Soldbuch to a Hetzer crew member

[Panzer Rob]

Looks like the clerk 'rocked' the stamp. Personally, based on the actual awards (drivers awards were not given to armoured vehicle crews) and lack of an assault badge I would say he was a soft skin vehicle driver. The fact he was part of the Stab would back this up but of course it's impossible to know.

I would agree with you that just a KVK.II and drivers badges – especially with a assignment to a Stabskompanie - would more than likely imply a softskin driver, however if you look closely at the last unit entry, he actually served in the 2.Kompanie, H.Pz.Jäg.Abt.(sf)731 – the “sf.” (self-propelled) was crossed out and “Stab” written over the old “2”

He did serve in a line unit before being transferred to the Stab!!!

[Panzer Rob]

He was also awarded the wound badge in black, silver, GAB and Kurland arm band (granted, they are not "textbook" entries - with "schwarz" spelled incorrectly).

The GAB award entry (if original of course) would definitely qualify him as a AFV crew member... provided the unit had serviceable vehicles and the award was not given for non-vehicle (ground-pounder) combat engagements:

[Panzer Rob]

I was first thinking of a photo that was first only glued into the Soldbuch, got loose after some wear and was later stapled, but that doesn't work with the stamp on the right.

Stamp on the right : on the photo it shows Dienststelle and further on the cover a small part of an e and the rest shows lle, so that stamp alone shows two different stamp parts, so not stamped at once or at one time.

Interesting that on page 22 all awards are stamped with a stamper were the Feldpostnummer is cut out - removed or just not inked at all.



Eric-Jan

Excellent observations

Rob do you know if there is any other material to this man ? Is it possible to show more pages with stamps.

yours friendly

Eric-Jan

2 very, very good questions that should be asked my friend

Yes, there happens to be another document that came with the grouping, and here are a few more pages with the same stamps found within the Soldbuch.

[Panzer Rob]

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[Panzer Rob]

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[Panzer Rob]

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[Panzer Rob]

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[urbanczyk]

Hello Rob,

This is my idea about this Soldbuch, and please read it as my idea:

- This Soldbuch has been upgraded for the collectors market, the picture from the Soldbuch was one time removed but the owner had besides the SA Sportabz Ausweis also a lose picture from Maüter, what I think was his picture from his driving license; the picture, which is clearly the fellow from the Soldbuch was added with some old staples.
Because of all this I'am not a great fan of his Uffz promotion, the GAB, wounded badges black & silver and the Kurland arm band entries.

I hope my idea about helps you to form your own opinion.

Regards,
U

[Gary T]

Hello Rob,

This is my idea about this Soldbuch, and please read it as my idea:

- This Soldbuch has been upgraded for the collectors market, the picture from the Soldbuch was one time removed but the owner had besides the SA Sportabz Ausweis also a lose picture from Maüter, what I think was his picture from his driving license; the picture, which is clearly the fellow from the Soldbuch was added with some old staples.
Because of all this I'am not a great fan of his Uffz promotion, the GAB, wounded badges black & silver and the Kurland arm band entries.

I hope my idea about helps you to form your own opinion.

Regards,
U

Yes, I agree - those awards entries are pretty awful looking. Reason enough to give it a wide berth. The photo on the SA Ausweis also looks to have been replaced.

[Gary T]

I would agree with you that just a KVK.II and drivers badges – especially with a assignment to a Stabskompanie - would more than likely imply a softskin driver, however if you look closely at the last unit entry, he actually served in the 2.Kompanie, H.Pz.Jäg.Abt.(sf)731 – the “sf.” (self-propelled) was crossed out and “Stab” written over the old “2”

He did serve in a line unit before being transferred to the Stab!!!

Combat companies also had softskins in HQ...you're right he did serve in combat companies and yet didn't get an assault badge or wound badge. I'm afraid those award entries look pretty bad.

[dennisb]

Could we also see a scan of page 17, Rob?
Because somehow he moved units in 1944 from Armee-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 731 to a 212.I.D. unit(?) and later got back to Armee-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 731 ??
When he got wounded he received the woundbadge in silber. He moved to Panzerjäger-Ersatz-Abteilung 4, but Panzerjäger-Ersatz-Abteilung 4 wasn't part of the 212.I.D. so how does that 212.I.D. entry came in?

Another question:
How is it possible that page (Page 19/20) is burnt, and the other pages don't have anything at all?

Last question: How is it possible that all stamps have the same gap and don't show there Feldpostnummer.
The stamps you see on the photo, are the same as as these on page 15 and 21.
I agree that it is possible that the stamp did not get as nice as it supposed to be(you see that alot) but all these stamps have the same gap and that's where the Feldpostnummer should be.


I hope you have some answers Rob!

[dennisb]

Combat companies also had softskins in HQ...you're right he did serve in combat companies and yet didn't get an assault badge or wound badge. I'm afraid those award entries look pretty bad.

Gary, he received the Woundbadge, see page 20. (the burnt page)

[urbanczyk]

Hello dennisb,

" he received the Woundbadge, see page 20. (the burnt page)"
- Dennis, Gary and I consider the Verw Abz entries to be fake entries, so we don't use them to come to a conclusion.

Why is page 19/20 burned at the bottom?
- Most likely the faker made an attempt to sign and stamp for the award entries but he came to the conclusion that his attempt was rather naive and very obvious to be fake; he then removed that bottom part and burned the edge with a lighter.

Like I stated in my first posting in this thread, I'am very convinced that this is an upgraded Soldbuch.

Regards,
U

[dennisb]

Hello dennisb,

" he received the Woundbadge, see page 20. (the burnt page)"
- Dennis, Gary and I consider the Verw Abz entries to be fake entries, so we don't use them to come to a conclusion.

Why is page 19/20 burned at the bottom?
- Most likely the faker made an attempt to sign and stamp for the award entries but he came to the conclusion that his attempt was rather naive and very obvious to be fake; he then removed that bottom part and burned the edge with a lighter.

Like I stated in my first posting in this thread, I'am very convinced that this is an upgraded Soldbuch.

Regards,
U

Well, I agree with you 2, that's why I asked for it.

I also have some thought by these other questions I had asked, so that's why I would like to see a scan of page 17 when possible.

What do you think of the stamps? To me they all look the same.

[urbanczyk]

Hello Dennis,

For me the stamps in the Soldbuch, the stamps from which the Fp number has been cut off, are original.

IMO the faker has been messing with the picture, like I said an original picture of Maüter but not the picture that was originally in the Soldbuch.
I have the feeling that the picture had no stamp on the top left corner, the faker used a Fp stamp that didn't match the unit, so he erased the Fp number in an attempt to fool the buyer that he was buying a Soldbuch with an original picture.
I also think he used that same stamp to officalize the wound badges on page 20, realizing that it was a bad quality forgery he just removed that bottom part of the page and burned the edges.

Like I already said, this is my theory about this Soldbuch.



regards,
U