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    Early KIA Soldbucher

    Recently I acquired the Soldbuch of Friedrich Marx, who was an Oberschütze in MG-Bataillon 3. On the 10th of May 1940, this independent battallion was added to the Infanterie-Division 34 as part of the so called 'Vorausabteilung B', the small part of the Army which was the first to cross the Luxembourg border in the early morning and rush to the first objectives. Hauptmann Brede, whose signature can be seen on page 2, was with his company the first to reach the isolated men of the 'Luftlandekommando Hedderich', who were dropped behind enemy Letzeburg lines by Fieseler Storch.. a less known airborne operation from the May 1940 campaign! Three days later, Friedrich Marx was killed somewhere near the Belgian-Luxembourg-French border. He rests in the Sandweiler cemetery in Luxembourg.

    Obviously, this Soldbuch has only minimal entries and comes without a photo, but still pretty interesting for the Western campaign buff. I've found it particularly hard to find such early KIA Soldbucher, especially when compared to Wehrpasse, having seen only 1 or 2 of the Westfeldzug and none of the Poland campaign. So if anyone could share something similar, be my guest!
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    #2
    Some more photos.
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      #3
      One last entry.
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        #4
        That is a wonderful, and rare, soldbuch for such an early Western Campaign casualty. Alot of people wouldn't of given it a second glance due to the lack of entries but it just proves that every book needs to be looked at on its own merits.
        Like you, I can't recall seeing many (if any) Fall Weiss, Unternehmen Weserübung & Fall Gelb/Rote KIA soldbuch's compared to wehrpasses.

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          #5
          hi

          Hi
          Very nice soldbuch

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            #6
            Always interesting to see books from the Eifel/Mosel area, as I'm familiar with that part of Germany. Nice book!

            Hank
            Unless it was nighttime, or the weather was bad, and you were running out of gas - then it was a sweaty nightmare, like a monkey f*ing a skunk.
            ~ Dan Hampton, Viper Pilot

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              #7
              Thanks for the comments guys. If anyone has something similar to share, I'd be interested to see your Polish or French Campaign Soldbucher!

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                #8
                Just for reference, here's an early France KIA Soldbuch which was sold online recently. It's to a Feldwebel Wilhelm Peter, Infanterie-Regiment 105, who was killed on the 13th of June 1940.
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                  #9
                  Two more photos.
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                    #10
                    Guys,

                    At risk of looking stupid (but that is not new for me) what was the policy for return of docs of fallen troops.

                    I thought on the whole it was the Wehrpass that was returned to the family.

                    Is it laid down anywhere what is returned to 'next of Kin'.

                    If it was not policy to return the Soldbuch and I suppose some of them would be stained/damaged it would not be tasteful to send it to family, where would they go?

                    By the way great research.

                    Cheers

                    Jock

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                      #11
                      Regulations, regulations. The Wehrpass was returned to the next of kind, after it was sent to the man's Wehrkreiskommando or Weldmeldeamt. Those Soldbücher of KIA's that didn't have possibe desease, were sent to the Wehrkreiskommando and encluded in the Wehrstammbuch.
                      Jeff

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                        #12
                        I thought I'd add the only KIA Soldbuch for Belgium in May 1940 that I was able to find for my collection. Josef Arweiler served in Infanterie-Regiment 111, part of the 35. Infanterie-Division. This regiment saw severe action on the Schelde river near Antoing and Bruyelle (province of Hainaut). The German attempt to form a bridgehead over the river was driven back by the British on the 21st of May, 1940. During the retreat, Arweiler was hit several times by a British machine gun in the breast, his left leg and the head. His body remained in the open field, until his regiment succeeded in crossing the river two days later. Three comrades dug him a grave, a few hundred meters north of Antoing.
                        The Soldbuch, evidently only with minimal entries, shows the traces of his death. Blood from his breast wound has entered the booklet. Still, the Soldbuch somehow found its way to the family, who stood in contact with a few of his comrades. Included in the grouping are dozens of letters, maps of his grave location, and many more documents of his parents and brothers, two of whom were also killed in the war. Unfortunately, a portrait photo of Josef Arweiler was not included.
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                          #13
                          Some more photos.
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                            #14
                            And finally, his last trip home, exactly two months before his death.
                            I would be very interested to see any other KIA Soldbucher for the Polish or French campaign!
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                              #15
                              Tim,

                              I also like the early war KIA Soldbuchs

                              Here is one of mine. It is the Soldbuch and Wehrpass for Wilhelm Nitzling. He was KIA 5.6.1940 in Estrées-Deniécourt, a small commune in the Somme. As you can see, his leave for the end of May was cancelled. Here is also a link to an online memorial for a French soldier killed in the same battle at Estrées-Deniécourt on the same day as Nitzling:
                              http://translate.googleusercontent.c...rzu9mF51mCv-Ow

                              Also, I was the lucky buyer for the Soldbuch you posted in posts #8 and 9 to Wilhelm Peter. What I like about that one is he was KIA 13.6.1940 in Nanteuil. A commune well to the southwest of Paris, not to far from the coast. I believe the first German troops didn't enter Paris until 14.6.1940.

                              Jared
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