German militaria

Interesting Soldbuch to Karl Ernst Sonntag, serving with Grenadier-Regiment 1044 and Grenadier-Regiment 116. The soldbuch was filled 27 august 1939 and is literally over filled with interesting entries. He first served with the 1. Infanterie-Kolonne at the very outbreak of the war. Over the years he rose steadiy through the ranks, starting as a Schütze and receiving promotions to Gefreiter and Obergefreiter in 1940, then Stabsgefreiter in 1942. Finally, he reached the rank of Unteroffizier on 15 April 1945, just weeks before the end of the conflict.

He was later transfered to Grenadier-Regiment 1044, serving in the 8. (schwere) Kompanie, a heavy weapons unit. Throughout his long service he was issued a whole arrae of armament to include a Gewehr rifle (serial 1374), a Seitengewehr bayonet, and a size 2 gasmask. He was even issued a flag at one point in August 1944!

In May 1943 he was treated for Fleckfieber (Typhus) at field hospitals 3/606 and 1/533 before being evacuated via Lazarett-Zug (hospital train) to Reserve-Lazarett Saarburg. He was later treated at Reserve-Lazarett Braunau in the Sudetenland in 1944 where he received a Führergeschenk package. Because he was away for medical reasons so often, he had to get replacement clothing at a collection point in Krakau in May 1944 for gear lost in service.

He was awarded the EKII on 20 April 1942. At this time his unit, the 253. Infanterie-Division, was fighting the brutal Rzhev Meat Grinder near Moscow, holding the line against massive Soviet counter-attacks. He followed this with the Winterschlacht im Osten medal in August 1942. Most impressively, he was awarded both the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz and Silber in May 1944 while fighting in the Kovel sector of Poland with Grenadier-Regiment 1044, proving he saw plenty of heavy combat.

The last entries in his book suggest he remained with his unit until the very end. Most of the 253. Infanterie-Division eventually surrendered to Soviet forces in the Deutsch-Brod (Havlíčkův Brod) area of the Czech Republic in May 1945.

This is a impressive and obviously combat worn Soldbuch which was issued in 1939 and was still carried in 1945. It surely whitnessed many interesting battles on the Eastern Front and beyond. This is truly a interesting time capsule worthy of further research, belonging to a small-statured soldier of only 1.53 meters who stayed in the fight until the very end!

This collection of personal effects and official documents provides a comprehensive record of Gerhard Strauß, a Berliner who served as a Kraftfahrer. Born on February 7, 1922, Strauß worked as a machine fitter for the Deutsche Reichsbahn before his military service. His transition to military life is documented by his 1940 civilian identity card and his subsequent Soldbuch, which tracks his promotion to Gefreiter in August 1942.

The grouping is interesting for documenting his service in the North African theater. Strauß was assigned to the 6. Nachschub-Kolonne 572 and was issued extensive tropical equipment, including an olive sun helmet or Tropenhelm, a tropical uniform, a mosquito net and driver goggles. His participation in this campaign is further confirmed by an Afrikakorps cuff title and his receipt of the German-Italian Commemorative Medal for Africa on January 31, 1942. Among his personal effects is a leather wallet embossed with “Ricordo della Libia” (Souvenir of Libya), which still contains a Berlin transit ticket.

Beyond his deployment, the Soldbuch meticulously details his medical and administrative history, including vaccinations for smallpox, typhus, and dysentery administered between 1941 and 1943. His service concluded with his capture by Allied forces. His status as a prisoner is preserved through an American identification photo and handwritten POW numbers from both American and British authorities (4WG-13185 and D-801438) on the back of his paybook. The grouping is completed by his aluminum identity disc, which matches the unit information recorded in his files. A nice set for further research!