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S033057 WEHRPASS & STAMMKARTE. (Wehrpaß und Stammkarte)
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. The Stammkarte, (Service Record Card), was filled out by the individual’s unit of service and was a basic synopsis of his service in the Waffen-SS. If transferred to another unit the individual’s Stammkarte would be forwarded to the new unit to continue to record his service.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 5 3/4" x 4 1/4", fifty-six page, third pattern, (circa 1942-45), Wehrpass with a charcoal grey printed Wehrmacht style eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in its talons and Latin script, "Wehrpaß", to the slightly crinkle textured, mid-weight, grey card stock cover. The front cover also has the red inkstamped branch of service, "Waffen-SS", and a grey tape seam reinforcement which is still intact. The first internal page has handwritten and inkstamped entries that indicate the recipient registered for military service in, "Marienwerder Westpr.", on, "4. Juni 1943", and the entry has the authorizing signature of a, "Major", with the appropriate, "Wehrbezirkskommando", (Military Recruiting District Headquarters), inkstamp. The second internal page has a dual inkstamped, signed, black and white photograph of the young recipient in civilian clothes rivetted in place. Further entries show that on registering the individual was found fit for combat duty and assigned to, "Ersatz Reserve I", indicating he was under thirty-five years old, untrained and not called up at that time. Another entry indicates the individual returned to his recruitment office and volunteered for service in the Waffen-SS on, "4. Nov. 1944", and was accepted for service on, "20. 11. 44", being assigned to, "SS-Geb.Jäg. Ausb. u. Ers. Batl. 6", (6TH SS-Mountain Infantry Training and Replacement Battalion), stationed at, "Halleln b. Salzburg". Additional unit entries indicate the individual served in a different company of his first unit before his final transfer to, "6./SS-Frw. Gren. Rgt. 86", (6TH Company 86TH SS-Volunteer Grenadier Regiment), on, "29. 1. 45". Training entries indicate the individual received instruction on a variety of weapons including, "Gew.33/40. le.M.G. 34 u. 42. Pi.08 Handgranate24", and also a, "Gasmaske 30". Other training indicate the individual took a course to become a, "Tragtierführer", (Pack-animal Leader) and another illegible training course. Additional entries include the individuals personal statistics, next-of-kin, education, an illegible youth award and a few RAD, Reichs Arbeits Dienst, (National Labor Service), service entries. The RAD service entries indicate that the individual served with the RAD in the vicinity of the German army in France and Germany and that the individual had fulfilled his obligatory RAD service. All the entries have the appropriate authorizing signatures and/or inkstamps. The pages show minor age yellowing, a couple of small holes from the photograph retaining rivets and some rust colored stains from the photograph retaining rivets and the seam staples. A couple of pages have separated from the book but are included. Also included is the individual’s roughly, 7 7/8" x 9 1/4" mid-weight, orange cardstock, "Stammkarte", (Service Record Card), with black printed script with typed, handwritten and inkstamped particulars. The entries on the Stammkarte basically reiterate the entries in the Wehrpass and includes the units served with, weapons and his Pack-animal leader’s instructional course, HJ and RAD service, personal statistics and next-of-kin. The Stammkarte has the authorizing signature if a, "SS-Untersturmführer und kompanieführer", and the unit’s inkstamp. The Stammkarte is in overall good condition with a central, vertical, fold crease and two small punched holes to one edge for inclusion in a binder.
GRADE ***1/4 PRICE $880.00
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