Erwin was born to a middle class family in Salzburg, Austria in 1924 and spent most of his childhood outdoors or playing sports. Erwin loved to play fußball and play his violin any chance he got. When Erwin graduated from Gymnasium in 1942 he decided to skip the labor service and go straight into the military. Erwin was already a convinced National Socialist so he decided he should join the elite of the Nazi Party, the Waffen-SS.

Erwin left for basic training at the end of May, 1942 and was shipped to Lichterfelde Barracks in Berlin. This was the primary training ground for panzer grenadiers of the 1.SS Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Upon beginning his training Erwin quickly grasped the concepts being taught to him and began to stick out above his fellow recruits.

After graduation Erwin was assigned to SS-Sturmbannfuhrer Kurt Meyers Aufk.Abt. For the remainder of 1942 Erwin saw no action as he had hoped for. The Division was stuck in the Normandy region of France refitting from losses suffered in combat.

In January of 1943 Erwin found himself where he wanted to be. His division had been thrown into the defense of Kharkov. Erwin was wounded in the city of Kharkov itself and was sent home to heal from his wounds. While home Erwin was awarded the Ostfront Medaille and the Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber.

Erwin returned to the front after a couple months in hospital and was hand picked to form a protective infantrie section for 1.Btl. Pz. Gren. Rgt. 2 "LSSAH Stabskompanie. Erwin spent the rest of the war in this section seeing action in Operation Zitadel, Anti-Partisan activities in Italy, the Normandy invasion and the eastern front two more times.

Erwin was separated from his unit in 1945 after they left Vienna and was reported by another unit as being seen in Berlin fighting until a breakout was ordered. No one knows what happened to Erwin but it is said that he was seen with a small group or SS men surrendering to the Americans on the Elbe