H70852 WEHRPASS. (Wehrpaß) 

BACKGROUND: With the reintroduction of conscription in 1935, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), activated the Wehrersatzdienststelle, (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, until they were inducted into active duty. On induction to active military service the Wehrpass was exchanged at the recruitment office for the Soldbuch. 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. 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.  

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 5 7/8" x 4 1/4", fifty-six page, third pattern, (circa 1942-45), Wehrpass with charcoal grey printed Wehrmacht style eagle with out-stretched wings and Latin script, "Wehrpaß", to the slightly crinkle textured grey card stock cover. The cover has a grey tape seam reinforcement which is still intact. The first internal page has handwritten entries that indicate the recipient registered for military service in, "Freiburg/Breisgau", on, "17. Jan. 1944.",and the entry has the authorizing signature of an, "Oberst u. Kommandeur des Wehrbezirks", (Commander of the Military Recruiting District Headquarters), with the appropriate, "Wehrbezirkskommando", (Military Recruiting District Headquarters), inkstamp. The second internal page has a dual inkstamped, signed, black and white photograph of the recipient in civilian clothes rivetted in place. Further entries show that on registering the seventeen year old individual was found fit for combat duty and was assigned to, "Ersatzreserve I", indicating he was under thirty-five years old, untrained and not called up for active service at that time. Another entry indicates the individual returned to his recruiting office on, "9. Feb. 1944", and the entry appears to indicate that he requested service as a pilot. One interesting inkstamped entry consists of , "In Wehrüberwachung", (In military surveillance).? Additional entries include the individuals personal statistics, next-of-kin, education, RAD service and that he had been awarded a Hitler Youth Proficiency badge and a DLRG Sports badge and was an accomplished skier. All the entries have the appropriate authorizing signatures and/or inkstamps. The pages show minor age yellowing but are all intact.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $72.00

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