The Great Soldbuch Mystery

[redfaced]

I saw a soldbuch here in Silesia this morning and it did not have a photograph. I know nothing about soldbuchs but I sure they should have a picture. The thing is, there did not seem to be any pages missing! Any ideas?

[Ian Jewison]

Soldb******252;cher did not have photos until mid to late 1943, the vast majority were added in 1944. The only ones that did have a photo on issue were Kriegsmarine. Kriegsmarine Soldb******252;cher were not introduced until early 1941 anyway.

So one to a guy killed in action 1942 with a photo should be considered suspicious!

/Ian

[wisches]

interesting.
Ian, could you tell me if a soldbuch was to be
carried in the field by combat soldier? if so, could and
would a combat soldier carry his wherpass?
I ask as I have one with the photo ripped out in the manner
of a soldier taken prisoner !?
Gary

[Ian Jewison]

The Soldbuch would be carried in the field, however not if you were aircrew as you carried a Fliegendes Ausweis as means of identification and also not carried on a ship if on patrol (not sure about the Kriegsmarine however!).

The Wehrpa******223; was kept with Company/Batallion or Regimental H.Q. and was not to be carried by the individual in combat, however at the end of the war these were handed out on demobilisation and some soldiers managed to keep theirs, otherwise it would only be issued on regular discharge due to injury, services no longer required or issued to the next of kin on death.

The photo and personal details were removed sometimes in war to hide the persons identity and sometimes even to day as the photo maybe the only photo they have of a loved one!!!!

/Ian

[wisches]

Ian,
please give me your thoughts on an ss wehrpass I have of a
young ss man in hj supply company around normandy invasion.
because of the haphazard way the photo has been ripped out
I have always assumed [probably incorrectly!] that he was killed or taken
prisoner whilst carrying pass
gary

[Ian Jewison]

Could have been killed but he should not have been carrying his Wehrpaß as it would have been sent to his next of kin if missing or killed in action (however in later stages of the war this was not always done!)....perhaps he or his relatives tore it out recently as even today some veterans and families do not admit to being in the SS.

You will probably never know why!

Do you have his name and date of birth? If so we can check the German War Graves to see if he listed....he may be listed there, however not all are as there are many with no known grave and not all missing in action (never returned home even after the war!) are listed.

/Ian

[wisches]

Ian,
lads name, Arno Braune
date of birth 23-7-1926
any help?
Gary

[Ian Jewison]

Here's your man:

[wisches]

Ian
many thanks again for this help
is this research easy to do? I cannot speak german...
your help has answered questions I had since owning this book
and made me feel that more research on other books I own is
somthing that is crucial to owning these artifacts.
Gary

[Ian Jewison]

Hi Gary,

It depends what you need to know and how well filled in a document is...it can be very time consuming!!!
Either start a new thread of drop me a PM.....

/Ian

[wisches]

is there any way I may get a photo of Arno Braune, I feel this book needs that to be with it!
any ideas?

[McCulloh]

You might try the family. The SS HAIG had files of "lost/missing" photos that used to be published in the back of the magazine as late as the 1980s with 'Does anybody know what happened to?" questions. Otr you could also try the Divisions vets association. There are some guys on the Forum who attend these and you never know-you might find a comrade with details.

Having said that I know a vet-Rocky Blunt, who took the Soldbuchs of @60 dead Germans in Falaise and into Germany. Later he threw out the books but kept the pictures. I am certain that many of these guys families never knew what happened to them. Rocky can still recount details of some of the photos: "this guy was shot tryig to escape", "this one was dead next to the road in Belgium"... etc.. He still shows up at the Lowell Show with the pictures mounted in a frame.

[wisches]

thanks jeff,
sad story when you think about it.
gary