Original Item: One-of-a-kind Set. This is an original German WWII military identification grouping consisting of a Wehrpaß identification and service booklet and a Luftwaffe Soldbuch identification and pay book, both named to Oberfeldwebel Kurt Reetz. Together, the books document a lengthy Luftwaffe career extending from his enlistment in 1934 through the end of WWII, including service with bomber, airborne glider support and training formations, followed by a late-war transfer into Fallschirmjäger units. They contain information regarding Reetz’s promotions, unit assignments, weapons training, awards, wartime service, and eventual internment.

The Wehrpaß system was introduced with German military conscription in 1935 and recorded substantially more than basic identification information. Depending on the individual and how completely the book was maintained, entries could document military units, promotions, specialist training, weapons qualifications, campaigns, wounds, awards, and other aspects of service. The accompanying Soldbuch served as the soldier’s identification and pay book and often provides complementary information concerning assignments and promotions.

Reetz's Wehrpaß was originally issued 18. 4. 39., and indicates that when issued, he was part of 6. (Kampf.) Lehrgeschwader Nr.1, an early war Luftwaffe bomber group. His picture is on on page 2, held in place by the hollow rivets used at this time, and it has all the correct stamps, including those over the corners of the picture. Based on the rank insignia in his picture, at the time he was an Unteroffizier (Sergeant) NCO in the Luftwaffe. Page 3 gives his personal information, and gives his birth date as 2. 10. 1913, the location Potsdam. The following pages are blank, as they would only be used for RAD service. Page 11 indicates he enlisted 12. April 1934, before the book was issued, however these were often replaced during the war, and the old information copied over.

Page 12 and 13 contain lots of information, listing all of the units that he was in during his service spanning from 1934 all the way to 1945, with some information even going into the early post war period, ending July 1945. For a good amount of his service (Sept. 1940- March 1942), he looks to have moved to L.L.G. 1 (Luftlandgeschwader 1), a glider support force for the 7 Fliegerdivision, Germany's first airborne division. He then moved to Erg.-Gruppe (S) 2, Stawiko, where he served from October 1942 to August 1944. This was a a specialized training group within the German Luftwaffe during World War II. The letter "S" denoted Schlepp (towing or tug), meaning these units were primarily responsible for training pilots to fly and tow military assault gliders.

In August 1944, Reetz was transferred to II. / Fallshchirm-Jg.-Ers. II Ausb.-Regt.3, a training regiment for Fallschirmjäger Paratroopers. He stayed here until April 1945, when he was assigned to II. / Fsch. Jg. Rgt. 20, an front line paratrooper unit. This was very late in the war, and his service ended on 8. 5. 45., V E Day. At this point it has ehrenvoll interniert (interned honorably), so he was captured, and the following entries all look to be POW camp locations. The last date is 27. 7. 45, with 2. / Marine-Btl. Loibl given.

Pages 20-21 show training records, indicating he was trained on the Gewehr 98, Pistole 08, and L.M.G. 08/15. We believe he was issued some awards, but we are not able to make out the kurrentschrift writing. Pages 22 and 23 show his rank progress as well as awards he was issued (KvK II with Swords). From this we can also see that Trilling rose to the Unteroffiziere mit Portepee (Senior NCO) rank of Oberfeldwebel, equivalent to a U.S. Army Master Sergeant, on 1. 12. 42. After this most of the pages are blank, with 35 being the last page with writing.

The soldbuch in the set was issued 28. Juni 1939, and gives matching information regarding his ranks and dates of promotion, though in less depth, as it is almost certainly not the first one that Reetz was issued. His pictures is still present on the inside of the front cover, held in place by the correct hollow rivets. This is a later war picture, taken after his promotion to Oberfeldwebel in 1942, and also shows the KvKII ribbon installed on his uniform. Page 4 gives all the units he was a part of during the period the book was used, but ends before he was transferred to a paratrooper regiment late in the war. There is lots of additional information in the book, though unfortunately it is difficult to decipher.

Of note: most the writing in this book is in Kurrentschrift, an older form of Germanic script writing, which is why the all the "u" letters are written as "ŭ". In this script the lowercase "n" and "u" are identical, so the latter gets the arc shaped mark over it. This is not indicative of an umlaut or other diacritical marking.

With its matching Wehrpaß and Luftwaffe Soldbuch, identified photograph, continuous service record beginning with a 1934 enlistment, Luftlandegeschwader and glider training assignments, promotion to Oberfeldwebel, recorded War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords, weapons qualifications, late-war Fallschirmjäger service, and entries extending into Reetz’s post-surrender internment, this is a particularly researchable Luftwaffe document grouping. It offers an unusually broad view of one senior NCO’s progression through more than a decade of German military service and would be especially well suited to a Luftwaffe documents, Fallschirmjäger, airborne and glider operations, military identification, or advanced German WWII paper collection.

More on the German Soldbuch:
The Soldbuch served the soldier as a personal identification document in wartime and as an authorization to receive pay from his own or outside pay-stations. In addition, it was identification for rail travel, detached service, leave, and for receiving mail. The Soldbuch was always carried by the soldier on his person in a tunic pocket. Leaving the book in one's baggage or in one's quarters was not permitted. The careful preservation of the book was in the best interest of the owner. The Soldbuch had to be kept in an orderly fashion. The owner must see to it, that all changes in pay due to transfer or promotion are immediately entered by his responsible duty station. The Soldbuch was an official document. Entries were only to be made by a Wehrmacht duty station. Making unauthorized changes is punishable as falsification of official documents. The loss of a Soldbuch was to be reported as soon the loss is discovered to the holders unit or duty station, and the issue of a new Soldbuch will be requested.