German Army Personal EffectsCall Up PapersWehrpaß Notiz

Wehrpaß Notiz basically notified the Wehrpaß’s holder that he could be activated at anytime.

Gestellungsbefehl

Reserve members would receive this document (“Mobilization or Activation” order) stating that they were being activated into service of the Wehrmacht. Whether for an undetermined length of time or for a few weeks of training (This is the document the Wehrpaß Notiz warns about)

Wehrpaß

 This military identification book was first issued by the Wehrersatzdienststelle upon registration into the Wehrmacht (active or reserve). It contained all information relevant to the soldiers military service. The Wehrpaß was held by the individual from the time of his conscription until his induction. Upon arrival at his new unit the ID was handed over to the unit headquarters. Headquarters would record information in the Wehrpaß as needed (Awards/promotions/uniform issue/punishment etc..). The soldiers Wehrpaß would not be returned to him until after discharge from the Wehrmacht or in the event of his death it would be returned to his next of kin. It should be noted that three variants of the Wehrpaß cover exist.

Empfangsbestätigung

This hastily prepared document is a receipt, so to say. By signing this paper the soldier stated that he received his Wehrpass.

Service DocumentsSoldbuch

The title of this book, Soldbuch (“Pay Book”), is very deceiving. Where a small part of this recorded the soldiers pay the majority acted as a service record. From the time of issue by the reserve field unit, till their discharge from the service this ID was kept on the soldier at all times. It served as identification for military personnel and officials. In the event of a soldiers death his soldbuch was forwarded to his Wehrersatzdienststelle and placed in his Wehrstammbuch.  The basic pay and identity document booklet for all active-duty German soldiers. The Soldbuch was created and issued to a soldier soon after his entry into active duty service during wartime. Before the war simple ID documents such as a Truppenausweis were used which were to be kept by a soldier on his person at all times for purposes of identification. Initially the Soldbuch did not contain a photo, but a military-dress photo was later required around 1943 as a security measure. Other security measures added later included the addition of a quarterly check by the soldiers unit. The Soldbuch contained information on the soldiers pay grade, clothing, equipment, weapons issued, current unit of assignment, as well as his assigned replacement unit. All previous replacement units were crossed out in such a way as to remain legible. Medical information such as eye and tooth care and hospitalizations was also included, as well as awards and leaves. The Soldbuch was the document the "Chain Dog" (Not-so-friendly term for the armed German military police soldier), were most interested when stopping soldiers for questioning, etc. A soldier was required to have the equipment listed in the Soldbuch on his person and to also be wearing the correct awards as listed - or else the soldier could be in serious trouble! The Soldbuch was first conceived as a document for receiving pay from units other than a soldiers inital home unit, but as seen above, soon evolved into a much more detailed identification document. Upon discharge the Soldbuch was intended to be destroyed, but due to collapse of the Wehrmacht, many soldiers retained their Soldbuch as a surrogate Wehrpass, and many exist today for collectors and researchers to study.

Schießbuch

Schießbuch (“Shooting Book”) was a 12 page book that recorded soldiers shooting scores. Different books were issued for different weapons. The book contains a target on the inner pages where range personnel recorded hits.  One of the pictured books was for the 37 mm PaK, and the other for a pistol and the MG13.

Wehrmacht Führerschein

Before a service member could operate a Wehrmacht vehicle he had to be trained to drive that vehicle and pass an examination. The license, Wehrmacht Führerschein (“Wehrmacht Drivers License”), contained information concerning unit, birth date, training unit, date of issue, issue number, class of license and picture.

Wehrstammbuch

The Wehrstammbuch (loosely translated as “Military Album”) was considered the most detailed record of a soldiers service. The file was prepared at the time of recruitment by the Wehrersatzdienststelle and was kept there as a permanent record of his service. All information that was entered into the Wehrpass or the Solbuch eventually ended up in the Wehrstammbuch. All available information about the soldier was in this file.

Personalausweis für Hilfskrankenträger

Personalausweis für Hilfskrankenträger was issued to Wehrmacht soldiers who were specially trained were authorized to act as stretcher bearers.

Erkennungsmarke

This was the standard issue German military identification tag, often called a "dog tag". The Erkennungsmarke was instituted and first issued in August of 1939 to all members of the German Wehrmacht. Thereafter, the tag was issued to all soldiers shortly after they were first inducted into the Wehrmacht. The tag itself consisted of a thin aluminum, zinc, steel, or tin oval disc that was worn around the neck on a chain, string, or lace. Wear of the tag was required at all times by all soldiers in the field or field conditions. It was perferated in the middle and was stamped with identical information above and below the perforation line. The tag was designed to be broken in two pieces when the soldier wearing it was killed. The lower half would be collected if at all possible, and given to the unit HQ for grave registration and notification. The upper half would remain with the body itself. The information on the tag varied throughout the war, but generally consisted of the designation of the individuals initial replacement unit (the unit all soldiers were inducted to before being sent to a regular field unit), a soldier number, and the soldiers blood type. Initially, all German units of Kompanie size were required to maintain complete lists of all soldiers and their Erkennungsmarke. These lists would be updated as needed once a month with any additions and subtractions based on men lost as KIA, MIA, through transfers or sick leave, or that were gained through replacements and transfers or soldiers returned from sick leave. This offical Kompanie listing was registerd with the German Armed Forces Information Office for Casualties and War Prisoners, and was kept as up-to-date as possible.

Travel DocumentsBefristeter Ausweis

Soldiers stationed near cities could receive a pass to visit the city. The rear of the pass (Befristeter Ausweis) included information concerning curfew hours for different ranks and a stamp of the hotel the soldier stayed at.  This specific ausweis was issued to individuals in the vicinity of Paris. This Card was issued to Reichsbahnprasident Wilhelm Enrich who stayed at the Grand Hotel.

Kleiner Wehrmachtfahrschein

Kleiner Wehrmachtfahschein, Teil 1 u. 2 (“Small Military Travel Pass, Part 1 & 2”) was issued as a travel ticket for use on the Ostbahn or Reichbahn. Part one was for outbound trips and part two for the return trip.  The diagonal stripe distinguished the pass as free of charge while the non stripe version was at the soldiers expense.

Marschbefehl

Marschbefehl (“March or Movement” order) was issued to soldiers for the purpose of duty changes (order to or from the fronts) or schooling.  

This document was usually issued with the Sonderausweis D and a Wehrmachtfahrschein Teil 1 u. 2.

Sonderausweis D

Sonderausweis D (“Special Identity Document D”), D meaning Dienstreisen (Service Travel). This document was issued for purposes of official military travel. The purpose of the document was to state that you are authorized to travel. If you were leaving the front without one of these documents you would be considered a deserter.  Below are two variants using different fonts.

Sonderausweis SO

Sonderausweis SO was a rare variety of the Sonderausweis. Basically the same as the Sonderausweis D, but for purposes of travel to the South East (Süd Ost). This document has what looks to be many different languages. All of which would be in the South East area.

Discharge Papers

Führungszeugnis

Führungszeugnis (“Certificate of good conduct”) was issued to the soldier upon discharge from the service. It gives a brief summary of his conduct.  In the case of Obergefreiter Walter Kowalski it says “good”.

Feldpost

A World War II German Feldpost overprinted stamp

1944 German feldpost cover with battalion code number 03498/L

Feldpost is the German military mail service. Its history dates back to the 18th century in the Kingdom of Prussia during the Seven Years' War and War of the Bavarian Succession and has existed ever since in different forms and shapes.

During 1937-39, the German Wehrmacht had a military mailing service that provided free postal services within Germany. On September 3, 1939, the first changes to the service occurred. Postcards and letters up to 250 g including newspapers could be mail free of charge by the German para-military and military organizations. Later in 1939, packages weighing up to 1000 g were included at the nominal rate of 20 Reichspfennig fee. All German military branches had its own organic postal administration in charge of receiving and delivering mail. For Feldpost offices closest to the combat zone a mobile facility usually processed mail for all military branches.

In 1940 further changes were introduced followed through the rapid conquest of Europe. Eventually a series of postal agreements were set up between Germany and the occupied countries providing an extended usage of Feldpost service. Countries such as the Netherlands had close to 50,000 pro-Nazi volunteers that during the course of the war used the Feldpost

service. Eventually these postal agreements were settled between Germany and other countries, including neutral countries such as Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and Turkey, which had volunteers within the German forces.

To preserve the secrecy of troop movements, each battalion was assigned a five digit code number called Feldpost number (FPN). By the end of 1939, letter prefixes "L" and "M" were attached in front of each FPN to units belonging to the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. A breakdown by military units was added by attaching letter prefixes "A" through "E" at the end of each FPN. The letter A generally signified headquarters company, the others stood for line companies.

The sequence of an FPN does not necessarily mean that the location of the units were at the same area. The postal cover/postcard itself was usually stamped with a military Feldpost Cancellation and Official Military Unit Seal. Feldpost numbers were sometimes reassigned to other units, particularly when a unit ceased to exist. Normally Feldpost mail could not be dispatched nor received by civil post offices. If a soldier wanted to send mail through a civil post office, full postage was collected.

Feldpost number (FPN) (German: Feldpostnummer) was an identification number for a German military unit during World War II used for military mail service which means when family members and friends wanted to send mail to the corresponding unit. It wasn't unusual for the same feldpost number to be used for different units throughout the war. As one unit would be destroyed, then the number might have been reallocated at a later date.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldpost