Soldbuch - Knights Cross, Oakleaves & Swords

[hucks216]

I don't often post items from my collection anymore but here is one item that I was able to trade for earlier this year during the height of the pandemic and being primarily a Grossdeutschland collector it will be hard for me to top. It is the Soldbuch and Führerschein to General der Panzertruppe Gerhard Graf von Schwerin who would win the Knights Cross, Oakleaves and Swords. In 1939 he was assigned as battalion commander of I/Infanterie-Rgt GD and would actually command the regiment for the opening of the invasion of France due to von Stockhausen being away for a few days (von Stockhausen's signature can be seen at the bottom of page 2).
He would go on to command a battlegroup in the African desert where his men captured the British generals Richard O'Connor & Sir Philip Neame and also commanded 116.Panzer-Division in Normandy and around Aachen where he displeased Hitler with his decision to declare Aachen an Open City.
Post-war he was in charge of a secret department that was responsible for setting up the West German armed forces.
His entry in Wikipedia covers his career well:
Gerhard von Schwerin - Wikipedia

What I also like about this Soldbuch is that it is the original issue from 1939. It never had a photo placed in it but it was carried by him from day 1 to the end of the war, is full of entries and is in good condition. A lot of Soldbücher to General's can be quite bland and a fair few are replacement issues.

If anyone has digital copies of the Ehrenblätter for his Rittrekreuz grade awards I would appreciate a copy if possible to add to the Soldbuch files.

[BlackCat1982]

Wow, what a piece of history to own! Gerhard Graf von Schwerin is one of those personalities whom I have also had a interest in, mainly due to searching battlefields where the Windhund Division fought. I can't imagine what it cost but worth every penny. Glad you shared it here for us to see Hucks216.

[hucks216]

On Ancestry I have been able to find a record of his Baptism and also a record of his marriage to his first wife Herta Kannengiesser in 1925. It is his second wife (of three), Julia Zulich, that is mentioned on page 5 of the Soldbuch.
And from various online sources I have obtained his card files from WW2, two of which are shown below.

[Paul D]

Wonderful history Kevin , many thanks for posting it .

[mdj]

very nice and hard to find....congrats

i saw it too for sale / auction at the time.

martin

[BlackCat1982]

It seems to have passed many hands, having now seen the auction houses that sold it on. Way out of my league, I'm happy to have the chance to see it displayed here.

[NATJER]

Very nice. Thank you for sharing. I think I have a drivers license from a soldier in his battalion signed by him.

[hucks216]

Thanks for the comments. It is a pity that his biography has never been published in English but never mind.

Natjer - feel free to add an image of the Führerschein here.