WWII German Wehrpass Group – 256th Infantry Division, Ostmedaille Entry, Original Medal & Death Letter

Description

This original WWII German Wehrpass is the centre of a substantial period archive built around Paul Otto, born in Dresden on 3 July 1909, who served with Infanterie-Regiment 456 of the 256th Infantry Division. His record documents Eastern Front service, promotion to Gefreiter, the award of the Ostmedaille on 1 August 1942 and a wound in October 1942, and the group includes later correspondence concerning his death. It is now accompanied by an original period Ostmedaille of the type recorded in his Wehrpass, together with photographs and family material.

What does the Wehrpass record?

The booklet retains Paul’s original identification photograph, period official stamps, handwritten entries and his signature. Issued through the Freiberg military district, it records his entry into service on 15 April 1940 with the 3rd Company of Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 394 at Freiberg, Saxony, and his later connection with Infanterie-Regiment 456, part of the 256. Infanterie-Division, which went east in 1941 with Army Group Centre.

The record should be read through its own dated entries. I do not attribute to Paul battles or places that are recorded only in the division’s wider history.

Promotion, Ostmedaille and wound

Several stages of his wartime service can be followed directly in the original document:

• 1 May 1942: promotion to Gefreiter.
• 1 August 1942: award of the Ostmedaille (Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42), entered under Orden und Ehrenzeichen.
• 15 October 1942: a recorded wound, followed by medical treatment entries.

The Ostmedaille was instituted on 26 May 1942 for service on the Eastern Front between 15 November 1941 and 15 April 1942. Its entry here ties the award directly to a named and photographed soldier.

Death correspondence

The group includes a letter from the Wehrmeldeamt Freiberg dated 8 January 1943 concerning Paul’s death. The archive does not establish that his death resulted from the October 1942 wound, so I do not connect the two; it records both. Together, service, award, wound and death documentation give a far fuller picture than a lightly completed Wehrpass.

The Ostmedaille included

The archive now includes an original period Ostmedaille with its ribbon: the eagle obverse with helmet and grenade suspension, and the red ribbon with its white-black-white central stripe. It shows age, oxidation, finish loss and handling wear consistent with zinc-based examples of the type.

To be precise about the relationship: the Wehrpass documents Paul’s award of the Ostmedaille, and the medal included is an original example of that decoration, but no evidence survives to prove that this particular medal is the one issued to him. It is offered as a corresponding medal, not as a named pairing.

The wider family archive

The Wehrpass has survived with a broad group of period material, including:

• original photographs and a family photograph album, with studio portraits, military photographs, family scenes and buildings;
• postcards and correspondence, including regional and tourist views;
• an Evangelisches Feldgesangbuch (E. S. Mittler & Sohn, Berlin);
• a June 1938 Tarifordnung issued within the Deutsche Arbeitsfront system for the iron, metal and electrical industry in Saxony;
• a Kohlenhändlerkarte 1943/44 issued to Robert Böhm;
• a small Die Heuscheuer view booklet and further civilian ephemera.

Not every item can be shown to have belonged to Paul; some carry other names and probably relate to relatives. They are kept together as associated archive material rather than forced into a single-person biography, which preserves their surviving historical relationship.

Why collect it?

The appeal of this group lies in its layers of evidence: a named and photographed Wehrpass, identifiable units, a rank progression, a dated Ostmedaille entry, a wound and death correspondence, surrounded by personal, religious, occupational and photographic material, and now a physical example of the decoration he was awarded. It suits collectors of German military documents and anyone interested in reconstructing an individual wartime life. For background, see our guides on how to read a German Wehrpass and Wehrpass vs Soldbuch, and for the medal itself, our Ostmedaille listing (INS98).

Condition

Varied condition, as expected of material that has survived more than eighty years in different formats:

• Wehrpass: age toning, handling, minor edge wear, handwriting and stamps; original portrait photograph present.
• Ostmedaille: age, oxidation, loss of original finish and handling wear; ribbon present with age and use.
• Album and loose photographs: staining, edge wear, creasing, surface marks; some damaged edges and album-mounting traces.
• Paper documents and booklets: toning, spotting, rubbing, folds and storage wear.

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

Frequently asked questions

Does the Wehrpass record an Ostmedaille?
Yes, with an entry dated 1 August 1942.

Is the Ostmedaille included?
Yes. An original period Ostmedaille with ribbon, of the type recorded in the Wehrpass.

Was this exact medal awarded to Paul?
That cannot be proven. The Wehrpass confirms the award, but nothing links this specific medal to him.

Which units appear?
3./Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 394 (Freiberg) and Infanterie-Regiment 456 of the 256th Infantry Division.

Is a wound recorded?
Yes, on 15 October 1942, followed by medical treatment entries.

Historical Responsibility Notice

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

References & Further Reading

• Deutsches Historisches Museum, LeMO, Medaille: Winterschlacht im Osten, 1941/42 – institution and qualifying conditions of the Ostmedaille.