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Wehrmacht
(Das Heer)
Page 35
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Wartime Log: A Chronicle from a German Prisoner of War (Item WEHR 35-1; RAREBOOK 2-24) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This seems to be a booklet issued by the POW commission to German prisoners of war that they could use to record their memories of their incarceration. This book with linen cover measures 7 x 9½ x ½ inch thick. It is in immaculate condition and was obviously owned by a prisoner whose first name was Günther. It seems that in 1946, he was still a prisoner in an American POW camp. It opens with a piece of artwork with a sword and keys and the exclamation “Meine Erinnerungen” (My Memories). On the next page there is a long letter (full-page message) dated in 1946 from a comrade in “Läger 4” of the camp. Following this letter are several more from fellow prisoners. On page 13, there is a letter from Fritz Crutina. Fritz says to Günther: “Whenever you think back to Babenhausen, we hope you will remember these happy hours that we had in camp office ‘Hamburg’ and that they helped us to get on in these days; may we remember these happy days. Babenhausen September 3, 1946.” (Babenhausen was the camp that these men were interned in before being sent to America and was under the control of the 106th Infantry Division.) It seems that Günther was a POW in several camps in Germany before he was sent to the U.S. for confinement. Thank God he was not in any of the Rhine camps where IKE, with ugly malice aforethought, purposely changed the prisoner designation and in so doing doomed over a million German prisoners to a horrible death (starvation and lack of any shelter, whatsoever.) Do we still say: “I like IKE”? Below are some of the entries written in the log by POWs—other Deutsche Soldaten—who were with Günther in some of the camps. Alfons Bartsch says: “May you find the friend that is worth living for; may you find the job for the one you created; may you be proud of your nation forever.” July 30, 1946. “Respect and trust are the pillars of life. Without respect there can be no trust and without trust there is no love.” August 3, 1946 Helmut Kuhnert. Erich Riegers says: “Memories are like a paradise in that they stay forever.” Leopold Rost says: “If you want to be happy in life, help others to be happy, too. The joy of other people’s happiness returns to your heart.” “Dear Günther, despite your forced removal from Germany, I am thankful that I found in you the best that I could find of a human being. The loss of my health is not a burden to me now. All the very best, your comrade, Gerd Verhoop." G.W. Verhoop Wassennaar (Holland), Lange Kekdam 80. There are quite a few more letters from there to page 71. Then there is a color picture drawn by Günther introducing several pages of wonderful and humorous cartoons that are nothing short of professional. Folded within the pages is a special cartoon showing a boy playing a musical instrument, while his dog howls out the words of the little ditty. If this man were around today, he could be well paid by a magazine or newspaper as a major cartoonist; he was that good. PRICE: $450.00 |
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German Victory Poster--WWII (Item WEHR 35-2) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is a dramatic-looking poster that has the message “SIEG UM JEDEN PREIS” (translation: “Victory at all Costs”). The picture represents a proud and determined Wehrmacht soldier bearing the Reichskriegsfahne. The poster is very awesome to view with the mind having to realize that victory was after all not possible and in my mind, the forces of evil triumphed while supporting International Communism and Joseph Stalin. The poster is in very good condition, which shows some spotting in the red portion of the flag. It measures 34 inches long by 23 ½ inches wide. In the far bottom corner there are the letters and numbers “n. 7. (PLO 56).” There are no apparent tears or abrasions and the spotting does not appear on the soldier. This is one of a group of wartime posters that we purchased from a Russian dealer who claimed they were out of a captured enemy propaganda grouping in a Russian museum archive.
PRICE: $475.00 |
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Wehrmacht (Heer) Belt Buckle (Item WEHR 35-3) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This one has the sort of field-grey coloration that is correct for an issue belt buckle. It has the leather strap attached, but the original German soldier shortened it for some reason. There are some stamped letters and numbers stamped at the underside of the front lip, but we cannot make them out. That particular area is the point when such a buckle would see the most wear in the “buckle-unbuckle” procedure. The buckle itself is in pretty decent condition with a bit of field staining here and there. It has always been interesting that the German army had “GOTT MIT UNS” emblazoned on this uniform accoutrement. (Isn’t it said with rather nauseating repetitiveness that the German Third Reich was antireligious? But then it’s obvious that you don’t find such wordage on any of the equipment of the Communist soldiers’ equipment or the items of the allies such as Britain and America that dutifully supported the Reds!)
PRICE: $135.00 |
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WWII Wehrmacht (Heer) Belt Buckle (Item WEHR 35-4) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This one is in practically mint condition. It does not have a leather fitting strap. Why? This buckle might have been made buckle first, and then to be finished with a tab later??? Or the soldier removed it for individual wear preference. If one of you professional collectors has an answer, please inform us. This is the classic buckle of the Heer (army) and as nice a one that you will ever encounter.
PRICE: $130.00 |
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WWII Wehrmacht (Heer) Belt Buckle (Item WEHR 35-5) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Great Wehrmacht (Heer) WWII Belt Buckle with Leather Tab (Exceptional)
Here is the buckle for the real connoisseur of WWII German army equipment and uniform specialist. You will seldom see a better one. Manufactured in 1941, it is by the famed uniform work Berg & Nolte AG, Lüdenscheid and is clearly stamped on the tab. The buckle itself is stamped “B&N 1941.” The finish is field grey and is in fine-plus condition.
PRICE: $235.00 |
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WWII Wehrmacht Heer Belt Buckle (Item WEHR 35-6) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here is a very nice German army belt buckle with the leather fitting strap. There is a “41” date and some sort of a manufacturer’s logo on the forward metal underside lip, but no markings on the strap. The buckle is in good shape with the usual small bit of wear staining. The eagle and “GOTT MIT UNS” are beautifully pronounced. This is a fine example of this essential uniform accoutrement used during the war and a vet picked up. The manufacturer’s logo may be for the company Berg Nolty.
PRICE: $150.00 |
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Genuine Huge-Sized German WWII Service Belt (Item WEHR 35-7) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This Heeressoldat who wore this belt was big! In fact, very big. When we lay this belt on the table and measure it, it is long. It is a very nice belt in really great condition with a nice inner belt stamp with the buckle fastening holes in great shape; the fastener clip is also perfect. This fierce warrior obviously took beer, sauerkraut, and spätzle too seriously, or it at least it would seem so. These are scarce in this gargantuan size. No buckle with this so you can choose which of your buckles you will choose to complete it. This is a 100-percent original WWII issue belt.
PRICE: $195.00 |
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German Bundeswehr Belt in a Huge Size (Item WEHR 35-8) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Is it rare? No, not at all, except for its massive size. It’s the biggest military belt we have ever seen. The man would have had to be more than portly, but then maybe he was about 7 feet tall with massive expansion overall. In other words: No one to mess with at all. It’ in good condition and cheap.
PRICE: $48.00 |
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WWII Iron Cross Medal First Class (Item WEHR 35-9; WAF 14-19; LUFT 23-4) |
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| DESCRIPTION: The Iron Cross medal was perhaps one of the most historically noteworthy military awards in Nazi Germany. It already held a venerable place in German history that dated back to 1813, and the rule of King Friedrich Wilhelm III, before Adolf Hitler added a prominent swastika to it in 1939. There were three versions of the Iron Cross during the period of the Third Reich: Iron Cross Second Class, Iron Cross First Class, and the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross or simply, the Knight’s Cross. The First Class and Second Class medals shared the same dimensions, measuring 44mm in width and height. The larger Knight’s Cross measured 48mm in width and height. All three versions of the Iron Cross were emblazoned with the date “1939” at the bottom. Of the three medals, the Iron Cross Second Class was most common, while the Iron Cross First Class was awarded much more sparingly. The Knight’s Cross was only awarded to the most exemplary soldiers and as such it is very rare to find an original one today. The first class piece that we offer here is 100 percent original and is as nice as or nicer than the best ever offered on the web. The numeral “16” is stamped into the pin on the back and this indicates that it was produced by the firm Steinhauer & Lück. So, if you’re looking for one of the best out there, this is the one for you.
No Longer Available |
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German Army WWII Beer Stein (Item WEHR 35-10; KSTEIN 2-14; Third Reich Tableware 1-12) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here in perfect condition is a German Army Erinnerung (remembrance) beer stein. These ornate little mugs could be purchased by a retiring or even active duty soldier to commemorate his time in Das Heer (army). This one is particularly beautiful and the front panel depicts a bust a German soldier surrounded by flags and bayonets and the memory statement below. On one side panel, we see a machine-gun team in action, while on the other side the panel depicts a mortar team in action. The stein is equipped with a pewter lid and is about 4½ inches high and has about a 4 inches opening not counting the handle or thumb lift. This is a very handsome display piece.
PRICE: $485.00 |
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Two Rare Newspapers from the German-Occupied British Channel Islands (Item WEHR 35-11; PROP 2-11) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here are two vintage newspapers from the German-occupied Channel Island Guernsey one dated December 16, 1943; the other July 12, 1944. One of them is headed Guernsey Evening Press and the other is The Star. The occupation of the British Crown dependencies was from 30 June 1940 until 9 May 1945. Contrary to the British misinformation bandied about today, in most cases, the German troops treated the citizenry in an exceptionally chivalrous manner. These soldiers acted as practically paragons of gentlemanly conduct. This was due to the command decision from the highest ranking Wehrmacht administration, but it was hardly necessary since the islanders seemed to quickly befriend the Soldaten and vice versa. They practically hit it off from day one! Anticipating a swift victory over Britain, the German occupiers experimented by using a very gentle approach that set the theme for the next five years. The island authorities adopted a similar attitude, giving rise to questionable accusations of collaboration. However, as time and the war progressed the situation grew gradually worse, ending in near starvation for both occupied and occupiers during the winter of 1944-45. Adolf Hitler always believed that the English people were racial kin of the Germans. That is precisely why he held back the German troops and panzers at Dunkirk, although WWII could have been won right there on that the beach. Wouldn’t it follow that Brits would be treated especially well in the Island occupation? The two extremely rare newspapers are chock full on the front pages of praise for Germany’s struggle against the true world menace, Bolshevism, a world scourge—then and now! On the edition of the evening news, 1944, the headline reads: “GERMANY’S FIGHTING SPIRIT IS UNBROKEN” and it also features the famous “why we fight” speech by Dr. Goebbels mentioned in the article. The paper measures 12 x 13 inches and although a bit yellowed with age it otherwise is in good condition. How many of these could have survived these 75 or more years? The other paper The Star has a headline that reads “Soviets Flung from Many Positions, Success for Germans in Fierce Fighting.” Another article announces that “Anglo-Americans Drop Bombs in Toys, Many Children Victims in Sofia Raid.” This paper is also in fairly good condition, but after 75 years of being folded it is remarkable that it is still with us. It’s replete with pro-German articles and Communist and anti-British and American themes. The long-established newspapers in the island fully and willingly supported Germany in its war against the Allies right to the end. The newspapers obviously reflected the feelings of the populace in general. “The enemy of my enemy (Communism) is my friend.” Isn’t that the way it goes?
PRICE: $125.00; for both papers together; quite a bargain considering their obvious rarity. |
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Fantastic Wartime Album (Item WEHR 35-12; ALBUM 4-19) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here is an album that was assembled by a German soldier who was an Oberleutnant in Jäger Regiment 31. Unlike other albums that mostly document a soldier’s training days, this one is a true record of his front-line service beginning in the French campaign in 1940, to his duty in Russia at Leningrad in 1944. He was there at Dunkirk where the chivalry and decency of the German Führer granted escape to well over 300,000 Allied forces: British, French, and Belgium who had been forced back to the seacoast by the advancing German Wehrmacht. The war could have finished right there with complete German victory, but Hitler did not desire victory, he wanted peace with the West. Our officer saw combat in Yugoslavia from April 1941 to December 1941, then in Serbia there are numerous photographs from this posting to include gypsies, bridges destroyed by Soviets, and German engineers repairing them. Outside central Belgrade and in a section entitled “Kampf gegen Partisanen” (“Fight Against Partisans”), there are pictures of executions of partisans shown performed by Serbian police firing squad. Exercises in skiing is shown for German officers. Then our soldier is sent to warfare command school at Potsdam. There are several views of this beautiful group of schools and some of the personnel and students that probably include our soon-to-be officer in June 1942. Next, he devotes a whole page to his announcement of his being sent to Russia 10/6/42 and the Battle of Krim (several pages) showing service with J.R. 31 in the siege of Sevastopol. He then announces that he was involved in the Battle of Leningrad September 1942 to July 1944, and this takes up several pages to include a war-front Christmas scene and quite a few snapshots of this, his longest posting. The last filled-in page is a synopsis in his own handwriting in a short statement about his service. He signs it and gives his rank as “Oberleutnant J.R. 31.” After that, there are several blank pages. The album is great for historic content (the best!); however, the colorful cover certainly does not seem appropriate, but it seems this proud soldier survived this hell on earth so we won’t criticize his preference for this floral bouquet album cover for his memories. All the photographs are original and rather because usually mini Leica cameras were used in those days that would not take up necessary space needed in the field pack for items more crucial. The album measures 11 x 10 inches with about 105 photos; all are in perfect condition. This album has fantastic historical importance!
PRICE: SOLD |
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Large Stoneware Porcelain Platter (Mess Hall Type) by Tillowitz of Prussia (Item WEHR 35-13; MESSHALLPORC 1-24) |
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| DESCRIPTION: Here is a very nice original German Army, WWII mess hall platter used as the main serving dish at Wehrmacht dining facilities. This one is dated right at the time of Germany’s major military victories in 1940. It bears the Reichsadler-style eagle allotted to Das Heer (Army). The porcelain firm that produced these pieces was Tillowitz, a most significant porcelain firm in Silesia, and its normal line of fine porcelain is known as “R.S. Prussia.” The plate is very heavy in ironstone. They were practically unbreakable and could take a lot of rough usage from hungry soldiers and sailors at chow time. This is a large platter measuring 6 x 10 inches and is in great condition.
PRICE: $375.00 |
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Original German Officer’s M35 Map/Dispatch Case (Item WEHR 35-14; WAF 14-22) |
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| DESCRIPTION: These great utility map cases were the type used by statistic officers and artillery plotters of the Wehrmacht Heer and the Waffen-SS. There are good reproductions of this model out there, but this is a 100 percent genuine veteran battlefield pick-up. The case is in genuine front-quarter horsehide and features external pockets for holding various colored pencils used for marking maps. It probably dates 1939-1943. Besides the other pockets, there are two divided deep pouches to hold maps. The leather and belt straps are in excellent condition and quite usable in case you want to put it back in use. Remember, this is an original.
PRICE: $250.00 |
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Political Leader or Wehrmacht Early Dress Belt by Assmann (Item WEHR 35-15; NSD 21-7a) |
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DESCRIPTION: This is a prime example of an NSDAP high political leader's belt worn with the everyday uniform. It is also of the exact type worn by the higher ranks of the WW II German Army such as majors and generals. This is a textbook instance of a style of belt seldom found with the pebbled, open-claw buckle and showing highly gilded brass. The stylized Assmann "A" is clearly seen on the back of the buckle. The fine, supple leather belt is in almost mint condition and is about 45 inches long.
PRICE: $650.00; Seldom ever found! |
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Statuette of WWII Wehrmacht (Heer) Soldier on Motorcycle (Item WEHR 35-16; SCULPTURAL ART 2-12; BRONZEMET 4-10) |
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| DESCRIPTION: This is a dramatic-looking spelter statuette of a WWII Wehrmacht soldier ("Kradmelder” [military motorcycle messenger]) mounted on his dispatch motorbike with (Exceptional) detail on soldier and bike, with a beautiful gray marble base. It's marked under rear wheel "128" and is marked on a plaque above front wheel "WH 652." The statue is in very good, near-mint condition. It measures 7½ x 8 inches. It's duly noted that this statuette is more than 80 years old and the depicted Mauser K98 rifle barrel that extends high above the soldier's back has survived all this time. Obviously, it was a much-cherished object in someone's collection. This is a fitting trophy to the nobility of the German soldier—the finest army ever fielded! Deutschland über alles!
PRICE: $1,750.00 88-b 600-12 |
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Truly Unusual Beer Stein for the Alpine Police (Item WEHR 35-17; POL 3-12; Third Reich Tableware 1-13) |
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DESCRIPTION: Here is a really neat little beer stein from pre-WWII Bavaria. Its design depicts two Alpine gendarmerie troopers skiing down Alpine slopes. It has a pewter lid that shows the wreathed eagle of the N.S. police and an edelweiss flower engraved thereon. On the outer edge is engraved "Gendarmerie Alpinist Berchtesgaden Obersalzberg." The thumb lift is shown as an oak-leaf motif. There's a numeral "05" near the handle. It measures about 5 inches high, not counting the thumb lift. It's very colorful, very historically important and and truly beautiful!
PRICE: $745.00 |
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Rare WWI-Style M18 Helmet (Item WEHR 35-18) |
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DESCRIPTION: Here is a great M18 Heer helmet—original except that the chinstrap has been replaced. Otherwise, this is with original paint and original single decal. The M-18 transitional helmets were issued right up until 1943 when M35s and M42s were very scarce. The replacement chinstrap is marked with a company logo and dated "1943." The liner is well used, but in very good condition; most of the decal is in great shape, too. The factory-replenished reissue paint job is "excellent plus." This is an "A”-class helmet that would stand out in style in any Wehrmacht collection.
PRICE: $985.00 |
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Unusual Candelabra Set Associated with the Oberkommando des Heeres (Item WEHR 35-20; ART 18-24) |
| This is a most unusual item that has ties to the Upper Command of the Army the Oberkommando des Heeres abbreviated to “OKH.” Founded in 1935, it was part of Hitler’s rearmament of Germany. It was the most important unit within German war planning until the defeat at Moscow in December 1941. Its responsibility was strategic planning of Armies and army groups. The OKH commander held the title of Commander in Chief of the Army. After the Battle of Moscow, the OKH commander Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch, was removed from office because of failing health, and Hitler appointed himself as Commander in Chief of the Army. Hitler would create the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, which subordinated OKH to OKW. OKH was then limited to the Russian Front while OKW had direct authority over army units elsewhere. On April 28, 1945, two days before his suicide, Hitler subordinated OKH to OKW giving the latter command of forces on the Eastern Front. The candelabra with the striking matching candlestick holders has evaded us as to what the other letters and numbers signify, but the guess is that it is some divisional or other military designations. This set probably was in a dayroom or displayed in the headquarters of this unit. The candlesticks appear to have suffered fire or smoke damage as does the candelabra. The candelabra is 17 x 17 inches, while the candlesticks are 10 x 6 inches. Everything is in excellent condition despite the fire damage, but it should be as the set was made to last being constructed of heavy iron. We have never carried anything quite like this, but it certainly is unusual and definitely rare. We see all other manner of decorations which different units and divisions created for their military effect and adoration, but not one like this of the OKH. This was probably made early in the creation of the OKH. This is a real collectible!
SOLD |
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LARGE 1938 Munich Stein (Item WEHR 35-21; NSD 22-26; THIRD REICH TABLEWARE 1-16) |
| DESCRIPTION: What a marvelous stein! This is from Munich showing solidarity and brotherhood with the neighboring villages of Untermenzing, Obermenzing, Allach, Ludwigsfeld, and Solln. It’s heavy and most impressive holding a generous 1 liter; it was made to hold enough beer to salute the Führer with on any given evening in Munich with your comrades! It’s in pristine condition; the colors in the hand painting are still vibrant. The stein itself is 7 inches high by 4½ inches with an additional 2 inches for the pewter handle. It has a maker’s mark on the bottom of a single sword. We have not been able to discern precisely what pottery firm this is. This is one of the best we have ever seen in beer steins of the times here and is an excellent item for the stein collector.
PRICE: SOLD |
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Bronze Study of a German Soldier by the Known German Artist Fritz Paul Zimmer (Item WEHR 35-22; BRONZEMET 4-15) |
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| DESCRIPTION: You can walk all over a militaria show and see small bronze or metal busts of German soldiers, the majority reproductions, but you will find hardly a one by a successful German artist. Born in Germany he migrated after WWI to America and had a most successful career as a sculptor. During WWII he remained in America while his brother Richard joined the American army Now, you would think that he would not be inclined to make a bust of a German soldier, but he had enough admiration to create one as you see here. It's most detailed on a marble base and is in excellent condition. It's an impressive one foot tall with the base. As you can see, it bears his signature on the back. Zimmer’s work can be seen all over Europe and the states and his biography on Wikipedia is well-worth the read. This is not only a sound militaria collectible, but an artistic one, as well.
PRICE: $2,100.00* |
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Drinking Mug of a Patriotic Mayor (Item WEHR 35-23; NSD 22-33; THIRD REICH TABLEWARE 1-22, SS 38-44) |
| DESCRIPTION: Here's a wonderful glass mug that was obviously presented to the "Bürgermeister" (mayor) of some German town. His name is displayed on the top–"L. Mündel." It wonderfully displays the sacred German oak tree, which has much legend in not only German, but Roman, English, and other countries' cultures, as well. In the 8th century, the Christian clergyman, Boniface, had his men cut down the sacred tree where Germans would gather. It was well known to the Romans there as the "Sacred Tree of Jupiter," but the Germans called it the "Sacred Tree of Donar/Thor." Boniface then cut the tree up and made a church out of it to the tremendous dismay of the Germans. But throughout German history, the tree was sacred and whoever made this mug wanted to convey that great fact and its relationship to National Socialism where "Heil Hitler" is on the thumb part. The most outstanding part of this is that under the "Heil Hitler" is a date "30-1-33." That is the date Hitler was named Chancelor of Germany. Having been personalized, it is a one-of-a-kind mug that makes it more attractive historically. It's made of glass and the lid is pewter. On the side an inscription indicates the capacity is 10/20 liters. There is a crown-maker’s mark on the bottom, but I cannot identify the manufacturer. It's in perfect condition.
PRICE: $475.00 |
Page Thirty-five |
