Original Item. Only One Grouping Available. This is an exceptionally interesting German WWII document grouping belonging to Willi Eichhoff of Herford, an adult HJ leader who later served in the German Army during WWII. The documents trace Eichhoff from his service in HJ Bann 183 Herford, including his advancement through the HJ leadership ranks, into his later wartime service as a Heer Unteroffizier.

Eichhoff was born March 16, 1911, making him 27 years old when his HJ records show his entry into the organization on May 1, 1938. His age alone makes clear that he was not a teenager, and this is confirmed by the accompanying Führerausweis der HJ, or HJ Leader Identification Pass. The pass records Eichhoff with the leadership rank of Scharführer and documents his promotion to Oberscharführer on November 9, 1939. A separate leadership-assignment section records his employment or assignment as a Führer/Leiter beginning August 1, 1939.

The grouping includes Eichhoff's gray-covered Deutsches Jungvolk / HJ Leistungsbuch, or Proficiency Record Book, bearing the familiar HJ insignia and period printed regulations. The book was used to record the physical, military-style, and ideological training considered essential to HJ development. Eichhoff's copy retains his original portrait photograph, personal information, numerous period stamps and signatures, and extensive completed entries.

His identification page records the same Willi Eichhoff residing at Bismarckstraße 65b, Herford, assigned to Gebiet 9, Bann 183. The book documents a substantial series of physical proficiency tests conducted at Herford on August 8, 1939, including:

100-meter run: 12.4 seconds
3,000-meter run: 9 minutes, 52 seconds
Long jump: 4.85 meters
500-gram club throw: 51.50 meters
5-kilogram shot put: 12.40 meters
Pull-ups: 12
300-meter swim: approximately 7½ minutes

The results are accompanied by examiner signatures and official verification stamps. Other sections cover shooting, marching, field exercises, and additional training expected of HJ personnel.

Especially interesting is the completed Weltanschauliche Schulung, or ideological training section. The examination includes questions concerning heredity, racial policy, German medieval eastward expansion, territories lost under the Treaty of Versailles, Austria's incorporation into Germany, and Germany's relationships with other European powers. Eichhoff's answers are individually graded with the printed designation “b.”, indicating satisfactory performance. The material offers a revealing contemporary example of the way physical training, military preparation, and political indoctrination were combined within the HJ training system.

Also included is Eichhoff's original Führerausweis der HJ. This is one of the most significant documents in the grouping, as it specifically identifies him as an HJ leader. It retains another original photograph of Eichhoff and his documented progression from Scharführer to Oberscharführer. The designation Scharführer placed him within the lower HJ leadership structure, where leaders were responsible for supervising smaller organizational units and carrying out training and administrative duties. His promotion to Oberscharführer in November 1939 reflects his advancement within this leadership hierarchy. An additional Mitglieds-Ausweis der HJ, or HJ Membership Identification Card, is also included.

Especially noteworthy is the accompanying military evaluation dated 1 December 1943 at Königsberg, Prussia, showing what became of Eichhoff after his HJ leadership service. It is headed Beurteilung des Uffz. Willi Eichhoff, or “Evaluation of Unteroffizier Willi Eichhoff,” and bears the unit heading Stabsbatterie, Beob. Ers. u. Ausb. Abt. 1, identifying the staff battery of Beobachtungs-Ersatz- und Ausbildungs-Abteilung 1, an Army artillery observation replacement and training formation based at Königsberg during this period. The unit had been reorganized under that combined designation in April 1943.

The evaluation is quite favorable. Eichhoff's character is described as having an “open, honest disposition,” being “conscientious and very reliable” and “comradely.” His mental and physical abilities are described as “intellectually well suited, physically strong, [and a] very good sportsman.” His conduct is rated “sehr gut,” or “very good,” as are his official knowledge and performance. Under Strafen, or punishments, the form states “keine,” meaning “none.” This later document provides an unusually useful continuation of Eichhoff's personal history from his HJ leadership activities in Herford in 1938-1939 into his wartime Heer service by 1943.

Condition varies throughout the grouping, with expected age and handling consistent with original documents now more than eight decades old. There is general paper toning, scattered staining and foxing, fold and handling wear, edge and corner wear, and assorted period ink and pencil notations. The larger Heer evaluation sheet has punched filing holes. The Leistungsbuch and identification documents remain particularly attractive, with the important photographs, handwritten entries, stamps, signatures, examination results, and leadership information still clearly visible. Please consult the photographs carefully for the exact condition and contents of each piece.

This is a particularly strong and historically informative HJ grouping because it documents far more than ordinary youth membership. Willi Eichhoff was already 27 years old when he entered the HJ in 1938 and is specifically documented as an adult HJ leader, first as Scharführer and later Oberscharführer, serving within Bann 183 Herford. The combination of his Leistungsbuch, Führerausweis, membership identification, original photographs, promotion entries, training records, and later Heer evaluation provides an unusually complete look at one individual's progression from the adult HJ leadership structure into wartime German Army service.

Due to legal restrictions this item cannot be shipped to Australia, France or Germany. This is not a comprehensive list and other countries may be added in the future.