Soldiers and their Soldbuch...

[InfanterieSammler]

Thought I would share these two examples - one I used to own and one still in my collection. It got me wondering, as the soldier(s) did the exact opposite thing. One kept his awards page only, the other SB has most of the other pages, except the award page.

Other SB eccentricities and oddities are welcome...

Best,
John

[InfanterieSammler]

Here is the first one. This is the award page from RKT Wolfgang Darius's Soldbuch. I can understand him wanting to keep this. Aside, from his RK VB this is was the only authorization he would have allowing him to wear his RK.

John

[InfanterieSammler]

And the second...This is the Soldbuch, or better put, what's left of it for RKT Johann Port. What's interesting is this SB has most of the pages, but ends at Pg.18 and has no awards page.

The only theory I could come up with was perhaps when he went into captivity he didn't want to be singled out as a RKT. Note the POW number on the first page, no RKT photo and no award page listing the RKT. Anyways, just a theory...

John

[Ian Jewison]

Hi John,

Remember that the Russians used to think the more awards you had, the more of a murderer you were.....so understandable why the awards page could have been ripped out.

Orders were issued on some fronts also to rip out the units page, i.e. page 4 and 17. This seems to have been more common in Africa rather than any other theater. However these orders went out in Italy and the southern areas as well.

Additionally those from Russia seem to be in bad state sometimes, missing like yours from page 18 onwards...again a bad attempt at ripping out the awards page only??!?!?

Post war, pages were removed also.....hospitalisation pages have been removed to go in the personal file to prove the holder was entitlted to a war or invalidity pension! If you were a conscript and not wounded, I believe you were not entitled to anything!!

Here's one where the guy got it all wrong and kept his cover and units page only!

/Ian

[InfanterieSammler]

That's a great example, Ian. Thank you for posting. Its funny that this guy kept his cover and units only. I wonder what was his motivation?

Best,
John

[AJ]

Hi,
Have these pages from the Soldbuch of a highly decorated Luftwaffe Soldier from the Nahaufklärungs-Staffel 11

[InfanterieSammler]

Anyone else with some interesting examples to share?

Best,
John