Website Updated: 23.02.2026 - FREE World Wide Shipping - Lifetime Guarantee on Originality!

  • Original WWII German Wehrpass Military ID Cover Brown DGRM

    Original WWII German Wehrpass Military ID Cover Brown DGRM

    The Buttons are broken, one is missing. But can still hold a Wehrpass the pouch itself is fine. Remember all our items include Free Shipping!

  • Original WWII Soldbuch - TSD Offizier Weber - Berlin 1945 - Döberitz / Wundsorf

    Original WWII Soldbuch – TSD Offizier Weber – Berlin 1945 – Döberitz / Wundsorf

    Interesting Soldbuch, (although sadly missing pages) issued at Döberitz Training base to Kurt Weber, from Berlin Karlshorst. He was awarded the War Merit Cross with the HVA in Wunsdorf. (Units and Personal Information are still inside along with a photo of Weber in Uniform!) He served with: Heeresverflegungsamt Döberitz  Interesting Barracks, today in ruins outside Berlin and can be visited on tours. Döberitz military training area, a major military installation near Berlin used by the Prussian Army, the Wehrmacht, and later Soviet forces until 1992. It served as a large-scale training ground for troops, a site for officer and pilot training, and a testing area for new aircraft and motor vehicles. During World War II, it was also a site for training various German units, including foreign volunteers, and housed a subcamp of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp.  Heeresverflegungsamt Wunsdorf  Wünsdorf–Zossen military complex, south of Berlin was one of the most important German command centers during both world wars. By WWII it served primarily as: Headquarters of the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) – the German Army High Command. Part of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) – the High Command of the Armed Forces also operated from the complex. A huge underground bunker system including the famous Maybach I, Maybach II, and the Zeppelin bunker, all designed to withstand bombing. A major communications hub using the Amt 500 complex with advanced telephone, teleprinter, and cipher services. Because of its role, Wünsdorf-Zossen was sometimes referred to as “the brain of the Wehrmacht.” What happened there in April 1945 During the Soviet offensive on Berlin, the Wünsdorf–Zossen area became a major target. Key events (April 20–24, 1945): 20–21 April: Soviet forces of the 3rd Guards Tank Army and 28th Army reached the area during their rapid advance toward Berlin. Fighting around the base occurred as German rear units and training formations attempted to defend the complex. The Luftwaffe bombed nearby areas trying unsuccessfully to halt the Soviet breakthrough. 22–23 April: The Soviets overran the positions around Zossen. The Maybach bunkers and the OKH/OKW command complex were captured almost intact because German forces had evacuated most leadership personnel shortly beforehand. 24 April: The entire Wünsdorf military complex fell under Soviet control. Large stores of documents, communications equipment, and intact bunkers were seized. Weber was in March of 1945 in Wunsdorf, and seems he was captured by the Red Army shortly after during the Battle of Berlin and for some reason was pressed into some sort of service given there is entries of payments by the Red Army in Russian language. 

  • Original WWII German Wehrmacht Soldbuch - Stabsintendant Meusel - Landeschutzen Batl 822 (Prag) - POW Diary - Fully Translated -  Incredible Story - Rare

    Original WWII German Wehrmacht Soldbuch – Stabsintendant Meusel – Landeschutzen Batl 822 (Prag) – POW Diary – Fully Translated – Incredible Story – Rare

    Soldbuch issued in 1939 to Hans Meusel. By: Landeschützen Regiment 1 – Prag  The Landesschützen-Regiment 1 was formed on 29 August 1939 in Prague, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The regiment was organized into a staff and 3 battalions. The regiment was created from Landesschützeneinheiten that had been transferred to the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia during mobilization. He was assigned to Landesschützen Batl 822 (Prag)  Already on 29 August 1939, the battalion was transferred to the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. There, the battalion was incorporated as II. Bataillon into Landesschützen-Regiment 1 and was thus subordinated to Landesschützen-Kommandeur I. On 9 September 1939, the battalion was renamed Landesschützen-Bataillon XXII/XIII. After the redesignation of the higher command, the battalion was subordinated to Division z.b.V. 539 as of 15 October 1939. It continued to be employed in the Prague area. On 1 April 1940, the battalion was renamed Landesschützen-Bataillon 822 in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. The battalion remained under Division z.b.V. 539. It was then stationed in Bochdanetsch near Pardubitz, also in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. On 11 September 1943, the battalion was reorganized into 5 companies. It was now structured into a 1st and 2nd Radfahr-Kompanie, a 3rd Schützen-Kompanie, a 4th schwere Kompanie, and a 5th Pionier-Kompanie. At the beginning of 1945, the battalion was mobilized with 4 companies. Capture – POW Camps – Return Home – Translated  Short Report about my Captivity On 19 March 1945, I was captured by the Russians near Krappitz an der Oder, between Ratibor and Oppeln, after my regiment was encircled and the attempted breakout failed. From my battalion, about one-third of the men are missing; about 25% were captured, and the rest, as stragglers, managed to rejoin the main combat troops. After a march of several days through the Russian rear area, partly under German artillery fire, I was taken to the collection camp Heidebeck bei Kossel. From there, at the end of March 1945, we went on a three-day march to the camp Tarnowitz, where our group of 1,300 prisoners on Good Friday had to make a detour through the towns of Hindenburg and Gleiwitz to demonstrate to the remaining population the condition of the German army. From Tarnowitz, on 17 April, I was sent to the camp Oppeln, and from there at the end of September on a four-day march to Hundsfeld bei Breslau; along the way we had to sleep four times in the open during pouring rain. I remained in Hundsfeld until the end of March 1946. Then came the emergency transport to Frankfurt an der Oder, and from there my release. While the Unteroffiziere and Mannschaften were already released a short time after May, several hundred officers—who had already been captured in January 1945—came to Oppeln from the camp Tschenstochau. However, the majority only arrived after the capitulation, from the West. In the end, about 2,000 Offiziere were there. From August onwards, prisoner transports of enlisted men were each accompanied by about 200 Officers. At the same time, several transports of sick and wounded returned from the East (Kyiv, Armawir, Krasnodar, etc.) and were released from Oppeln, with the exception of about 2,000 men unfit for service and youths under 18 years, who likewise remained only in German camps. In total, about 60,000 men are thought to have passed through the camp at Oppeln. The remainder, about 300 Officers and 100 men, were then transported further east, moving at the end of September to Breslau, especially Hundsfeld. From there, transports continued to the East in the same way until the beginning of December. Then there was a pause until the end of February 1946. At that time, and at the beginning of March, about 25,000 prisoners (including Officers aged 33–60) were transported eastwards for “reparations work.” Their destination remained unknown. Before this, there had been at least 10 medical examinations by Russian commissions, and those unable to work—classified as permanently disabled—were selected for release. About 1,400 prisoners were considered for this, namely around 600 amputees and 800 with internal illnesses (by rank: about 300 Officers and 1,100 men). I myself was among this group. In August 1945, I fell ill with typhus-like symptoms and during this time my weight dropped from 170 pounds to 95 pounds. I am 52 years old. The journey home from Frankfurt/Oder was very complicated, and since the crossing point at Plauen Hof was closed, I had to travel back via Leipzig, Halle, Tannroda, Jena, Hameln, Hellingsstadt, Flüchtlingslager Friedland, Kassel, Warburg (crossing into the American zone), Bebra, Fulda, Nürnberg, in order finally to reach my homeland. This journey lasted almost three weeks, and I arrived home very exhausted on 12 April 1946. Since I was supposed to notify the relatives of about 60 comrades, and in the first days was not able to write, I ask permission to use the typewriter in order to record part of my communications, which in all cases is again confirmed. .

  • Original WWII Wehrmacht Soldbuch - Raimund Glanbauf - MG Gunner -  44 Reichs Grenadier HuD Division - Italy 1944 - Battle of Monte Cassino - Stepped on a Mine - War Crimes in Italy / Massacre of Capistrello -  Interesting Photo! (sold)

    Original WWII Wehrmacht Soldbuch – Raimund Glanbauf – MG Gunner – 44 Reichs Grenadier HuD Division – Italy 1944 – Battle of Monte Cassino – Stepped on a Mine – War Crimes in Italy / Massacre of Capistrello – Interesting Photo! (sold)

    Soldbuch to Raimund Glanbauf Page 1 is sadly missing, but the important information still is inside. He served with Pioneer Batl 80 – 44 Reichsgrenadier Division – Hoch und Deutschmeister From the Alpine border to Monte Cassino Following the armistice between Italy and the Allies on 8 September 1943, the division played a central role in disarming and interning Italian troops in the Trentino and South Tyrol regions. In October 1943, it was transferred to the Operational Zone of the Adriatic Littoral, where it engaged in anti-partisan operations in Istria and Slovenia. In late November 1943, the division was redeployed to Southern Italy, holding positions along the Gustav Line near Monte Cairo and the surrounding area. It took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino, suffering heavy casualties during the fighting. On 4 June 1944, near the Capistrello train station, soldiers from Pioneer Battalion 80 executed a group of Italian civilians arrested during these searches. The massacre of Capistrello At the start of the Allied offensive in May 1944, the division was stationed in the sector east and northeast of Roccasecca. Following the collapse of the Gustav Line, its troops retreated along the Roveto Valley toward Balsorano. During the retreat, they conducted search operations in the hills around Capistrello, where partisans and British parachutists were believed to be hiding. On 4 June 1944, near the Capistrello train station, soldiers from Pioneer Battalion 80 executed a group of Italian civilians arrested during these searches. The retreat through Umbria and the Casentino In its continued retreat, the division moved through the Sabina region in Latium toward Rieti and Leonessa, eventually advancing into Umbria. Along its route north, it passed through towns such as Terni, Assisi, Città di Castello, Umbertide, Sansepolcro, and Pieve Santo Stefano. In early July 1944, the division carried out anti-partisan search operations in the Monte Santa Maria Tiberina area and engaged in combat in the Perugia region. Crossing into Tuscany, the division advanced through the Casentino mountain region and established positions at the Passo dei Mandrioli. On 20 and 21 August 1944, its units carried out a major operation, code-named Maskenball, near the pass and the village of Badia Prataglia. The operation aimed to clear the area of partisan forces. The Sassoleone reprisal action and combing operations in Budrio and Medicina In September 1944, the division was positioned in the northern Apennines, south of Imola and Castel San Pietro. On 24 September, the Pioneer Battalion conducted a reprisal operation in Sassoleone, during which 23 civilians were killed in response to the killing of a German officer in a partisan ambush. After suffering heavy losses in the fighting in Valsanterno, the division withdrew to the area around Budrio to reorganise. On 9 October 1944, one of its battalions carried out search operations in the towns of Budrio, Medicina, and Sesto Imolese, detaining 269 men. Two were identified as partisans and immediately executed, while 120 others were deported to Germany for forced labour. Transfer to Hungary and the end of the war In November 1944, the division was transferred to Hungary, where it fought in the Lake Balaton area. Toward the end of the war, its remaining units retreated to the Austrian-Hungarian border. To avoid capture by the Red Army, these units withdrew to Linz, where they surrendered to American forces. Other notes:  He was issued either a MG42 or MG34 in 1944 – MG (Machinengehwehr) is not to be confused with MP (Machinenpistole) !  Glanbauf stepped on a mine in February of 1945, damaging the right side of his face and his right leg. For which he was given the Wounds Badge in Black. He was found fit for service again in April 1945, but what happened to him after that I was unable to find anything out. Also a really nice and rare page is entered in at the start of the Soldbuch – This describes that he is a member of a Traditions Unit and this comes with benefits. That he belongs only to that unit and that he is to be returned to the unit in the case of injury or sickness. That this paper must be shown when asked for and that it is not to be removed from the Soldbuch. Under order of the Divisions Commander!  On his Photo it can be seen he is wearing his Combat Equipment Y Straps and the photo was likely taken in Italy as it is dated 1944! For more information on this unit: https://www.ns-taeter-italien.org/en/perpetrators/44th-hoch-und-deutschmeister-reichsgrenadier-division https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/44th_Infantry_Division_%28Wehrmacht%29  

  • Original Waffen-SS Soldbuch Grouping - SS Unterscharführer Roland Huy-Prech - SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 14 „Skanderbeg“ - 7 SS Division Prinz Eugen - RARE! (Reserved)

    Original Waffen-SS Soldbuch Grouping – SS Unterscharführer Roland Huy-Prech – SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 14 „Skanderbeg“ – 7 SS Division Prinz Eugen – RARE! (Reserved)

    Very interesting and rare SS Soldbuch set to a unit hardly ever seen on the market. SS Soldbuch and Drivers licence issued to Roland Huy-Prech, who was a driver and technical NCO in the Stab of two Prinz Eugen GJ Regiments! Frontline units: July 1942: SS Gebirgsjäger Regiment 2 – Stabskompanie 1944/1945: SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment 14 „Skanderbeg“ Although the division was designated a “volunteer” division, very few of its men were actually volunteers. Rather, the Banat region had been declared German territory, and the men had been drafted into the Waffen-SS. The division’s equipment consisted largely of captured French, Polish, Czech, and Yugoslavian weapons and equipment. The division’s formation was completed in October 1942. It comprised 11,000 ethnic German volunteers, 22,000 ethnic Germans from Romania, 2,500 ethnic Germans from Croatia, and 2,000 Reich Germans as cadre personnel. That same month, the division was transferred to the area of Užice-Čačak-Novi Pazar-Mitrovica. On October 12, 1942, the division saw its first action against partisan units in the Kopaonik Mountains. This initial engagement, however, was largely unsuccessful. In December 1942, orders were issued to transfer to the Zagreb (Agram) area. On December 31, 1942, the division had a strength of 411 officers and 19,424 non-commissioned officers and enlisted men. In January 1943, the division, advancing from the Karlovac area towards Slunj, participated in a major operation against partisan groups in western Bosnia, targeting Bihac. This operation, codenamed “White,” also involved the 369th, 717th, and 714th Infantry Divisions. The Italian 2nd Army contributed three divisions. On January 27, 1943, the division occupied Bihac. The advance then continued on both sides of the Bihac-Bosn. Petrovac road. The division then marched south via Drvar to Bosn. Grahovo. Hindered by heavy snowfall, Drvar could not be occupied until February 27, 1943. Tito had fled the town the day before. The division assembled here until March 3rd and then attacked Bosn. Grahovo. Mostar was reached on March 15th, where the division concluded Operation White. No major operations took place in April 1943. From May 15th, 1943, the division participated in Operation Black, in which the 1st Mountain Division, the 104th Jäger Division, the 369th Infantry Division, and two Bulgarian regiments also took part. During the operation, which lasted until June 15th, there was heavy fighting with partisan units. After the operation’s conclusion, the division marched into the area north and east of Sarajevo. In July 1943, the General Command of the V SS Mountain Corps was formed from elements of the divisional staff. After some minor anti-partisan operations, the division was transferred to Herzegovina at the beginning of August 1943, with its headquarters in Mostar. Following the Italian surrender, the division received orders on September 9, 1943, to occupy the Dalmatian coast, which was largely occupied by Italian troops. The 2nd SS Volunteer Mountain Infantry Regiment was ordered to capture the strategically important city of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). Since the Italian VI Corps stationed there refused to surrender the city, the regiment was forced to capture it after a German air raid on September 12. On October 22, 1943, the division’s units were numbered. The division was now designated the “7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division ‘Prinz Eugen’,” and the mountain infantry regiments were designated “SS Volunteer Mountain Infantry Regiments 13″ and 14.” The remaining divisional units also received the number 7. From October 23rd, the division participated in Operation “Autumn Storm.” The reinforced SS Volunteer Mountain Infantry Regiment 13 was tasked with occupying the islands of Brač, Hvar, Korkula, and the Pelješac peninsula. The fighting on Pelješac, in particular, resulted in heavy losses on both sides. While this fighting continued, the reinforced SS Volunteer Mountain Infantry Regiment 14 was assigned to Operation “Landsturm” (Home Guard). The objective was to liberate the coastal strip between Split and Metković from partisans. After little success, the operation was called off in mid-November 1943. On December 2nd, 1943, the division then participated in Operation Operation “Kugelblitz” (Lightning Bolt) was launched. In cooperation with the 1st Mountain Division, the 369th Infantry Division, the 187th Reserve Division, and the Bulgarian 24th Infantry Division, three divisions of the Yugoslav People’s Liberation Army were to be destroyed in eastern Bosnia. Advancing from the southwest, the division marched via Gorazde into the area east of Sarajevo. On December 7th, it met up with the 1st Mountain Division near Gorazde and attempted to encircle the Yugoslav forces in the area of Zvornik – Priboj – Plevlja – Gorazde – Sarajevo. However, the Yugoslav units managed to break through and escape near Han Pijesac during the night of December 15th, 1943. The operation was then called off. On December 18th, 1943, Operation “Schneesturm” (Snowstorm) followed. to destroy the escaped partisan units. Heavy fighting and enemy counterattacks ensued, forcing the division to abandon this operation as well. As of December 31, 1943, the division had a strength of 21,102 men, exceeding its authorized strength by over 2,000. At this time, the division was located in the area north of Mostar. On January 4, 1944, Operation “Waldrausch” (Forest Frenzy) began, aimed at destroying the partisan groups west of the Bosna River. During this operation, on January 6, 1944, the 1st Battalion of the 13th SS Volunteer Mountain Infantry Regiment was completely destroyed. The exhausted division was briefly transferred back to Dalmatia at the end of January 1944, to the Ragusa-Split sector, and then, at the beginning of March 1944, to the area east of Sarajevo. On March 28, 1944, elements of the division were driving partisans through the towns of Otok, Gruda, and Dolac gathered the villagers in the village squares and murdered them. The likely trigger for the massacre was the Ustaša government’s plans in Zagreb to resettle ethnic German inhabitants of Slavonia. The murders were thus an act of revenge by the ethnic Germans against their Croatian allies. On April 26, 1944, Operation “Maypole” began. Its aim was to prevent Yugoslav units from crossing the Drina River into Serbia. The operation ended in mid-May 1944 with heavy losses for the Yugoslav…

  • WWII Wehrmacht Soldbuch - Gefreiter Theodor Fischer - Grenzwach Regiment 46 - Siege of the Belgian Fortress Aubin-Neufchâteau 1940 !

    WWII Wehrmacht Soldbuch – Gefreiter Theodor Fischer – Grenzwach Regiment 46 – Siege of the Belgian Fortress Aubin-Neufchâteau 1940 !

    Gefreiter Theodor Fischer from Richterich (Aachen) Germany, born in 1912 – in his civilian life he was a Miner! Soldbuch was issued in September 1939 with: Grenzwacht-Regiment 46 Unit was made up of Border troops from the Aachen area and took part in the Siege of the Belgian Fortress Aubin-Neufchâteau which was one of the forts in the Position Fortifiée de Liège (Festung Lüttich). During the 1940 Belgian campaign, Grenzwacht-Regiment 46 was known for its role in the brutal siege of the Fortress of Aubin-Neufchâteau, one of the forts in the Liège fortified position. After the fall of Fort Eben-Emael, Fort Aubin-Neufchâteau held out for eleven days against a massive German assault, including artillery, air attacks, and infantry assaults, before surrendering on May 21, 1940, due to exhaustion and lack of ammunition. The German forces, particularly the airborne troops, used a combination of glider landings, explosives, and flamethrowers to overcome the defenses, but the garrison’s valiant resistance impressed the attacking forces. Served also with: Radfahr-Bataillon 404 of the 263. Infanterie-Division in occupied Norway, and Radfahr-Abteilung 30 of the 30. Infanterie-Division. Until sometime in 1944 when he contracted some sort of stomach/intestine complains and was sent to various replacement units till the wars end.  Soldbuch comes with his NSDAP Gesundheitspass which was in the rear of the Soldbuch.  

  • WWII Wehrmacht Soldbuch - Obergefreiter Heinrich Bosbach - Ost Batl 618 (Russisch) 15th Armee in Pas de Calais - Destroyed in Normandy 1944 - Rare!

    WWII Wehrmacht Soldbuch – Obergefreiter Heinrich Bosbach – Ost Batl 618 (Russisch) 15th Armee in Pas de Calais – Destroyed in Normandy 1944 – Rare!

    Here we have a rather beat up but original Soldbuch to a really hard to find Westfront unit… Issued to Heinrich Bosbach who served with various Festung and Pioneer Units, until his deployment in 1944 with a rather rare unit! He was also awarded the War Merit Cross with the Ost Batl 618 in France in April 1944 (LXXXII Armee Korps).  Ost Batl 618 (Russisch) –  15th Armee In the winter of 1943/44, most of the Ost battalions were detached from their divisions and corps and transferred to France after the Commander-in-Chief West had freed up corresponding German battalions for deployment on the Eastern Front. Some battalions went to Italy and Denmark. In the spring of 1944, most of these battalions were fully integrated into German regiments, partly as replacements for the detached battalions, partly as 4th Battalions. The Eastern Front battalions were mostly deployed in fortified positions along the English Channel, the Atlantic coast, or the Mediterranean coast. In the winter of 1944/45, the remnants of the battalions, most of which had been destroyed in France, were gathered at the Münsingen training area and used there to form Vlasov’s Russian Liberation Army (ROA). Ost Batl 618 was attached to the 15th Armee in Normandy where it was destroyed according to the Lexicon der Wehrmacht.  I am not sure what happened to Bosbach, although the Soldbuch is not in the best condition, loose and missing the back cover.  

  • WWII Luftwaffe Soldbuch - Unteroffizier Herbert Richter - Schwere Flak Abteilung 231 - Iron Cross First Class / Flak Badge - 8.8cm Flak - Portrait Photos  - Oder 1945

    WWII Luftwaffe Soldbuch – Unteroffizier Herbert Richter – Schwere Flak Abteilung 231 – Iron Cross First Class / Flak Badge – 8.8cm Flak – Portrait Photos – Oder 1945

    Richter was issued his Soldbuch in September of 1939 with the then Reserve Flak Abteilung 231. He would serve the most of the war with: Schwere Flak Abteilung 231  In 1939, the unit was stationed in Dresden, in 1940 in Belgium, and in 1941 in France. In the summer of 1942, the unit was deployed in the Bremen area. In July 1942, the unit was renamed Heavy Flak Battalion 231.. From 1943 to 1945, the unit functioned as Flak Group Vechta. By 1945 they were sent to the Oder Front. They are responsible in 1942 for claiming the downing of RAF Aircraft that crashed in Holland – info can be found on the web.  He was awarded the Annexation Medal 1.10.1938, Iron Cross Second Class, Iron Cross First Class (not entered but he is wearing it in photos!), Flak Badge. A really neat little bit of paper at the front states that he was to get to his battery as soon aa any air raid was underway! His speciality was a Waffen Personal and he attended many courses as a Weapons Uffz!

  • WWII Wehrmacht Soldbuch Grouping - Uffz Paul Berenbaum - Born in France! - Incredible Story Buried Alive by US Artillery - Grenadier Regiment 713 - 416 Inf Div West Wall 1945  - Mortar Team Leader - Rare!

    WWII Wehrmacht Soldbuch Grouping – Uffz Paul Berenbaum – Born in France! – Incredible Story Buried Alive by US Artillery – Grenadier Regiment 713 – 416 Inf Div West Wall 1945 – Mortar Team Leader – Rare!

    Here we have a really tragic Soldbuch Grouping… Paul Berenbaum was born in Wallern (Vallieres Les Metz) France. He was enlisted into the German Army in February 1940. In 1940/1941 he served with:  Infanterie Regiment 178 – 76 Infanterie Division – On the Western Front then in Poland. In 1942 he served with: Infanterie Regiment 441 – 416 Infanterie Division They served in Denmark, more can be found here including the places in which they were posted: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Infanteriedivisionen/416ID.htm In 1943/44 he served with Landeschützen Regiment 930 shortly before being assigned to Grenadier Regiment 713 in late 1942/early 1943. But by late 1944 he was assigned to the Feld Ersatz Batl 476 – 416. Infanterie-Division Issued a MP40 Machine Pistol On October 11, 1944, the division established a command post in Keuchingen near Mettlach/Saar. After the start of the Allied offensive across the Moselle on November 9, 1944, elements of the division were deployed in the ensuing defensive battles around Freching and Kerling. On November 17, 1944, the division’s command post was located in Tünsdorf, on November 18 in Orscholz, and on November 19 in Trassem. On November 28, the division headquarters was in Taben, and on December 3 in Taben-Rodt. On December 4, 1944, after a month of defensive fighting, the division still had a combat strength of 2,400 men, of whom 1,550 were infantry. Heavy fighting ensued around the West Wall, followed by a retreat to the Mettlach area and the Orscholz ridge. On January 14, 1945, the division still had a strength of 3,016 men. In the following weeks, the fierce defensive battles continued at the Orscholz ridge/Saar-Moselle triangle. Between February 7 and 28, 1945, the division suffered 2,195 casualties. According to his wounding tags, he was delivered on the 15.1.1945 in St Wendel with a suspected broken bone from being stuck/squeezed. According to a rather rare (never seen before) Soldbuch Paper which was to be put into the Soldbuch given by the main aid station (Hauptverbandplatz): “Verschüttet durch Artillerie einschlag mit Bewusstlosigkeit; kein erbrechen rechten unter arm eingequetscht”  “Buried by artillery fire, unconscious; no vomiting, right arm crushed” After being examined the Doctor found his right arm was broken at the elbow, and he was suffering from concussion. He was transferred to Bad Wimpfen where he was to rest according to another piece of paper issued by the Hospital, although he would get a Telegram from his Wife that his relative Hilde was killed during an allied bombing raid on the 4th of March 1945. He would spend till the 28th of May 1945 in hospital recovering, before going into a POW Camp Nr 172 in Vernet d Àviege which was in fact a former Concentration Camp. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Vernet Two Letters sent by his friend Julius Niggemann in 1947 read: My dear Paul! Warmest greetings from Julius. I hope you are in good health. When will you finally come home? Considering the circumstances, we hope that the situation in Germany will soon improve. I wish you all the best and a speedy return home – your Julius! My dear Paul! With heartfelt thanks I received your kind lines. I am glad to hear that you are still healthy and in good spirits — as far as I can say, I am as well. During my last visit to Düsseldorf, I unfortunately learned of the death of your dear wife. You must come to terms with this sad fact, however difficult the loss must be for you. I do hope now, with confidence, that you will soon be released. It truly is about time that our authorities finally come to that realization as well. Düsseldorf looks desolate, and yet, despite everything, new life is springing up from the ruins again. I am always amazed at how people manage to carry on with life. For today, I wish you all the best. Stay healthy and in good spirits until we can have a joyful reunion back home. Your ever-thoughtful friend. It seems his wife Thea Berenbaum died in December of 1945.  Lastly a letter dated 18.6.1948 to the now released Paul Berenbaum living in the British Zone of Germany in Munster / Westfalhen shows that he made it out alive. Last comments His story is a tragic story, from being buried alive in combat and miraculously being pulled from the rubble unconscious, loosing family by bombing raids and later his wife whilst he was interned in a former Concentration Camp. A horrible time he experienced, one can only hope he lived peacefully after the war.

×