Partial 1944 Pioniere Soldbuch

**James N** · 02-01-2014, 10:41 PM

This is an odd piece I bought from Ebay on a whim a few years ago. I've collected general German field gear and haven't specialized in any one area, prefering to get an example of various things. I wanted a Soldbuch but not at the prices they were going for on Ebay. When I saw this for an opening bid of $10 with NO bidders I tried and got it for that. Of course it's only the cover and first page, but it was a cheap start. ( I've since gotten a whole one! ) This is somewhat intriguing nevertheless.

Theodor Freiederich Speck was certainly older than a "typical" Wehrmacht Heer recruit ( a conscript surely! ) at 44, and as a former "actor" unlikely Pioniere material! This is all I had to go on, but E-mailed the German War Cemeteries ( Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgraberfursorge ) site to see if a likely "untimely death" soon after his entering service might account for the brevity of the entries or overall good condition of the part I have. They said he was issued ID disc Erkennungsmarke 10464 - St.Kp.Pion.Br.E.uA.Btl.1 ( Stammkompanie-Pionier-Brucken-Ersatz-und Ausbildungs-Battalion 1 ) there was no record of him in the war graves records though, so it was something of a "dead end".

If anyone has any comments or observations about Herr Speck and his probable fate they would be most welcome!

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 02-01-2014 10:41 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**hucks216** · 02-02-2014, 04:10 PM

There is a good chance that he survived the war and he himself destroyed the rest of his Soldbuch, just keeping those bits as a convenient form of ID.

**Gunny Hartmann** · 02-02-2014, 04:31 PM

At 44 he was a bit of an old codger but in late 1944 they'd be conscripting anyone who could hold a rifle!...

**Panzersaurus** · 02-02-2014, 05:07 PM

Very interesting. I to suspect that the damage may have been done by Herr Speck. As for his age, I think the Pionere may have been apt to recruit older men. I know a guy who's dad was at 48 recruited into the Pionere in 1939!

**James N** · 02-02-2014, 06:36 PM

hucks216, the only trouble I have with this theory is that the only "damage" to it is where it's been folded; my other, complete Soldbuch has had the swastika defaced like was so often done if they intended it for identification postwar. And most curious, there is NO addition to it of any kind past issue. I would think that if he had been invalided out for disability for example, accounting for lack of promotions, etc. there would be SOMETHING to indicate it?

**hucks216** · 02-02-2014, 07:01 PM

While I would agree that the de-nazification of the SB cover (and stamps) would of occurred if he was being employed by the Allies post-war, in this case it might just be a case of Herr Speck needing a form of ID (or thinking he needed one) - for however brief a period of time - and decided to make his own before receiving an official one, much the same way that in the immediate post-war Poland in some cases they continued to use the ID cards (Kennkarte) that the Germans had issued them because they had nothing else available.

There would be no need to account for a lack of promotions as he was probably never promoted; he may never of even seen combat.

At the end of the day it is all about 'best educated guess' when it comes to something that offers so little in the way of a clue as to what has happened to it.