KIA Wehrpass & Death Card – Artillerie-Regiment 17 (EK2 & WIO)

An interesting original Second World War German military grouping relating to Gefreiter Johann Weiß, born on 19 July 1920 in Steinberg, in the administrative district of Oberpfalz, Bavaria.

The grouping comprises his original Wehrpass (military service book), a wartime Sterbebild (memorial card), and accompanying family documentation concerning his death and the handling of his savings.

According to the Wehrpass, Weiß served with the following artillery and replacement units:

• Artillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung 173, Amberg.
• Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 17.
• 1. Batterie / Artillerie-Regiment 17 of the 17. Infanterie-Division.

His Wehrpass records that he was killed in action on 16 November 1941, during the German campaign in the East.

Decorations

The Wehrpass records the following awards:

• Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd Class), awarded on 10 November 1941.
• Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (Eastern Front Medal), awarded on 24 October 1942, as recorded in the document.

The latter entry is particularly noteworthy because it postdates his death. This is consistent with the medal being awarded posthumously.

Memorial card and family documentation

The accompanying memorial card commemorates Johann Weiß as a beloved son, brother and fiancé. It identifies him as a gunner serving in an artillery regiment and states that he fell in the East on 16 November 1941, aged 21 years and four months.

The typed family document refers to his mother, Franziska Weiß, née Leitner, and his sisters, Amalie and Margarete. It also discusses the transfer of savings belonging to the deceased to members of his family.

This accompanying documentation adds valuable personal and genealogical context to the military record, connecting the Wehrpass to the circumstances surrounding his death and its impact on his relatives.

Condition

The Wehrpass exhibits age-related toning, foxing, staining and wear to the cover and pages. The original photograph, handwritten entries, official stamps and award annotations remain visible. The accompanying memorial card and family document show their own period wear and handling marks.