[Larry deZeng]

Hi Obblgang -

Lw.-Bau-Gerätezug 3/VIII (Feldpost Nr. L 20490) was an independently numbered equipment column that supported the construction of Luftwaffe infrastructure such as airfields that were either built new or rehabilitated after having being captured. The "VIII" means it was raised and formed in Luftgau VIII, probably at the time of general mobilization on 26 August 1939.

The Kriegsstärkenachweisung (KStN) for a Lw.-Bau-Gerätezug was 6345 (L), and it called for an allowance of 2 Unteroffiziere, 18 men, 28 rifles, 1 pistol, 11 wheeled tractors or trucks and 22 trailers (Anhängern).

Tschiglajewka (Chiglayevka) is misspelled, I believe, because I cannot locate it. I also looked at villages between Smolensk and Roslav'l and did not find anything that looked like that.

There were at least 8 airfields in the Smolensk - Roslav'l area so your great-grandfather could have been at any one of them on 9.10.41. But I do know the following for Lw.-Bau-Gerätezug 3/VIII:

2.42: operating in the Roslavl area.
5.42 u. 2.43: operating in the Vyazma area.
19.2.43: transferred from Vyazma/Süd to Vitebsk.
18.10.43: at Vitebsk (Iststärke: 20).
c.11.43: renamed Gerätekolonne Lw.-Bau-Btl. 105/XVII (K). This means the Dt. Mannschaft of the Bataillon were mostly replaced with Kriegsgefangenen (probably russ.).

L.