Feldpostnummer?

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Ian,

Thanks for the big effort you put into that, I guess I really made you work!

Cheers, Frank

[J Temple-West]

Frank, Thinking logically, although probably way off the mark, would this not be a personal ID number such as Pilot's licence #, Soldbuch or Wehrpass #... I remember my Army days, when I marked certain of my kit with my forces#. Due to security reasons, I would have thought putting an FP # on an Item would have been a no no... ..Just a thought..

[Ian Jewison]

No this is definately a Feldpost number.....the prefix "L" denotes that it is Luftwaffe, "M" would be for Marine (Kriegsmarine).
I used to mark my items up as well with my "last 3"...."346"!!!
With Germans however I do not know if they used it in the same manner! For example he had a Wehrnummer (Military number) I suppose much like our Army number then he had his Erkennungsmarke nummer (I.D. disk number) which was not necessarily unique unlike his Wehrnummer!
A Wehrnummer consisted of different elements which and looked something like:

Wuppertal 10/3/2/7

Wuppertal the issueing authority for his Wehrpaß (unless a replacement as this would have his original authority). This was normally a Wehrmeldeamt (WMA) or Wehrbezirks Kommando (WBK).

10 the year he was born .e. 1910

3 number of military registration police precinct

2 serial number on current roster sheet

7 number indicating registrants number on that sheet.

This Wehrnummer belonged to a member of 1 Kavallerie Division. So his I.D. discs where:

3./R.R. 2 No. 255 this No. was actually changed from 310, again showing it is not a unique number.

With that said, it can not really be anything else than a Feldpost number!

Regards, Ian

[J Temple-West]

Hi Ian, please forgive my Ignorance, another question... Would the FP # be the same as the dienststelle # ? Looking through some of my paperwork I noticed that the dienststelle #'s also begin with the prefix L ... This is all, very Interesting.. Have attached Herr Steiners' soldbuch as an example of such an entry..

[Ian Jewison]

Yes it is the same thing...if you look at the stamp on the left hand page it actually says "Dienstelle" on the top and "Feldpostnummer L....." on the bottom.

L 15329 belonged to the unit that is also written on page 20......Sanitäts Ausbildung Abteilung der Luftwaffe in Norwegen, later renamed Sanitäts Ausbilding Abteilung der Luftwaffe 20.

I do not see the point of having a field post number that disguises the true identity of the unit....then write it out in full discosing it in full!

On 1.9.1944 an order came out to "make unrecognisable" the FP Nr. in the Soldbuch......that is why many Soldbücher have these obliterated with black ink.

/Ian

[J Temple-West]

Hi Ian, cheers for the Info.. I agree with you on the subject of security measures applied, late in the war.. they should have used Sutterlin schrift from the outset, who can read It !! Any way enough of hogging Franks' thread.. I'm about to start a thread on a bit of translation in a Polizie = Dienstpass, So put on your (very expert) translator head and give a fellow vet' a hand..