Great source for definitions to abbreviations in Heer soldbuchs and wehrpasses

[MilitaryCollect]

Hi,

I found this site on the web which looks like a GREAT source for definitions to abbreviations found in soldbuchs and wehrpasses.

Christopher

http://home.clara.net/percy/glossary.htm#section6

The following is a quote from this site:

German Army Unit Glossary

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Most military forces throughout the world love their abbreviations and acronym's. The German Army of the Second World War was no exception. The table below concentrates on unit terminology as is often found in a wehrpass, usually on pages 12 and 13. The main source for this was the 'German Order of Battle 1944' by Ian. V. Hogg, a reprint of the British Army's offical intelligence guide to the German Army of 1944 plus some added by myself. This book is an excellent source of information, especially about the role of some of the Army-level support units that you may encounter in a wehrpass.

The table is by no means exhaustive but most other units can be worked out from the constituent parts of their abbreviation. Bear in mind these are the 'official' abbreviations - individual clerks could of, and did, use their own versions (usually shortened even more - i.e. only use the capital letters from each word).

[Jonathan M]

Thanks very much for this. Ive been looking for one for ages
Jonathan

[Ian Jewison]

That's Gary T's site.

[Larry deZeng]

The most comprehensive I've seen is Part VI - Abbreviations in the British Air Ministry's (A.I.12) Manual of German Air Force Terminology, German - English, London, (n.d., but quite evidently 1945 or 1946). It's hard to find, but there are reprint copies available on the internet from time-to-time. There are thousands and thousands of abbreviations from all branches of the military and party. For example, the letter "V" lists 279 abbreviations with some having more than a dozen different meanings.

--BHS1956

[Ian Jewison]

The most comprehensive I've seen is Part VI - Abbreviations in the British Air Ministry's (A.I.12) Manual of German Air Force Terminology, German - English, London, (n.d., but quite evidently 1945 or 1946). It's hard to find, but there are reprint copies available on the internet from time-to-time. There are thousands and thousands of abbreviations from all branches of the military and party. For example, the letter "V" lists 279 abbreviations with some having more than a dozen different meanings.

--BHS1956

I have an original copy, but as you say it is mainly Luftwaffe abbreviations....other parts deal with terminology, Flak, M/T and radar.

/Ian

[Jonathan M]

The main site is a great tool for Wherpass collectors
Jonathan

[MilitaryCollect]

Wehrpass info

Hi,

This really is great ... a very detailed account on how to read a WP.

http://home.clara.net/percy

[Ian Thomson]

Hi, I picked up a copy of "German Military Abbreviations" prepared by Military Intelligence Services, War Department, from April 1943, Reprinted by Service Publications, www.servicepub.com isbn 0-9699845-0-2, many years ago on Ebay, it runs to 246 pages and priced st $16.95 its very good.

Cheers
Ian

[Panzer Rob]

The main site is a great tool for Wherpass collectors
Jonathan

Absolutely, but not just Wehrpass collectors - I'd go as far as to say collectors in general, specifically unit history and document collectors. I use the site quite often for research and reference. I just hope Gary decides to leave it up once he's done selling off his collection
Rob

[leigh kitchen]

I printed off various sections of the site & have them to hand in a loose leaf folder - the sections on wound & medical conditions codes are checked virtually every time I aquire another WP or SB, it's an excellent reference .

[Panzer Rob]

I printed off various sections of the site & have them to hand in a loose leaf folder - the sections on wound & medical conditions codes are checked virtually every time I aquire another WP or SB, it's an excellent reference .

Leigh-

I do the same thing - I make PDF's of anything I find useful and keep it in my digital Soldbuch/Wehrpass/document reference archive. They do come in handy!!!

Rob