WWII German Wehrpass 1941 – Authentic Habel Document Group

Description

WWII German Wehrpass 1941 – Jakob Otto Habel

This WWII German Wehrpass is an original wartime military record issued in 1941 to Jakob Otto Habel, born on 1 September 1907. The document retains its original portrait photograph, handwritten personal details, signatures, official Wehrmacht stamps and conscription entries.

The cover is marked in red “Zweitschrift”, identifying the booklet as a second issue or duplicate rather than the holder’s first-issued Wehrpass. Second-issue Wehrpässe are a recognised period form and examples survive in museum and archival collections.

The Wehrpass was issued at Ludwigshafen am Rhein on 26 September 1941, according to the entry visible on the opening page.

The personal-data section identifies the holder as Habel, Jakob Otto and records his date of birth as 1 September 1907. His civilian occupation appears to be entered as Bohrer, a drilling or boring-machine occupation. The booklet also contains his civilian portrait photograph, fixed and officially validated by period stamps, together with his handwritten signature.

From a collector’s point of view, the photograph is an important feature. A named military document becomes considerably easier to research when the original portrait, signature and administrative entries remain together.

Musterung and military classification

The surviving pages show entries relating to Habel’s Musterung, or military examination and classification.

Visible dates include 14 April 1937 and 27 July 1940, with classifications including tauglich 1, Ersatzreserve I and a later notation relating to fitness for wartime employment.

A Wehrpass was used to record personal information, conscription status, military service, training, promotions, decorations and other aspects of an individual’s military record. Period examples are held by institutions including the Deutsches Historisches Museum and Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek.

1941 Kriegurlaubsschein

Included with the Wehrpass is an original Kriegurlaubsschein, a wartime leave and travel document.

The document is dated July 1941 and bears an entry for:

2. Kompanie / Schützen-Ersatz-Bataillon 13

as well as period handwriting, military stamps and administrative entries.

This additional paper gives the group considerably more context than an isolated Wehrpass.

Schützen-Ersatz-Bataillon 13 was formed at Oppeln in August 1939. It served as the replacement formation responsible for the infantry component associated with the 5. Panzer-Division, and the unit was later redesignated within the Panzergrenadier replacement system.

An important distinction should be made here: the presence of a document from Schützen-Ersatz-Bataillon 13 does not by itself prove that Habel fought with the 5. Panzer-Division in its frontline campaigns. Replacement battalions performed recruitment, training and personnel replacement functions. For a serious collector description, I would keep that distinction clear rather than turn the unit connection into an unsupported combat claim.

Why this WWII German Wehrpass is interesting

What makes this WWII German Wehrpass attractive is the combination of several surviving elements:

the named Wehrpass itself, its Zweitschrift designation, original portrait photograph, handwritten signature, Wehrmacht stamps, military examination entries and the accompanying wartime leave document.

The paperwork also gives the collector several avenues for additional research: the holder, Ludwigshafen military administration, the replacement unit and the chronology of the document between the 1937–1941 entries.

This is the kind of material that works particularly well in a documentary collection because the historical interest comes from the surviving administrative evidence rather than from decoration or presentation.

Condition

The Wehrpass shows genuine age and service wear.

The cover has staining, handling marks, surface wear and general ageing. Internally there are stains, marks around some punched or fixed areas, age toning and wear consistent with an extensively handled document.

The photograph, handwritten information and principal stamps remain clearly present.

The accompanying Kriegurlaubsschein shows stronger period use, including folds, edge wear, toning, creasing and staining.

The exact condition should be assessed from all photographs supplied.

Authenticity

Original period documents. Authenticity guaranteed by Autographs & Militaria.

No claim is made that any handwritten administrative signature belongs to a historically prominent personality; these are functional military and official signatures associated with the issue and administration of the documents.

Historical responsibility

Offered strictly as an original historical, documentary and collecting object.

Any Wehrmacht, Third Reich or National Socialist symbols and terminology appearing on the documents are integral parts of the original historical material. Their presence does not imply political or ideological support, affiliation or endorsement.