SS-Obersturmführer Hugo Jörg, a Waffen-SS Pioneer

Hugo Jörg, (exact birthdate unknown), joined the SS-Pioniersturmbann (SS-VT Engineer Battalion) in Leisnig in January 1935. He would later serve in the 3rd Company of the SS Engineer Battalion of the SS-VT until December 1940, seeing action in the French campaign of that year. He then became a combat engineer platoon leader with the Armored Recce Detachment of the 5.SS Panzer Division “Wiking” serving in this capacity until 1943 when he attended an officer’s training course at the SS Pioneer Schule “Hradischko” near Prague. Following completion of the course and promotion to SS-Untersturmführer he stayed on at the school as a platoon and company commander in an SS Engineer Training Battalion. In January 1945, with the rank of SS-Obersturmführer, Jörg was sent to the 23. SS-Frewilligen Panzergrenadier Division “Nederland”, which had just returned to Germany from the Kurland Front in Latvia and had begun a hasty reformation process. Hugo Jörg was assigned to command one of the combat engineer companies in SS-Engineer Battalion 54/23. SS-Frw. Pz.Gr.Div. “Nederland” He would remain at this post until the end of the war. During his wartime service he received many decorations including both classes of the Iron Cross. After the war, Hugo Jörg became very active in the “search service” and “comradeship” of the Waffen-SS combat engineer veterans known as the “Pioneerkameradschaft Dresden”, since Dresden had been the site of the original SS engineer unit. He was also a prominent amateur athlete and he was awarded the German Federal Sports Badge more than 30 times. This was given to people who could pass a government certified “fitness”/sports test. It was after a long workout at a sports field on 8 May 1998, in an effort to get yet another Sports Badge, that Hugo Jörg died suddenly of a heart attack. Being one of the older vets in the “comradeship” he was certainly well in his 80's at the time!

Source :
'Siegrunen 80' by Richard Landwehr