A very nice Soldbuch, first issue September 1944 issued in Berlin, Potsdam to Kurt Joans born in 1916 in Berlin Eberswalde. Issued by a anti tank/tank hunter replacement unit in Potsdam. Jonas next of kin was his mother in Eberswalde, Berlin. Jonas was issued a full kit on November 1944, as well as a Pistol,  by Schwere Heeres Panzer Jäger Abt 684, and deployed with Schwere Heeres Panzer Jäger Abt 657. A lovely entry into the cover page and page 8 – Ausbildungskommando 8.8cm Pak – Meaning he took part in training on the 8.8cm Pak Gun. A complete list/Order of creation for the unit can be seen here: https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/HeeresPzJAbt/Gliederung.htm Armed with 8.8cm Heavy Motorised P.A.K, according to one book (Advance and Destroy: Patton as Commander in the Bulge, By John Rickard) it seems they had 16 Panzer Jäger (unknown what type of armoured vehicle). They were to fight under, the 212 Volksgrenadier Division in the Battle of the Ardennes 1944/45. The 212. Infanteriedivision was destroyed in August 1944 in Lithuania and these survivors were combined with the 578. Volksgrenadierdivision at Schieratz in Poland. Keeping with the make-up of the original division most of the personnel were from Bavaria and were most young men, many of who were just seventeen years old. In November 1944 the division was moved west and joined the Seventh Army across the Sauer from Echternach. It was commanded by Generalleutnant Franz Sensfuss. It was at full-strength and its morale was high. However, like many of the other Volksgrenadierdivision is only had a portion of it armoured vehicle allocation. Just five StuG assault guns were available. It also only had two of its three infantry regiments available at the start of the Ardennes offensive as the third had been put in the Seventh Army reserve. The initial attacks on 16 December 1944 went well from Echternach towards Berdorf, Dickweiler and Osweiler. The Volksgrenadiers were well behind the American lines before the command of the US 4th Infantry Division were able to react. Echternach was finally taken on 17 December after Sensfuss personally led an assault by the 212. Füsilier Bataillon. The division also took Berdorf the same day, forcing a task force of the US 10th Armoured Division out of the village after bitter fighting. As more units of Patton’s US Third Army began to arrive the Volksgrenadiers were forced over to the defence. They hung on to their gains, but were eventually forced to retire and were back on their start positions by the end of January 1945. However, even with companies reduced to 25 to 30 men they continued to fight stubbornly. They defended the West Wall in February against Patton’s forces. The small kampfgruppe they had become didn’t surrender until May 1945 in Baumholder, Bavaria.   Final Comments It seems Jonas, was captured by the 90th Infantry Division of the US Army in January of 1945 in the town of Doncols (German: Donkholz), stated on the POW papers that Jonas is a MG Gunner. This coincided with his weapons issued, he was only given a Pistol as per the regulations for a MG Gunner. I was unable to find out what they were armed with. But it seems it must have been an 8.8cm on some sort of carriage. A very nice Ardennes/Luxemburg related Soldbuch. Video below shows German POWs captured by the 90th Infantry Division USA in January 1945. Could be that Jonas is standing in this group of POWs.      

This nice little KM grouping to Helmut Pardon, Soldbuch was issued in 1941 and he was assigned to U-Boat Training in Pillau. Although due to the course of the war Pardon would serve on Torpedofangboot (Torpedo Catch Boat) F7 – his Feldpost numbers were mostly obscured although I was able to find it out (29875). In 1944/45 this boat was on active duty in the Baltic area, they were assigned to evacuations to the trapped Army Groups in Kurland. The boat is pictured a few times in his personal photos which show him swearing his oath to Germany/AH. On the first of April 1945, he was assigned to: Festungs Pal Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abt 101 (A) – this unit was deployed all over the last sections of the front still in combat. Its been researched skilfully here: http://richard.tom-goebel.de/berlin-1945/festungs-pak Last Comments: We will never know if Pardon was onboard a UBoat or in the Battle of Berlin. Both are dead ends, but what we know is that he was for sure on the Kurland Coast during the battles. A nice KM Last Ditch Soldbuch. Comes with his 1937 Landjahr ID Booklet with a photo of him in Hitler Youth Uniform.  

Soldbuch issued in September 1939 to Rudolf Steiner born in 1919, he was a farmer before he joined the Army. He joined Infantry Regiment 134 in 1941. Fighting for a very short time in Russia 1941/42. In 1942 he was sick the whole year due to an internal problem. He was back with his frontline unit again early in 1944 around mid 1944. He fought the summer of 1944 on the Gustav Line in Italy.   But by January of 1945 he again admitted to hospital with 25 (Skin Issue) and 18 (Pneumonia). Spent the rest of the war in Hospital till the 3rd of April 1945, he was sent to the Frontleitstelle (Front Direction / Recruitment)  in Vienna 1945 Medals: Eastern Front Medal Infantry Assault Badge Final Comments He likely took part in the battle for Vienna as he was found fit for duty again and sent to the front. Really nice to find an Italy Soldbuch these days, getting harder.  

Opened in April of 1943, this Soldbuch was issued to Alfons Keck born in 1899. Assigned to diverse divisional fighting schools, under the 217 ID, 349 VGD and 349 VGD. His last unit which put him into the line was: 10. Radfahr Jäger Brigade (11 Schwardon) – This unit set up in January of 1945 was deployed in Eastern Prussia. Keck was wounded in March 1945 with a 31b, grenade splinters and was brought to hospital. He had the following awards: 1. Eastern Front Medal 2. War Merit Cross with Swords Second Class 3. Should have been awarded the Black Wounds Badge Final Comments: A nice untouched Soldbuch, with a few awards but priced fairly.