Manuals & Paper items

Unique shrapneldamaged soldbuch to Panzerschützen Franz Schefler, born 11 december 1926 and enlisted on 11 august 1944 at the age of 17. A typical 17 year old aryan boy with blond hair and blue eyes. He enlisted in 2. Kompanie Panzer Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abteilung 10, transferred to Panzer Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abteilung 4 and later to Grenadier Regiment 912. He was awarded the Verwundeten Abzeichen Im Schwarz on 7 november 1944 due to wounds noted as  Krankheit 31B which indicates 31b-Handgrenade, mortar, artillery (shrapnel). Grenadier Regiment 912 fought heavily in eastern Prussia or Ostpreussen and was destroyed first of april 1945 at Heiligenbeil which is currently known as Kaliningrad. This is for sure one of the most visual and poignant pieces of history I’ve had to offer.

A nice set of three original pictures showing the Circle of Life. The third picture shows the boar being cut by a SS-Unterscharführer.

Stunnning photograph and document grouping to Gefreiter Erwin Forkel, 2. Kompanie Fallschirmjäger Artillerie Regiment 1 which is a part of the first Fallschirmjäger-Division. Forkel jumped onto the island of Crete and survived the landing and fierce battles following after. He was assigned with the Fallschirmjäger Artillerie Regiment 1 equipped with the  recoilless 7.5 cm Leichtgeschütz 40. 

The grouping consists of a number of signed documents, awards and a stunning and highly impressive photo album with over 240 pictures on the Crete campaign.

The documents are all named to Erwin Forkel and signed by several high ranking and famous members of staff such as Geudens, General der Fallschirmtruppe Richard Heidrich and Generalleutnant Sponheimer (21.ID). The documents are both hand signed, manuscript and facsimile. The documents are for the Sturmabzeichen, Verwundetenabzeichen, Eiserne Kreuz 1. Klasse, Ostmedaille, Ärmelband Kreta, Fallschirmschützen Abzeichen and Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe. The documents come with Forkels original wound badge, EK1 and Kreta cuff title. Erwin Forkel was a highly decorated Fallschirmjäger!

The photo album is like the document grouping highly impressive. There are over 240 pictures, maps and postcards bound in a thick beaten and battered album that must have travelled with him a lot. The front of the album has the big title KRETA and is loose from the album(!). The album focusses a few pictures on barracks and jump training soon to move to Crete. The Crete invasion is well documented in the album, from the loading of planes to the jumping itself and the following battles. There are many non published pictures that show the combat conditions they where in. Many pictures show destroyed British tanks, dead British soldiers and fully equipped Fallschirmjäger in trenches with equipment and weapons.

The grouping would be a centrepiece in any Fallschirmjäger collection, especially for those who collect the early war items. The album speaks for itself and is even way more impressive in hand. A stunning grouping to one man that for sure that would be very, very hard to upgrade!