Pictures on Soldbuchs

[Daniele C]

Hi all,

Does anyone know when were the pictures attached to the soldbuchs?i heard soldbuchs started to have pictures only in 1944 is it true?
that means that before 1944 all the soldbuchs (army,ss,lw,Km) were all without pictures?
thanks

Dan

[JUNGCO]

On November 16, 1943 an order came out from the OKW that photos should be put in Soldb******252;cher as a security precaution. It further stated, that they must be in the books by April 1, 1944 for training units and Dec. 31, 1944 for combat units. The Kriegsmarine required photos to be in their Soldb******252;cher with a regulation from September 1941! There were however, some that never got the photo in before the end of the war and anyone killed or discharged prior to December 1943 should not have a photo in their book.

Jeff

[Daniele C]

thanks!so all the soldiers killd before dec 43 didnt have fotos on their soldbuchs?

[Ian Jewison]

So far the earliest order I have found stating the addition of the photo is from 16.11.1943...this order refers to another which unfortunately I do not have a copy of and do not know the date!

However I do have a Soldbuch that has a photo and dated on page 3 that this was added 6.10.1943....interestingly it was added to page 1 rather than the cover!!!

Most units appeared to not start adding them until 1944....with majority I have found appear to be from May/June 1944.......

I know of two DAK Soldbücher that have "original" photos however .......when these were added I do not know...in Africa or in PoW captivity...who knows but they are in tropical uniform!!!

I would treat any with a photo prior to October 1943 with suspicion (until orders proove otherwise!!!) and verify that the unit stamps matches that of a unit he served with, a hospital he was in or at least the same geographical locations!!!

Unortunately I am not at home to provide more info regarding the order...I have posted it on the forum before but it appears to be archived or no longer available.

Regards, Ian
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[Daniele C]

Thanks Ian for the Info.
I didnt know and i always believed that pics were not issued only in 1939 or 1940...

Daniele

[Udo Wilhelm]

Soldbuch Photos

There was an order after the assination attempt on Hitler that all Wherepass/Soldbuchen have "Photo I.D." affixed within the first 4 pages of ALL such buchen.

[vacollector]

I have a Soldbuch from the 68th artillary in dated 1941. He never got the photo when the unit reformed with Volksturm in late 1944.

[leibermuster]

Is this true for SS also? I believed they had photos before 1944?

[Ian Jewison]

The order stated covered Luftwaffe, Heer and SS. Not Kriegsmarine however as this order was dated 1941.....Jeff no doubt will have the date somewhere.

The orders known are dated 16.11.1943, however this refers to another order so far not found! I have one that was entered 6.10.1943 and I have seen evidence possibly from May/June 1943 but no order has been found thus far.

As I stated:

I would treat any with a photo prior to October 1943 with suspicion (until orders prove otherwise!!!) and verify that the unit stamps matches that of a unit he served with, a hospital he was in or at least the same geographical locations!!!

/Ian

[JUNGCO]

The SS Verordnungsblatt 44, from page 14 #52 (1.2.44) refers to the Heeres Mitteilung 1943 item #868, which referes to the order date Ian states above. The SS blatt states, "Die Ausstattung der Soldbuches mit dem Lichtbild ist zum 1.4.44, bei dem im Kampf stehenden Teilen der Wehrmacht bis spätestens zum 31.12.44."
That of course doesn't mean some Admin person didn't do it before this date but as Ian says, any earlier should be viewed with suspicion.
Jeff

[Rheingauner]

Soldbuch

Hello all,

this order is a perfect match to a letter of my Grandfather, serving in Res.Pol.Btl.121. The letter has no date on it, but must have been written between oktober and beginning of december '44. At this time he was in Steyermark/Austria. In this letter he asks my grandmother to send pictures he made back home in Mainz. He says that he needs them for a new Soldbuch and that he has no time to make new ones there in Steyermark. I asked an old Soldier from Africa Korps why somebody would need a new Soldbuch. He told me that every soldier had to get a new Soldbuch every 10 years. Since my grandfather served in a reserve-police-bataillion, I don't think that he was already in this unit in 1934.

Happy new year, Rheingauner

[Michael73]

I would treat any with a photo prior to October 1943 with suspicion (until /orders prove otherwise!!!) and verify that the unit stamps matches that of a unit/ he served with, a hospital he was in or at least the same geographical locations!!!



Dear Ian!
After more than 10 years of collector's knowledge - I wonder if this statement is still correct?

In past few years I dealed with large amount of SS/Heer/LW Soldbucher issued 1941/42/early 43 - some of which were worth not more than 50 euros - still with an absolutely original photo inside that none would think of faking IMO

Is it possible that many photos were added post 1943 till the war end - to an earlier issued Soldbuchs according to regulations of 11/1943?

Thanks in advance
Michael

[Ian Jewison]

Michael,

I think you misunderstood the thread.....you can have a Soldbuch from 1939 until 1945 with a photo, however those that have a photo that was inserted prior to Autumn 1943 treat with suspicion.

For example, to have a 1939 Soldbuch to a fighter pilot who was killed in August 1942 you will not have a photo in the Soldbuch....if it does its been added by someone and is not original to the book.

Only thing that has come to light over the years is the "Lichtbild Ausweis" which was a separate ID of which sometime is in the back of a Soldbuch or on few occasions stapled to the inside of the Soldbuch. I have one of these issued in 1942.

HOWEVER some units might have taken it upon themselves to add a photo earlier than orders.


/Ian

[Briankaye]

Hi
Attached is a picture of my Fathers Soldbuch, as you can see there is no picture, but clearly one was attached at one time ,looking at the overstamps being half missing. It was issued in Jan 41. Going by your current threads, what does this mean. It was taken out?
Thanks
Brian

[mufasa]

Hi
Attached is a picture of my Fathers Soldbuch, as you can see there is no picture, but clearly one was attached at one time ,looking at the overstamps being half missing. It was issued in Jan 41. Going by your current threads, what does this mean. It was taken out?
Thanks
Brian

yes, applied at the beginning of 1944 and stamped with the stamps that appear on Soldbuch, it was removed after the war
Ciao Oriano