Original German WWII Waffen SS "War Memories" Personal Photo Album with French Campaign Pictures and More - 59 Photos
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Original Item: One-of-a-kind-set. The SS (Schutzstaffel - 'Protection Squadron') was originally formed in 1925, ostensibly to act as a small, loyal bodyguard unit to protect the Führer, Adolf H. Under the direction of the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the SS grew to be the most ruthless and feared organization of the 20th century. They were the vanguard of NSDAP and eventually controlled nearly every function of German life and much of Occupied Europe. When WWII began in earnest, the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) (SS Dispositional Troops) became the Waffen-SS ("Armed SS"), an official military branch of the SS organization. Its formations included men from NSDAP ruled Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands.
Here we have a wonderful Waffen SS personal photo album, with what looks to be mostly photographs they took themselves (or had others take of them), with some promotional postcards towards the end. It is covered with a lovely textured black leatherette cover, embossed with a lovely leather pattern. There is a silver M16 Stahlhelm helmet in the upper right, which was originally silver painted, but was painted black, and had the ᛋᛋ doppelte Siegrune (Double Sig/Victory Rune) symbols added to the decal on the helmet. The lower right is marked in silver with Meine Dienſtzeit (My Service), and above this an aluminum SS Totenkopf (Death's Head) Skull & Crossbones cap insignia, which has had the prongs pressed into the front cover. It is definitely the correct SS style, not the earlier "Danziger" style used by Panzer units. The album measures approximately 10 1/2” x 7 1/2”.
A total of 59 photographs fill the pages of this album, making it a treasure-trove of images taken from the viewpoint of a young, patriotic German Waffen SS soldier. These are contained on 16 total pages, which do not have any "onion skin" separators between them. A few of the photos do have locations on them, all with a date of 1940, and there is also a postcard of a building under Stabskomp. d. Waffen-ᛋᛋ at the top of the page. We have unfortunately not been able to identify this building.
The photos in the album for the most part held in place by corner attachments, though the post cards mostly seem to be glued directly to the pages. The photos are all in good condition, not showing any major staining or deterioration, just some bending. The photos start with what looks to be a postcard of cliffs on a river, possibly the Elbe, and below this and in the next few pages are pictures of Waffen SS soldiers marching, training, and at ease. One photo is captioned Göttingen 1940, and another with what we believe is 1940. Lünen, with some others that we cannot read. Further pages show more Waffen SS soldiers, some Waffen SS graves, and other scenes. There is one pictures showing three soldiers below an arch with MENNO VAN COEHORN on it, a famous person in Dutch military history, which we believe is in the Netherlands, which was overrun as part of the Battle of France. Subsequent pages show similar pictures, and show multiple pictures of the same group of people, indicating that this is definitely a period album assembled by the original owner. The last few pages have some Adolf H propaganda postcards.
Definitely some great historical research potential in these pages!
Historical records like this album have become priceless time capsules that provide an incomparable level of insight into the individual experience of the Second
World War, now that almost eighty years have passed.
The older albums such as these usually withstand the ravages of time. The leather or fabric covers may wear, but the pages stay well intact. The black paper albums of the early 20th century are more fragile, while the glue from magnetic albums can damage photographs. And, as with all old photographs, keep albums in a safe, climate controlled environment.
The Battle of France (French: Bataille de France; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) and France during the Second World War. The plan for the invasion of the Low Countries and France was called Fall Gelb (Case Yellow or the Manstein plan). Fall Rot (Case Red) was planned to finish off the French and British after the evacuation at Dunkirk. The Low Countries and France were defeated and occupied by Axis troops down to the French demarcation line.
- This product is available for international shipping. Shipping not available to: Australia, France, or Germany
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
- 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.
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