Date of birth:

January 30th, 1899 (Nauksenu/Latvia, Russian Empire)

Date of death:

October 9th, 1965 (Riga/Latvian, USSR)

Service number:

SS-Nr.: // NSDAP-Nr.:

Nationality:

Latvian

Lieutenant: 20 May 1920
1st Lieutenant: 17 Nov 1923
Captain-Lieutenant: 17 Nov 1933
Captain: 1 Jul 1937
Hauptsturmführer: 9 Nov 1944
Sturmbannführer: 30 Jan 1945

Latvian Army service:
19 May 1936 - 1 Jul 1937: Deputy Commanding Officer, I (MG) Company, 5th Cesis Infantry Regiment
1 Jul 1937 - 10 Sep 1939: Commanding Officer, Household Company, 5th Cesis Infantry Regiment
10 Sep 1939 - 21 Feb 1940: Commanding Officer,Machine-gun Company, 5th Cesis Infantry Regiment
21 Feb 1940 - 16 May 1940: Commanding Officer, II Company, 5th Cesis Infantry Regiment
16 May 1940 - 3 Jul 1940: Acting Adjutant, 5th Cesis Infantry Regiment

WWII service:
13 Jan 1942 - 7 Aug 1942: Kdr., 19th Schutzmannschaft Battalion
Nov 1942 - 8 Feb 1943: served as a Private in the 16th Schutzmannschaft Battalion
8 Feb 1943 - 18 Apr 1943: served as a Private in the III Battalion, 2. lett. SS-Freiw. Brigade
18 Apr 1943 - 8 Nov 1943: served as a Private in the III Battalion, SS-Freiwillige Regiment 1/lett.
8 Nov 1943 - 22 Mar 1944: served as a Private in the SS-Freiwillige Grenadier Regiment 39 (lett. Nr. 1)
22 Mar 1944 - 1944: served as a Private in the Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 42 (lett.Nr.1)
1944 - Aug 1944: served as a Private in the Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 44 (lett.Nr.6)
Aug 1944 - 24 Jan 1945: Kdr., I Battalion, Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 44 (lett.Nr.6)
24 Jan 1945 - 8 May 1945: Kdr., Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 44 (lett.Nr.6)

While commanding the 19th Schuma Battalion, Praudins apparently made some anti-German remarks in the hearing of the battalion's German liaison officer, who reported him to Ogruf. Jeckeln. He was arrested on 7 August 1942, subsequently court-martialed and sentenced to death. He spent more than 3 months awaiting execution before he was pardoned following an appeal by the Latvian authorities and demoted to the rank of Grenadier. In that rank, Ostubaf. Kocins as commander of the I Btl., Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 44. He was later returned to the rank of Hauptsturmführer and eventually promoted to Sturmbannführer. At the end of the war, he was captured by the Russians and released in 1961, very ill and with an amputated leg. Praudins died of cancer on 9 October 1965 in Riga and was buried in the Rujiena cemetery on 16 October that year.

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• Photo 1: Igor Poul
• - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - Scheibert, Horst. Die Träger der Ehrenblattspange des Heeres und der Waffen-SS/ Die Träger der Ehrentaffelspange der Kriegsmarine/ Die Inhaber des Ehrenpokals für Besondere Leistung im Lukftkrieg. Friedberg, Ger.: Podzun-Pallas Verlag, 1986, ISBN 3-7909-0283-7
  - Axis History Forum via Awardholders / unit
  - "For Multiple Deeds of Exceptional Bravery" SS & Police Recipients of the War Order of the German Cross 1941-1945 Volume II by Michael D. Miller
  - axishistory.com
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