Wehrpass Heer found at a house clearing

[nico2003]

Hi guys,

get this Wehrpass from a friend who found it at a house clearing.

[sitges1990]

That is an amazing Wehrpass Nico. Lots of entries. Looks like he died in battle for the leader, people, and fatherland in April of 1943. Thanks for showing.

Jay

[BrodieBartfast]

He was also awarded the Wound Badge in Schwarz on 5th August 1942.

B.B.

[HPL2008]

That is an amazing Wehrpass Nico. Lots of entries. Looks like he died in battle for the leader, people, and fatherland in April of 1943.

January, actually: He was KIA on 14 January 1943 south of Lake Ladoga, 4 kilometers east of Sinjawino, (allegedly) by a headshot.

(I wrote "allegedly" because the cause of death may or may not be true: A disproportionate percentage of KIA Wehrpäße state headshots and heartshots as the cause of death. The reason for this was that a fallen soldier's Wehrpaß was sent back to the family after the paperwork had been completed, as was the case here. In order to spare the relatives from additional grief, it was common practice to enter the kinds of fatal wounds that imply a mercifully swift and painless death, especially if the truth was far grislier. )

[sitges1990]

Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow Andreas. My German *****. I know just enough German words to be dangerous. It's difficult to believe the Third Reich establishment was ever merciful but ordinary human beings wrote those death notification letters and being merciful was certainly the humane thing to do.

Jay

[TWS]

Great find! I'm envious of our fellow collectors over in Europe who have friends as pickers for them.

I have paperwork on one officer whose comrades were painfully honest about his death, relaying to the family that he died of a bullet to the stomach after being taken to the field hospital and even given a blood transfusion. The commander tells the family how they desperately tried to save his life, but could not.

[BlackCat1982]

Very nice Wehrpaß and sadly Rolf Gerhard still lies somewhere near to where he fell, 4km from Mustolowo Ssinjawino in Russia. Hopefully one day his grave will be located and he will then be laid to rest among comrades in a proper cemetery.

[nico2003]

Thank you for all your answers. Is it correct that he was educated as a driver? Because in the Wehrpass is written " Fahrer von Sattel" .

[HPL2008]

Thank you for all your answers. Is it correct that he was educated as a driver? Because in the Wehrpass is written " Fahrer von Sattel" .

Yes, a driver of horse-drawn vehicles.

A Fahrer vom Sattel is mounted on the front left horse, as opposed to a Fahrer vom Bock, who works from the coach box.

[nico2003]

Thank you for the info. I search for more information about him on the Volksbund and found that he is until today not found and lies somewhere 4 km east of Ssimjawino.