Original Luftwaffe Soldbuch – Schwere Flak-Ersatz-Abteilung 33

Item: A Soldbuch was the personal military record book carried by German soldiers during the Second World War. It served both as an identification document and an administrative record. A Soldbuch contained information such as personal details, military units, ranks, pay, medical records, and awards.

All branches of the German armed forces (Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, and Waffen-SS) used Soldbücher. The booklet was carried by the soldier and was required for payments, leave, and official inspections. Today, Soldbücher are valuable historical documents for research and militaria collectors, especially when they are complete and well documented.

Condition: The booklet is in good condition.

Soldier Information:

This original German Luftwaffe Soldbuch belonged to Hans Werner Hertel, born on 22 August 1927 in Düsseldorf. As a 17-year-old student, he entered Luftwaffe service in January 1945, during the final months of the Second World War. He was assigned to schwere Flak-Ersatz-Abteilung 33 in Weimar, where he received training, a uniform, and military equipment.

The Soldbuch contains various original entries, stamps, and signatures, including information about his equipment, gas mask, military units, and later prisoner-of-war/hospital administration. Hertel survived the war and eventually returned to Düsseldorf. His accompanying British Zone Personal ID (Britische Zone Personal Ausweis) provides an interesting post-war continuation of his personal history.