How do you start to reasearch???

[Adrian]

Dear All,
Seeing Wehrpasses and Soldbuchs for sale on the web and owning several myself, they are often advertised as being "ideal reasearch projects". How do you start to reasearch an individual?? I would love to find out more about the gentlemen whose documents I own but I need a push in the right direction.
Are there websites or books I need to look at or is it a case of knowing the right people??
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

[Ian Jewison]

Hi Adrian,
Ideal research projects they are! But remember the reason perhaps the items are for sale may be because the person or a member of his family might have just died!
Also if the original holder is still alive he might not wish to be contacted!!!
Unfortunately when I started collecting documents such sites as this were not available so I had to buy the reference books...such as Tessin's works on units (Land based!) of the Wehrmacht, Kannapin's Feldpost nummer books (Field Post numbers), books on Divisional, Regimental, Bataillon/Abteilung Kommandeur, Ritterkreuz, Deutscheskreuz, Nahkampspange in Gold holders....etc.etc.
So seeing as I have these books and some other forum members have also, here is a good place to start asking questions!
Unit's we can help with (orders or battle, combat history etc.), some signatures, whether he was a Ritterkreuzträger (Knight's Cross holder) etc.etc.
There are also Kameradschaft for many of the Divisions and specialised units...sometimes writing to these can be of help...particularly if you do not wish to buy every unit history!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Deutsches Dienststelle (WASt) in Berlin can give limited information for a fee but for Heer units you might have more info in the Soldbuch than what you will receive from them!
Hope this helps and welcome to the forum..
Regards, Ian

[Simon O.]

Hi Adrian

Just to echo Ian's post. If you need help with FP numbers, units, orders of battle, entries etc. etc. then fire away. I've been truly humbled by the amount of help i've received over the years from this and other forums so its always nice to help out others.


Regards

Simon