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, (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. 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 Note: Regulations to have a photo of the recipient placed in the Soldbuch wasn’t enacted until 1943. 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. 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.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 5 5/8" x 4", forty page book with a horizontally, crinkle textured, tan card stock cover with a black printed Wehrmacht style eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons and Gothic script, "Soldbuch zugleich Personalausweiss", (Pay Book & Personal Identity Document), with two outer border lines, and a taped seam. The book has been de-nazified by having the swastika scarped off and only remnants of the seam tape remain. The inside front cover has a dual inkstamped, photograph of the young recipient wearing a navy blue jumper shirt and collar dickie, stapled in place. The first two pages have been removed with thirty-eight pages remaining. The entries include clothing and equipment issue and clothing exchange, vaccinations, two security checks, four furloughs, and two illegible hospital entries. The security checks have the individuals personal roster number, "O 12723/41T", indicating the individual was the 12,723^RD person inducted into the navy in 1941 and was technical personnel assigned to the Baltic Sea. The hospital entries have inkstamped script that includes, "Marine-Kurheim", (Navy Cure/Recuperation Home), with the location, "Berwang/Tirol". The book also has two promotion entries that indicates the individual was promoted to the rank of Gefreiter on, "13/7.42", and to the rank of Obergefreiter on, "13. 8. 43". The book also has two award entries that indicates the individual was awarded a, "Schnellboot-Kriegsabzeichen", (Patrol/Torpedo Boat War Badge), on, "27. 7. 43", and an Iron Cross 2^ND class on, "30. 7. 44". Other entries include, personal statistics, next-of-kin and supplementary issue hygiene items. One unit entry that appears to be, "7. S. Flott", indicating the individual served with the 7^TH Patrol/Torpedo Boat Flotilla. The book also has four partially illegible, handwritten entries with dates running up until June 1945 that appear to indicate the individual was captured by the English at Arcona on May 3^RD 1945. All the entries have the appropriate authorizing signature and/or inkstamp. The book is in overall good condition with light age yellowing. Also included is a roughly, 12 1/2" x 9 1/4", forty-two page photograph album with a heavy green cardstock cover and one hundred ninety-one assorted sized, black and white photographs with handwritten captions. The photographs feature navy personnel in a variety of uniforms and headgear to include the standard navy blue uniforms and overseas and Donald Duck caps, protective leather clothing, work/drill uniforms, sports outfits and tropical uniforms including M41 and visor caps. Also shown are assorted vessels including Patrol/Torpedo Boats and various pieces of weaponry and equipment. The photos show the personnel on-board, in both tropical and wintry climates, loading torpedoes, and relaxing. One photo features a Partisan prisoner of war camp in "Split". Other photos show navy personnel playing soccer and visiting tourist spots in Italy including Venice and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Additional photos feature civilian friends and family members. The photos range in size from roughly, 2 1/4" x 3 3/8", to, 3 1/8" x 4 3/4". The photographs are in overall very good condition with minor age yellowing.

GRADE ***1/2                             PRICE $895.00