BACKGROUND: Basic human instinct dictates that soldiers in the field, regardless of nationality, long for their loved ones at home. As a result it was very common for these soldiers to have themselves photographed and send the photos home or create a photo album to preserve their memories. As today, there were also numerous other reasons to pose for a photograph, new appointments, promotions, weddings anniversaries etc., etc.. Along with the standard, commercially produced photo albums certain units would also purchase personalized photo albums that would have been available for private purchase at garrison and barracks canteens or distributed as a commemorative gift. This example appears to be a commemorative photo album for members of the 50^TH Combat Engineer Battalion.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 12" x 8 3/4", eighty-four page, photo album with a coarse tan fabric, hardbound cover. The front cover features a full color printed likeness of the National war Flag and black printed Gothic script, "Wehrdienst-Ehrendienst Erinnerungen an meine Dienstzeit", (Military Service, Honor Service, Remembrance of my Service Time). The album opens with a full page, black and white formal photograph of Adolf Hitler followed by four pages of script entitled, "Geschichte des Pionier=Bataillons 50", (History of the 50^TH Combat Engineer Battalion). The 50^TH Combat Engineer Battalion history is followed by another full page, formal, portrait style, black and white photo of Generalfeldmarschall von Blomberg and a history of the German Armed Forces with printed artwork of important historical German military figures including, Friedrich Wilhelm, Friedrich der Große, Scharnhorst, and Generalfeldmarschall Moltke among others with additional black and white photos of Combat Engineers in training. The a history of the German Armed Forces is followed by a few pages with black printed Gothic script and blank spaces to fill in the recipients name, rank, unit, service time, promotions, awards etc. The pages have been filled in and it appears the individual served with the 50^TH Combat Engineer Battalion from "20. 10. 1936", until his release on, "29. Oktober 1938". The remainder of the album has mid-weight, black cardstock pages for inserting personal photographs, but all the photos have been stripped out. The album cover has started to separate and the fabric covering has a couple of fair sized tears.