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. On induction to active military service the Wehrpass was exchanged at the recruitment office for the Soldbuch, (Pay Book). The recruitment office would retain the Wehrpass and chronicle the individuals active service record in it. The Waffen-SS basically followed the same system but had instituted their own Ergänzungsstelle der Waffen-SS, (Replacement Centers of the Armed-SS), under the control of SS-Obergruppenführer Gottlob-Christian Berger of the SS-Hauptamt, (SS-Main Office), and in theory, could only recruit personnel on a voluntary basis although many personnel were "press-ganged" into service. In January 1945 the Ergänzungsstelle der Waffen-SS was combined with the army’s Wehrersatzdienststelle and was renamed Ergänzungsstellen des Heeres und der Waffen-SS, (Replacement Centers of the Army and the Armed-SS). 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. Personnel issued a Wehrpass had the option of purchasing a protective cover if they so desired.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 6" tall, 4 1/2" wide, mid-weight, pale green cardstock protective sleeve cover with black printed Gothic script to center of the obverse, "Wehrpaß". The front cover also has a small, horizontally rectangular, black bordered box to the top left corner and a larger, horizontally rectangular, black bordered box to the center near the bottom edge. The smaller box was designed to write in the first three initials of the recipient’s name while the larger box was designed to enter in the branch of service and has a blue scripted inkstamp, "Waffen-SS". The cover has folded over, glued side seams and an opened top edge with a semi-circular, cut-out to ease access to the Wehrpass. The reverse of cover has a small, magnetic sheet metal grommet to either upper corner and the black printed, manufacturer’s name and location, "Julius Kress Kassel". The cover shows light age and usage toning and vertical tears at both side seams.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $97.00