Landsturm Wehrpass 1943 – Andreas Möhr, Marburg/Lahn, g.v. Heimat & Landsturm II A

Description

This original German Landsturm Wehrpass was issued at Marburg an der Lahn on 10 November 1943 to Andreas Möhr, a farmer born in 1890. At almost 53 he was examined and placed in Landsturm II A, the oldest reserve category, with the restricted fitness grade g.v. Heimat. It is a clear late-war example of how the Wehrmacht reached into the older age groups.

Who was Andreas Möhr?

The personal-data pages record:

• Born: 16 December 1890, Rosenthal, district of Frankenberg, Regierungsbezirk Kassel (Hesse)
• Nationality: Deutsches Reich; religion: Protestant; family status: married, with three children
• Occupation: farmer (Landwirt); schooling: Volksschule
• Father: Gottfried Möhr, farmer, recorded as died 1921; his mother is recorded as died 1941

His original portrait, in suit and tie, remains in the booklet with his signature beside it.

What does the 1943 entry record?

The Wehrpass was issued by the Wehrbezirkskommando Marburg/L. and signed by an Oberstleutnant. The Musterung page records a single examination on the same day:

• Examined as: Wehrpflichtiger (a man liable for military service)
• Fitness: g.v. Heimat, short for garnisonverwendungsfähig Heimat: fit for garrison duty in the home territory only, not for field service
• Service category: Landsturm II A

The Landsturm was the reserve category for the oldest men liable for service. Together with the home-garrison grading, the entry describes a man who could be called on for guard, security or support duties at home, not a front-line soldier. The pages shown contain no unit postings, campaigns or decorations, and I do not suggest that he served beyond what is recorded.

Why is a Landsturm Wehrpass of 1943 interesting?

Most Wehrpässe were issued between 1935 and 1940 to young men called up in age groups. A booklet opened in November 1943 for a farmer of 52 belongs to a different moment: the period when manpower losses pushed the authorities to register and grade men who would once have been left alone. The date, the holder’s age and the two classification stamps tell that story without any embellishment.

Collector’s Note

I like this Landsturm Wehrpass for its honesty. It is a sparse document, but every entry is clear: a named farmer from the Frankenberg district, his photograph, a late issue date and the exact categories the Wehrmacht placed him in. For background, see our German Wehrpass guide and our guide to German military abbreviations.

Condition

• Cover: grey-green cloth cover with age, rubbing, discolouration and handling wear.
• Interior: age toning, scattered staining and foxing; entries and stamps clear.
• Photograph: the original portrait is present. Two metal-rimmed eyelets pass through the photograph and the first pages, as usual for the fixing of Wehrpass photographs.

All photographs show the actual item offered and form part of this condition description.

Frequently asked questions

What does g.v. Heimat mean?
Garnisonverwendungsfähig Heimat: fit for garrison duty in the home territory, not for field service.

What was the Landsturm?
The reserve category for the oldest men liable for service; II A is the classification recorded here.

Did he serve at the front?
Nothing in the pages shown records a unit, campaign or decoration.

Where was he born?
In Rosenthal, in the district of Frankenberg (Hesse), on 16 December 1890.

Historical Responsibility Notice

This original document is offered exclusively for historical collecting, preservation, research and education. Political and military symbols are described only because they form part of the original object. Autographs & Militaria does not endorse or glorify National Socialism or any ideology, regime or organisation represented by the material.

References & Further Reading

• Bundesarchiv, Personal documents of military provenance: guidance on researching German military personnel records up to 1945.