career began just before his 20th birthday when he volunteered for service with expanding German Army and joined an Artillery Regiment in Padaborn. By May 1939, Tomsen continued training as an artillery observer, after which he moved to the Replacement Battalion of Artillery Regiment 48 in Güstrow.
In October 1939, Tomsen began training for the Assault Artillery, as the new formations equipped with the Sturmgeschütz were known, and he served with Sturmgeschütz Battery 640 during the invasion of France. In July 1940, he was transferred to Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland before the campaign in the west was over.
Tomsen crossed the Russian frontier with the rest of Infantry Regiment GD, and during the fighting around Yelnya distinguished himself . Tomsen was wounded in the latter half of December returning to duty in Feburary 1942. Tomsen remained with the GD after expansion when the Regiment reorganized as a division, but was transfered to Aufklärungs squadron going into action near Scherustow and Iskrowka, during the counterattack at Kharkov in March of that year, acting as point recon for the division in retaking both these villages for the rest of GD to follow up and secure.
