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**Gary T** · 01-10-2003, 01:10 PM

Well, as you know, I collect exclusively wehrpasses although I do have a few soldbuchs where they came as a pair. Many years back a decision was made to collect just one type, as bankruptcy would have loomed if I had attempted to collect both.

The wehrpass won out because:

i) you can find far more about a man's career from it, with definite dates. Also wounds\KIA information is more detailed in a wehrpass, although illnesses and leaves are better covered in the soldbuch.

ii) the wehrpass, even if it is a second or third issue, always has the details of the man's career before it was issued unlike a late war soldbuch, for example.

iii) they nearly always have a photo which you know is original, in contrast to soldbuchs. Actually this was probably a big factor as I'm sure that at least 1/4 of the photos in my soldbuch collection were additions. Couldn't prove it one way or the other of course.

iv) they are often in better shape than soldbuchs, some of which are literally in pieces. However, you don't want it to be too new.

v) they're a nicer colour

I can understand the allure of the soldbuch being carried through the war, to all those places. But hey, the wehrpass was only in company headquarters, a few miles further back, usually in a wooden box.

As for which is the most expensive, all things being equal - that's easy...the soldbuch providing it's in reasonable condition and has a photo. And long may it continue I say...

**Phil_C** · 01-11-2003, 11:10 AM

Cheers for the reply Gary,

I think Wehrpasses win as the majority of the guy's here seem to like them best

I'll have to go 50/50 on the soldbuch's and wehrpasses I think as they are both interesting documents and it won't break my bank if I only stick to the low end one's

Gary - When do you think you'll put those spare wehrpasses you have up for sale?

Kind Regards
Phil

**Gary T** · 01-11-2003, 02:09 PM

Hmm, that surprises me. I thought soldbuchs would be more popular to be honest.

I'll have to go 50/50 on the soldbuch's and wehrpasses I think as they are both interesting documents and it won't break my bank if I only stick to the low end one's

I remember saying that...and in my last year of university a decision had to be made. Or stop drinking for a couple of terms. The soldbuchs lost.

Wehrpasses to be cleared out are currently over 20, probably in two lists of 10 or so.

I can't update my site anymore (but it won't be disapperaing at least) until I get some web hosting., so I'll drop you a mail.

Cheers,
Gary.

**Phil_C** · 01-11-2003, 03:32 PM

Cheers Gary that will be great,

The drinking’s like the collecting, I can't stop!

I'm not an alcoholic it's just every time I seem to have a big buy my social life gets more busy so I spend more leaving my self skint for the month

Any way only 2 1/2 years left at uni then I'll be in the money

- not likely

Phil

P.S. thank God weatherspoons and cheap drink promotions!

**David F** · 01-11-2003, 04:24 PM

Hi, i started collecting medals,nothing special just low end stuff and then i found this place and discovered the mass of fakes that are around.then i found the link to Gary's website and was hooked.Here was a document that told you all about actual people that fought during the war.
tha clincher over soldbuchs was that the wehrpass nearly always has a photo of the person in it so you can put a face to the life story.just my humble opinion
David

p.s.Gary could you mail me that list to?

**AndyD** · 01-11-2003, 04:32 PM

put me down for a copy of the list too please Gary!
Kind regards,
Andy

**Phil_C** · 01-11-2003, 04:34 PM

Findis, thats why I like these books, because there unique no one book is the same, I also like the fact you can put a face to the name as well, whereas medals could have belonged to anyone and they can't really tell a story (unless there a vet buy!)

Regards
Phil

**David F** · 01-11-2003, 04:44 PM

Hi Phil,
the first wehrpass i bought was for a man who was unfit to serve during the war despite being 25.he applied to join the shd but was refused on medical grounds .
i know this because tucked inside the front cover was a letter stating so.
things like this are what apealed to me.
as you said medals could have belonged to anyone,these books belonged to people with faces.
David

**Graeme L** · 01-11-2003, 04:49 PM

I've voted for the Wehrpass for the same reasons as above. I do have a couple of Soldbuchs too however.

I recently decided to only collect documents from Pioneer Units or Soldiers. That way Wehrpass, Soldbuch or award docs they never really appear for sale so often as to break the bank, well not yet!

I also like the Pionier Wehrpass due to the interesting weapons which these troops were sometimes trained in.

Gee

**Gary T** · 01-11-2003, 05:32 PM

Unless you're loaded like Ian

, I think you end up specialising in a particular area. I used to have all sorts when I first started collecting - soldbuchs, wehrpasses, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Heer, W-SS.

I now collect almost exclusively Heer wehrpasses with special interest in Panzer Divisions. I did at one point consider getting back into Panzer Division soldbuchs but managed to resist.

I'm also interested in Normandy, Ardennes and Italy campaigns as well as late war Eastern Front books, possibly because they are slightly more unusual and scarce than early war stuff.

**David F** · 01-11-2003, 06:21 PM

Hi Gary is right.
i used to collect anything,i own an iron cross 2nd class from the first world war as well as an award citation for a war merit cross second class to a luftwaffe pilot.i found a dealer who has the rest of the documents(apart from the wehrpass or soldbuch).
he wants £400 for them so that put it well out of my reach!

i tend to stick to heer wehrpass's because some people seem to think that if a man served in the luftwaffe he was a pilot and charge accordingly.
there is also the fake side of wehrpass's .they are faked like everything else but the fakes put them also out of my reach.
i would like to own a high end wehrpass but until the wife and kids leave home that doesnt look like hapening
David

**Bradd** · 01-12-2003, 10:38 AM

Hi Phil

I have to waffle a little bit about which I like more, the wehrpass or the soldbuch (I like both). I like the fact that the soldbuch was actually carried by the soldier. There is something special about that.

What I like about the Wehrpass is that it lists all the units that man was in and in general is more detailed than the soldbuch. I like the research part of the Wehrpass. When the Wehrpass arrives that is when the fun begins. You try and find out were he was, what battles he was in ect, ect.

Anyway, just my opinion.

Sincerely

Bradd

**Phil_C** · 01-12-2003, 12:29 PM

Thanks for your contribution Bradd,

I think I'm going to have to get my self some wehrpasses as I've only got soldbuch's at the moment. The only problem I have though is my German is very bad, I did German at school, it being the only subject I failed - I got a D

The German being why I don't buy them at arms fairs, because the dealer could say that he was a front line soldier, then I could get home only to discover it's to a medically unfit soldier etc, I've seen a dealer try and do this recently, the price's were well over any way.

Regards
Phil

**David F** · 01-12-2003, 12:36 PM

hi Phil,
if you are interested in wehrpass's you should really spend a bit of time going thru Gary T's site.
like you my German is awful to say the least but Gary has a page on coman found phrases in wehrpass's.
there are many sites to find wehrpass's for sale at reasonable prices.
page 12 is the most important one because it lists the units the man served with.
if there is nothing then it would be safe to assume that he wasnt a serving soldier.
just my opinion.
David

Soldbuch	68.43%	310 votes
Wehrpass	31.57%	143 votes

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