Soldbuch photo.

[Patrick Dempsey]

Hello all,
just a quick question. I've have the chance to purchase a Soldbuch to a man who served with the 26th Infantry Division. He rose through the ranks to finish the war as an Oberleutnant. However, the Soldbuch has a photo showing him as an NCO...(which was the rank he held throughout most of 1944), all this comes from a telephone conversation i've had with the seller.
I should get my hands on the book the week after next to decide if i wish to purchase it and to see it in the flesh, but the photo has me puzzled..
Should the soldbuch carry a photo of him as an officer, or does it just date the period the photo was placed in the book ( just to provide visual evidence that this IS the man the book belongs to)?

Any help appreciated,

Patrick.

[Terry K.]

Hi Patrick,
The owner most likely did not have time to get a new one made up, or he had one made up and you have his old one.

[Ian Jewison]

Photos were not put into Soldbücher until late 1943 and most in the first two quarters of 1944 (Jan-June)....if this was his rank in 1944 then it was current at the time......
The stampings on the photo should also correspond with a unit he belonged to during 1944.....and make sure it was definately a rank he did achieve!!!

Any Solduch (except Kriegsmarine) with a photo prior to the October 1943 should be treated with suspicion!!!! Especially if they were killed in action!!!!

This is a common thing for some people to add photos to make them more interesting as a Soldbuch with a photo tends to sell better than one without!

Personally I like to see a photo but depending on unit and time it does not always warrant having one!
For example a fighter pilot killed in action 1942 would be nice to have...no chance of him having a photo in the Soldbuch though!!! But, an infantryman who survived the war without a photo is a bit of a loss and I would expect to see one or at least a statement to the fact that due to the combat situation none were available...
On the other hand some photos were removed during the war so there remains only staples and the stamps.....some are even removed by the family prior to selling the documents these days as sometimes they do not wish you to know what he looked like!!!

/Ian

[Rick Research]

What RANK of "NCO?" By that stage of the war, sergeants coming to the end of their 12 year professional pre-war enlistments, if qualified, were granted emergency war commissions because of Wehrmacht expansion and casualties: backdated Leutnant to their 6th year of service, and Oberleutnant "immediately" after completing courses. (The same thing had happened circa 1935 for peacetime expansion.) This sort of rank dating should show on the book. He should have been a Feldwebel or Oberfeldwebel for the leap to "instant Oberleutnant" to have worked.

Ask about the rank dates.

[Ian Jewison]

Incidentally Patrick some photos were removed and "updated" with a newer one, particularly if they were promoted and/or received some awards which they wanted to show in the photo...but again the corresponding stamps should match that of a unit already mentioned in the Soldbuch.

/Ian

[Patrick Dempsey]

Hello everyone,
thanks for the replies, they have been most informative indeed.
When i get the book "on loan" whilst deliberating the purchase, rest assured i shall deliver scans to the forum to clarify things.
thanks again gents,

All the best,

Patrick.