BACKGROUND: With the reintroduction of conscription in 1935, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), activated the Wehrersatzdienststelle, (Military Recruiting Offices), throughout Germany to process and administer the call up procedure. When individuals received their registration notice they were to report to the appropriate recruitment center where they would be issued a Wehrpass, (Military Pass), until they were inducted into active duty. Starting in the autumn of 1939, when an individual was inducted into active military service the Wehrpass was exchanged at the recruitment office for the Soldbuch, (Pay Book), which remained in the recipients possession as his official military identification document. The recruitment office would retain the Wehrpass and chronicle the individuals active service record in it. The Wehrpass was issued in three, slightly different, variants with minor modifications with the first pattern being circa 1934-1938, the second pattern circa 1938-1945 and the third pattern circa 1942-1945. Generally if the individual was killed in battle the Wehrpass would be forwarded to his next-of-kin as a memento of his service time. Of Interest: The Reich conscription laws of 1935 dictated that each of the three branches of service would be allocated a percentage of the available recruits according to their manpower requirements with the army being allotted the lions share of roughly 66% of eligible personnel followed by the Luftwaffe who were accorded roughly 25% with the Kriegsmarine receiving the remaining 9% of personnel.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 5 3/4" x 4 1/8", fifty-four page, first pattern, (circa 1934-38), Wehrpass with a light grey card stock cover with a loosely woven linen reinforcement thread underlay. The front cover features a charcoal grey printed Wehrmacht style eagle with down swept wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in its talons, Gothic script, "Wehrpaß" and the red inkstamped branch of service, "heer". The cover also has a grey tape seam reinforcement still intact. The first internal page has handwritten and inkstamped entries that indicate the recipient registered for military service in, "Halle a/S.", on, "17. Marz 1937", and the entry has the authorizing signature of a, "Hauptmann {E}", with the appropriate, "Wehrbezirks-Kommando", (Military Recruiting District Headquarters), inkstamp. The second internal page has a dual inkstamped, signed, black and white photograph of the forty-three year old recipient in civilian clothes rivetted in place. Further entries show that on registering the individual was found fit and assigned to, "Landwehr I", indicating he was between thirty-five and forty-five years old and fully trained. On, "22. Jun. 1944", the individual returned to his recruiting office, was found fit for combat duty and assigned to "Landsturm I", indicating he was over forty-five years old, trained and assigned as a territorial replacement reserve. Additional entries indicate the individual served in WWI from, "9. 8. 14", to, "1. 3. 19", serving with the "F.R. 358", and had been awarded an Iron Cross 2^ND class, a black wound badge, a Combatant’s Cross of Honor 1914-18, and two additional military service awards. It appears the individual was never assigned to an active unit as the only other entries include personal statistics, next-of-kin, education and the fact that he held a second, third and forth class driver’s licenses. All the entries have the appropriate authorizing signatures and/or inkstamps. Training entries indicate the individual received training with the "Pistole 08" and the, "M.G. 08". Other entries include personal statistics, next-of-kin, education, the fact that he held a first, second and third class driver’s licenses and was a qualified swimmer. All the entries have the appropriate authorizing signatures and/or inkstamps. The pages show minor age yellowing but are all intact.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $65.00