What's the longest amount of time you have seen in between entries in a Soldbuch?

[Panzer Rob]

Hi guys-

I'm really interested in hearing the longest amount of time you have seen in between entries in a Soldbuch. For me it's roughly seven months - between July '41 - December '42 for a "Barbarossa" veteran.

Do any of you have Soldbücher where the entries just stop without any explanation? I've got a few where this is the case.... The entries just end (a few of these around late '44) but there's no record of the soldier being KIA, MIA or POW. I often wonder if the Soldbuch was perhaps lost (then found again after a new one was issued) or if it was replaced due to the fact that it was damaged, full (or for whatever reason) and just never "officially' closed out. I'm sure it's possible that the soldier may have been KIA (MIA or captured) but that for whatever reason the info was never recorded.

Rob

[hucks216]

I have a soldbuch that was opened on 1st Sept 1939 and the last entry is dated in January 1941 but after that there isn't anything else and there is no indication that he was KIA/MIA or died of wounds etc.

I also have a Wehrpass to a pilot with one entry dated 1st May 1945 and then the next one dated 3rd Sept 1956 - seems that when he rejoined the post-war Luftwaffe he decided to keep his WP right up to date and kept a record of all his postings in it right up to March 1970!

[Panzer Rob]

Thanks for your reply, Kevin. Those books that just 'end' without any explanation really keep you wondering, eh?

I'm very interested in hearing from others about lengthy gaps in between entries in Soldbücher that have not been closed out... What's the longest amount of time in between dated entries you have/have seen?

Also, do you think it is possible for a Soldbuch with the last entry made in late October/November '44 to have been used up through the end of the war but without having any more entries made?

Rob

[Luft 76]

Hello Rob

It was hard for me to understand what you want to know. My english language is not enough good. So, I hope to have correctly understood your question.
I habe a Lw Sb of Nachrichten unit who stayed "opened" since nov. 41. Only one little stamp on vaccination page proves that the book was still activ in july 44. Even the "Urlaub" or clothes entries stoped in 41...

[Panzer Rob]

Hello Rob

It was hard for me to understand what you want to know. My english language is not enough good. So, I hope to have correctly understood your question.
I habe a Lw Sb of Nachrichten unit who stayed "opened" since nov. 41. Only one little stamp on vaccination page proves that the book was still activ in july 44. Even the "Urlaub" or clothes entries stoped in 41...

"Luft76,"

No worries, it appears you understand perfectly what I am asking as that's exactly the type of information I am looking for.

I have some KIA Soldbücher with entries that stop several (some 5 or 6) months before the soldier was killed, and I often wonder if these books were still in use by the soldier at the time of his death; was the SB accidentally (or intentionally?) left back at camp with his personal effects and despite regulations sent home to the family? Could it have been picked up by a victorious enemy combatant or intelligence personnel, etc. after a battle.... or, if the SB was misplaced or lost but then found later and packed away.... Was a new SB issued and this one simply never closed out? Could they have been taken prisoner? Were they KIA/MIA but their info isn't listed on the Volksbund Gräbersuche website? I guess there are quite a number of possible explanations.

I also have some Soldbücher to front line combatants with entries that end in late '44 / early '45 but were never closed out, and so I often wonder if these books were still in use by the soldiers up until wars end but, for one reason or another, weren't updated / didn't have any entries added.


Rob

[dennisb]

I have seen several late war Soldbücher to soldiers that served with the 15. Panzergrenadier-Division. Somehow most of these Soldbücher weren't updated in the last months of the war besides the unit entries of transfers within the regiment.

[naxos]

Not really on topic but related.

The last entry in my father's Soldbuch was made on March 20, 1945.

He went home on leave and remained there until he surrendered to French Colonial Forces on April 8, 1945.

Note, unlike the other leave entry, there are no dates entered for when his Einsatzurlaub begins or ends.

After retreating to the Verona area his Lt (Knight’s Cross recipient Horst Schimpke ) practically sent him home with the parting words: "See you after the war"

[Panzer Rob]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Rob

[Panzer Rob]

Just thought I'd bring this back up to the top. Do any of you have Soldbücher with entries that end in late 1944, but you know were carried/used through the end of the war?

Thanks,
Rob

[Eric JB]

Though that I did have one with last entry made on 25. Oktober 1944 for Einsatz Urlaub and the entry after that one being his 31G U.S. Army - POWIB - France stamp on page one, only to see an Impfungen stamp dated 1? (second or third week) Jan.1945.

Another soldier, did have his last Soldbuch entry on 2.12.1944.
But his Prisoner of War Post Card shows, Ich bin in englische Gefangenschaft geraten, datum 8.3.1945 (March), so I assume that he did wear his booklet till his capture.

No longer in my collection, soldier did receive a new replacement Soldbuch and after nearly 7 months his first one did surface up again, and his first one was used further on.

yours friendly

Eric-Jan

[bsmith56]

I've got one that has a date for December 44, then nothing until April of 45.

I also have one where the entries just end... I think like March of 44 was the last entry, and it's a standard entry too. Nothing else after that... No POW numbers, KIA or anything. It's not denazified and I don't find anything on the Volksbund so I think he was probably captured.

[Panzer Rob]

EJ-

Thanks very much for posting this - it's exactly what I have been asking for.

Particularly interesting is the last set where a replacement SB was issued, but upon finding the original again he went back to using it.

Thanks again,
Rob

Though that I did have one with last entry made on 25. Oktober 1944 for Einsatz Urlaub and the entry after that one being his 31G U.S. Army - POWIB - France stamp on page one, only to see an Impfungen stamp dated 1? (second or third week) Jan.1945.

Another soldier, did have his last Soldbuch entry on 2.12.1944.
But his Prisoner of War Post Card shows, Ich bin in englische Gefangenschaft geraten, datum 8.3.1945 (March), so I assume that he did wear his booklet till his capture.

No longer in my collection, soldier did receive a new replacement Soldbuch and after nearly 7 months his first one did surface up again, and his first one was used further on.

yours friendly

Eric-Jan

[Panzer Rob]

I've got one that has a date for December 44, then nothing until April of 45.

I also have one where the entries just end... I think like March of 44 was the last entry, and it's a standard entry too. Nothing else after that... No POW numbers, KIA or anything. It's not denazified and I don't find anything on the Volksbund so I think he was probably captured.

Brandon-

Thanks for taking the time to post a reply. It's difficult to say with these books which have entries that just end, however given that we are hearing about examples where there were many months without any entries being made, it's possible that in the case of the second book you mention the soldier may have eventually went into captivity. I think it's also possible that he could have been killed but for whatever reason his info is not listed on the Volksbund site.

Thanks again guys for posting.

Rob