Wow, I just looked at the German Wikipedia entry for the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) in Berlin. I knew that they had a lot of Soldbücher and Wehrpässe, but I had no idea how many: 5 Millionen Personaldokumente, z. B. Wehrpässe, der Soldaten der Land- und Luftstreitkräfte des Zweiten Weltkrieges (Five million documents, for example, Wehrpässe, for ground and air forces of the Second World War). Certainly not all of the documents are IDs (Soldbuch or Wehrpass), but I would bet that 2 million or more are. I have corresponded with the DD since 1976, but never was able to obtain a single photocopy from their holdings (Has anyone else?). It's a real shame, especially if you are researching a specific soldier or unit. Unfortunately, the DD will only provide you with a basic outline of a soldier's career in a typed version rather than send you copies of the actual documents. A few years ago, a friend of mine from Germany, under the auspices of the International Red Cross, took a tour of the DD. Not only do they have IDs and documents, but the last effects of the soldiers who were captured, killed, or reported as missing. If a family member of a soldier can prove they are a relative, the DD will turn the effects over to them. Here's an example: After telling Harry Girth, a German paratrooper captured at Normandy, that some of his property might be housed at the DD, he wrote to the DD. Having escaped from the POW camp in Fort Dix, New Jersey, he received the items he had left behind. For several years, Harry eluded capture, and was one of the last German POWs to be "caught" (he actually turned himself in during the 1950s) in the U.S.
Barry
Barry
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