Wehrmacht

Impressive Soldbuch and award grouping of Obergefreiter Peter Bernardin, 16. Panzerjäger Kompanie, Gebirgsjäger Regiment 137 where he enlisted 26.8.1939. He was issued the G.33/40 Gebirgsjäger Carbine and a pair of skis. His unit served in Poland in 1938 and after that it was sent into Norway in 1940. The unit was stationed in Lappland, Finland between 1941 and 1944. In the end of the war it was moved to the area Saarpfalz near the French border where it saw heavy action until the end of the war.

He was awarded the Medaille zum Errinnerung von 13. März 1938 on 4.5.1940, the Kriegsverdienstkreuz II klasse on 21.11.1941, the Winterschlacht im Osten on 14.12.42, the Verwundetenabzeichen im Schwarz on 17.8.43 and the Eisernez Kreuz II Klasse on 19.10.1944.
These awards are all in good condition and all have the triangular Austrian ribbon style which seems to be typical for Gebirgsjäger. The Iron Cross II class is marked 55 indicating production by J.E. Hammer & Söhne which is a rare maker as is. The wound badge is a unmarked example. The Ostmedaille is marked 6 indicating production by Fritz Zimmermann.

There is a rare large document commemorating the Norway campaign in 1940 for members of Gruppe Feurstein which was named after Generalleutnant Valentin Feurstein the divisional commander of the 2. Gebirgsdivision. This document was awarded to the men who marched from Fauske to Narvik to rescue the isolated Gebirgsjäger Regiment 139. This document is named to then Gefreiter Peter Bernardin. This is a rare document!

The award document for the Kriegsverdienstkreuz II Klasse is signed by Generalmajor Ernst Schlemmer which by then was the commander of the 2. Gebirgsdivision.

Next to these official awards there is the Finnish/German Nordfront cross made by Hopeatakomo o.y. and the Petsamo Rovaniemi badge by the same maker. Both bades are in very good condition retaining most if not all of its enamel and gold coloured finish. There is also the 1943-1944 Eismeerfront capbadge with all prongs intact in the back. There is a Gebirgsjäger Edelweiss capbadge marked F&B most probably indicating production by Förster & Barth. There is a Lappland shield with this group but those are always debatable as such but I will keep it with the group. There is a traditional Finnish Puukko knife which carries the decal of the 1940 Finnish olympic games which never happened until 1952. This as such is a interesting collectible! There is a single early pointed style shoulderstrap to Gebirgsjäger Regiment 137 and a early dark green backed Edelweiss, both in uniform removed condition. His Erkennungsmarke with its original string, matching to that noted in the Soldbuch and additionally a French prisoner of war itentity tag indicating he was captured on the Western front.

This extensive grouping is exceptional. All of its individual components of a great quality and included some rare variants. The completeness of this grouping clearly deserves a separate display case and a in depth research study as such. I am sure the combined value of all the pieces individually easily increases the value of the group a lot but I refuse to break it up as a historical artifact!

Waffen-SS Soldbuch to SS-Panzergrenadier Hermann Lähndorf. Issued on 9th of march 1945 in Stralsund at the Stamm Kompanie of SS Panzer Grenadier Ausbildungs und Ersatz Batailon 9. Hermann was born 29 April 1907 in Rensfeld. He was killed in action in April 1945 and buried in Beeskow which was a small town east of Berlin on the Spree river. Hermann was enlisted very late in the war and the front literally moved right to his base of training in March/April 1945. The training unit was responsible for supplying replacements for the Hohenstaufen division up to 1944. After that it was dissolved into the 32. SS-Freiwilligen Grenadier Division “30. Januar”. This unit saw heavy battles at the Seelow Hights, Beeskow which after it retreated trough the Halbe forest. Beeskow roughly being in between Seelow and Halbe. Nice late war Waffen-SS soldbuch which is a nice base for further research, for sure interesting example of a soldier that saw action in the last days of the war in the shadow of Berlin!