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Original Soldbuch of SS-Unterscharführer Heinz Pietsch, a non-commissioned officer who served with the 8. Batterie / SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 9, which was part of the renowned 9. SS-Panzer-Division “Hohenstaufen.”

• Born: 6 March 1913 in Dresden

• Civil profession: Sattler (saddler), Polster (upholsterer), Lackierer (painter/varnisher)

• Prior to his SS service, Pietsch appears to have served with the Polizei, reflected in his early police long-service award.

• His Soldbuch was opened on 26 January 1943 by 7./SS-Artillerie-Ersatz-Regiment, marking his official entry into Waffen-SS artillery training.

• He was later transferred to the 8. Batterie / SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 9, “Hohenstaufen.”

In September 1944, the division was thrown into the thick of Operation “Market Garden,” the Allied attempt to break into Germany via the Netherlands. The Hohenstaufen, alongside its sister division “Frundsberg,” played a decisive role in halting the British airborne forces at Arnhem, a dramatic battle that has since become one of the most famous engagements of the war.

During this fighting, Pietsch was severely wounded. On 29 September 1944 he was admitted to the Reserve-Lazarett Herborn (Dillkreis), but succumbed to his injuries only days later on 1 October 1944.

His Soldbuch lists the following awards:

• Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938

• Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938

• Spange zum Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938

• Polizei-Dienstauszeichnung III. Klasse

A tragic and historically important Soldbuch, directly tied to one of the pivotal battles of 1944 and to a soldier who did not survive the campaign. With clear connections to both the Polizei and the Hohenstaufen Division, this is a research-worthy and highly collectible piece for serious students of Waffen-SS and Market Garden history.

• Condition: As seen (please refer to photos)
• Complete with (top) photo – very well filled out.

Original studio portrait of a Luftwaffe officer proudly wearing the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. The set includes both a postcard-size photograph and a matching smaller ID-size photo, making this a fine pair for display or collection.

The officer is pictured in full uniform, with the impressive Deutsches Kreuz in Gold clearly visible on the right breast – a highly prestigious decoration awarded for repeated acts of bravery or leadership in combat.

• Format: One postcard-size studio portrait & one smaller ID-format photo

• Subject: Luftwaffe officer with Deutsches Kreuz in Gold and several other awards

• Condition: As seen (please refer to photos for details)

A desirable and authentic portrait set, ideal for collectors of Luftwaffe memorabilia or award-related photography.

Original Studioportrait of a Waffen-SS soldier. Postcardsize. Condition as seen.

Original Studioportrait of a Waffen-SS soldier wearing a tinnie. Postcardsize. Condition as seen.

Recipient: Polizei-Unterwachtmeister Oberpeilsteiner
Unit: SS-Gendarmerie-Bataillon 1 (mot.) — a rarely encountered formation that saw service on the Eastern Front.

Contents

• Award Document for the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (Wound Badge in Black), issued for his wound suffered on 1 August 1944

• Polizei-Dienstausweis (ID booklet, photo removed)

• Photographs (period originals)

• Letters & Personal Papers

• Various documents, including a paper mentioning his award of the Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern (War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords)

Collector’s Notes

• Rarely encountered unit: SS-Gendarmerie-Bataillon 1 (mot.) was part of the Ordnungspolizei and Waffen-SS structure, deployed in the East for security and combat operations.

• Grouping provides a valuable research opportunity with award papers, ID, letters, and period photographs.

• Solid centerpiece for a specialized Polizei, SS, or Eastern Front collection.

Condition

• As seen in photos: documents and papers show normal age-related wear; Wound Badge document well-preserved; Dienstausweis missing photo but otherwise intact.

Recipient: SS-Sturmmann Karl Baldischwieler
Unit: 5. Batterie / SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 1 “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler”
Division: 1. SS-Panzer-Division “LAH”

Contents

• Original SS-Wehrpass — well-documented, includes photo

• SS-Stammkarte

Service History

• Training: SS-Artillerie-Ersatz-Regiment

• Transfer: To 5./SS-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 1 (LAH) in June 1943

• Campaigns:

  • Italy (1943)

  • Eastern Front (late 1943–early 1944)

  • France, Battle of Normandy (summer 1944)

• Promotion: Advanced to SS-Sturmmann during combat, 21 June 1944

• Fate: Killed in Action on 20 August 1944 near Saint-Lambert-sur-Dives during the closing stages of the Falaise Pocket

Historical Context: The Falaise Pocket

The Battle of the Falaise Pocket (August 12–21, 1944) marked the decisive end of the German presence in Normandy. Surrounded by Allied forces, elements of the 7. Armee and 5. Panzerarmee—including divisions of the Waffen-SS—were encircled near Falaise, Trun, and Chambois.

• Over 50,000 German troops were trapped, with thousands killed and vast amounts of equipment destroyed.

• Saint-Lambert-sur-Dives, where Baldischwieler fell, became one of the last escape corridors and saw fierce, desperate fighting as units of the LAH, Hitlerjugend, and other formations tried to break out.

• Baldischwieler’s death on 20 August 1944 places him among those who perished in the final collapse of the German front in Normandy.

Condition

• As seen in photos: Wehrpass complete, with photo and wartime entries.

• Stammkarte included, further strengthening provenance.

Collector’s Notes

• A poignant and historically significant KIA Normandy grouping tied to the elite Leibstandarte Division.

• Direct connection to the dramatic fighting and destruction of German forces in the Falaise Pocket, one of the key turning points of the Western Front in 1944.

• Rare opportunity to acquire an SS-Wehrpass with Normandy and Falaise attribution.

Original Wartime Photograph of Karl-Heinz Moehle. Korvettenkäpitan Karl-Heinz Moehle (31.07.1910 in Norden, Hannover † 27.11.1996 in Ahrensburg) earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on February 26, 1941 as Kapitänleutnant und Kommandant of Uboot “U-123”. Little bit smaller then postcardsize.

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Johannes-Rudolf Mühlenkamp. SS-Standartenführer Johannes-Rudolf Mühlenkamp (09.10.1910 † 23.09.1986) earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on September 3, 1942 as SS-Sturmbannführer und Kommandeur of the SS-Panzer-Abteilung 5 “Wiking” and the Eichenlaub on September 21, 1944 als SS-Standartenführer und Führer of the 5. SS-Panzer-Division “Wiking”. Condition as seen. Smaller size.

Original framed authentic signed postcard of SS-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Reinhardt. Wilhelm Reinhard (18 March 1869 – 18 January 1955) was a long-serving German military officer who held positions in the Royal Prussian Army, the Reichswehr, and later in the Wehrmacht. He also joined the NSDAP and rose to the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer, serving as an administrative rather than operational figure—he held no direct command within the SS. He was a member of the Reichstag and, from 1934 to 1943, led the Kyffhäuserbund, a major veterans’ association in Nazi Germany, which was later disbanded in 1945. After the war, Reinhard reestablished the veterans’ group in West Germany and led it until his death in 1955.

Condition as seen. Bit faded bit still visible.

3x Original cards of the Sint-Maartenfonds (SMF), the postwar Flemish Veteran Organisation for Flemish Easterfrontvolunteers. One of the cards is a personal card of Nestor Deprez (Waffen-SS Easternfront volunteer). Rarely encountered. Condition as seen.

Original Hitlerjugend Armband in overall good – near mint condition. Three-piece construction. No tag. Condition as seen.

Grouping belonging to SS-Sturmmann Johann Schmid, who served with the 3. Kompanie / SS-Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 11 of the famed 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division “Nordland.”

Contents

• Soldbuch

  • Opened by Stubaf. Hermann Voß (Kdr. Pi.Btl. 11)

  • Contains entries for his awards and service

  • Final entries signed by notable officers (see below)

• Wound Tag (for grenade splinter wound at Narwa)

• Photo of Schmid in uniform

• Two rare photographs of “Orphanage Hill,” Narwa

  • Extremely famous position in SS history during the Narwa fighting

• SS-Schule Prag (Pioneer school) training photo

• Family photos & train tickets

Awards & Service

• Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (Wound Badge in Black)

• Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd Class)

• Wounded at Narwa (grenade splinter to face/feet)

• Likely captured during the Battle of Berlin and later died in captivity.

Officer Signatures & Provenance

• Stubaf. Hermann Voß — Kdr. Pi.Btl. 11 (opened the Soldbuch, April 1945)

• Ostuf. Fritz Gärdtner — 2./Pi.Btl. 11 (signed Dec. 1943 check; KIA July 1944 at Auvere)

• Ustuf. Hans Henseler — Chef, 3./Pi.Btl. 11 (signed last check & EK2 entry, Oct. 1944)

Historical Significance

• Rare grouping tied directly to Narwa 1944, including photographs of the legendary Orphanage Hill — among the most iconic battle sites in the defense of the Narwa Front.

• Strong divisional connection to the “Nordland” Division, heavily involved on the Eastern Front and in the final battles around Berlin.

• Includes both frontline material (Soldbuch, wound tag, Narwa photos) and intimate personal effects (family photos, travel tickets) that bring the soldier’s story to life.

Condition

• As seen in photos: authentic, untouched grouping with natural period wear.

• Soldbuch complete with photo, legible entries, and proper stamps.

Original “In Memory” paper of the 4. Kompanie/ SS-Kradschützen-Bataillon “Zur Erinnerung an die Einquartierung vom 30.4.41-12.6.41 .. Michelsdorf, 12.6.1941”. Signed by the Kompanieführer. Small size. Condition as seen.

Original German Press Photograph of NSB Leader Anton Mussert and NSKK-Obergruppenführer Nikolaus Eisden checking out Dutch NSKK’ers in the NSKK School in Vivloorde. Size: 13x18cm. Condition as seen.

Original Entry Card for the Groß-Kundgebung on March 17, 1936 in Sportpalast Berlin (“Mass rally on March 17, 1936 at the Sportpalast in Berlin”). Speakers were Dr. Goebbels en Stadtrat Engel. Has been punched in the past. Condition as seen.

Original Death Card (“Sterbebild”) of a Waffen-SS soldier, who Died in Action from his wounds suffered on the Western Front in April 1945. Condition as seen.

Recipient: Gefreiter Meissl
Unit: 1. Kompanie / Panzergrenadier-Regiment 304 (gep.), 2. Panzer-Division

Grouping Includes

• Wehrpass (complete with original photo)

• “Antrag für die Verleihung des Panzerkampfabzeichens in Bronze”
  (Application for the Award of the Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze) — a rare surviving document connected directly to his decoration.

Service & Decorations

• Panzerkampfabzeichen in Bronze (Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze)

• Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (Wound Badge in Black)

  • Wounded September 1943 by shrapnel in the feet and face — likely ending his frontline combat service.

Collector’s Notes

• The Wehrpass is complete, photo intact, and well-documented.

• The award application (Antrag) for the Panzer Assault Badge is particularly scarce — these documents were normally discarded after processing, making this an excellent addition for paper collectors.

• Strong divisional link to the 2. Panzer-Division and its Panzergrenadiers.

Condition

• As seen in photos: original wartime documents, period wear but fully legible and intact.

Recipient: Hauptfeldwebel Berndt
Role: “Spieß” (company first sergeant) of the Stabskompanie / Panzer-Regiment 3, 2. Panzer-Division

Grouping Includes

• Soldbuch

  • Complete with original photograph

  • Very well filled in with entries and awards

• Arbeitsdienst Pass (RAD)

• Wehrmacht ID Card

Service History

• Served through the Invasion of Poland (1939)

• Took part in the Western Campaign, 1940–41 with the 2. Panzer-Division

• Senior NCO as company “Spieß” in the regimental staff company

Decorations Recorded

• Dienstauszeichnung IV. Klasse (Long Service Award)

• Erinnerungsmedaille an den 13.3.1938 (Annexation of Austria Medal)

• Erinnerungsmedaille an den 1.10.1938 (Sudetenland Medal)

• Schützenabzeichen 3. Klasse (Marksman’s Badge)

• Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern (War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords)

Collector’s Notes

• Excellent complete set with strong documentation trail.

• The Soldbuch is especially desirable: photo included, thorough entries, showing service from the earliest campaigns of the war.

• Attractive set tied to a senior NCO in the famed 2. Panzer-Division.

Condition

• As seen in photos: period wear but well-preserved; Soldbuch intact with photo, legible entries throughout.

Provenance: Personal-made album, likely compiled by Hans Brückner (?), based on names and notes contained inside.
Unit: 11. Kompanie / SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2, 1. SS-Panzer-Division “Adolf Hitler”
Timeframe: Primarily October 1944, photographed in Venne shortly before the Ardennes Offensive.

Content & Highlights

• Small album with 28x photographs of which numerous high-quality, sharp, with detailed captions.

• Shows officers, NCOs, and group scenes from 11./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 “LAH” — nearly all names are written in the album, providing rare and precise identification.

• Two photographs include Obersturmführer Heinz Tomhardt.

• Also one of the photographs shows Alwin Schlüter, a veteran that later also wrote his memoirs in a book (Veteranen der Waffen-SS Berichten).

Historical Context: Heinz Tomhardt & Malmedy

• Heinz Tomhardt (SS-Obersturmführer, b. 1921 – d. 1946) was a company commander in SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2.

• He served under Kampfgruppe Peiper during the Ardennes Offensive (December 1944).

• After the war, Tomhardt was implicated in the Malmedy Massacre, in which American POWs and civilians were murdered by elements of Kampfgruppe Peiper near Baugnez crossroads. He was sentenced to death at Dachau in 1946, later commuted to life imprisonment.

• His appearance in this album adds a direct and rare connection to one of the most infamous war crimes of WWII.

Significance

• This album documents men and moments from a frontline SS-Panzergrenadier company just weeks before their participation in the Ardennes Offensive, making it a unique primary source.

• The connection to Kampfgruppe Peiper, the naming of individuals, and the inclusion of Tomhardt photographs greatly enhance the historical importance.

• Once-in-a-lifetime collector’s item — very few such intact, personalized albums have survived.

Condition

• As seen in photos: compact, personal-sized album with period handwriting and annotations.

• Photographs remain crisp with strong contrast; captions are legible.

Original La Bataille de Koursk — Éditions Heimdal (Original French Edition) — book which bears several top signatures! This copy has been signed by veterans who either earned the Ritterkreuz, Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, or served during the Battle of Kursk. Notable names:

• Ernst Barkmann

• Hans Siptrott

• Karl-Heinz Boska

• Walter Lau

• Fritz Langanke

• Rudolf von Ribbentrop

• Josef “Sepp” Lainer

• Walter Scherf

• Wilhelm Wiener

• Leonhard Klemz

• Richard Rudolf

• Kurt Sametreiter

• Plus one additional unidentified veteran signature

Rarely encountered ! Condition as seen.

Original HIAG (Hilfsgemeinschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit), the Veteran Association for ex-Waffen-SS Soldier, Golden HIAG-Honor Pin.15 mm gold-plated badge with long mounting pin. Near Mint Condition. Condition as seen.

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo & Letter  of  Johannes Göhler. SS-Sturmbannführer Johannes Göhler (15.09.1918 † 21.02.2003) earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on September 17, 1943 as SS-Obersturmführer und Kommandeur of the 4. Schwadron/ SS-Reiter-Regiment 1 of the 8. SS-Kavallerie-Division “Florian Geyer”. Condition as seen.

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo & Letter of Friedrich “Fritz” Henke. SS-Hauptscharführer Friedrich “Fritz” Henke (06.01.1921 † 15.11.1999) earned the Ritterkreuz on February 12, 1944 as SS-Oberscharführer und Zugführer in the 3. Batterie/ SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 1 “LSSAH”.

Fritz Henke was a platoon leader in the StuG battalion of the LSSAH in late 1943. Near the end of that year, on the 29.12.1943, Henke was helping protect a group of friendly infantry when a small tank attack was launched. He destroyed 2 tanks, but this initial incursion was soon followed up by a much heavier assault. Thus followed a fierce battle that lasted the whole day. On one occasion, he knocked out a Soviet command tank from which the enemy commander escaped, only to be hit by a pistol shot by Henke. By the end of the day he had destroyed a total of 21 tanks and 11 AT guns. For his notable success, without much friendly support at that, he was later presented with the Knight’s Cross. He had destroyed 38 tanks in total by this time.

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo & Letter of Karl-Heinz Lichte. SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl-Heinz Lichte (23.08.1920 † 24.01.2005) earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on May 6, 1945 as SS-Obersturmführer und Chef of the 5. Kompanie/ SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 of the 5. SS-Panzer-Division “Wiking”. Postcardsize. Condition as seen.

A truly remarkable and rare family grouping spanning two generations, with service in both the Sturmabteilung (SA) and Organisation Todt, as well as elite Ski-Jäger front-line combat.

The father served in the SA and later with the Einsatzgruppe Oberbauleitung Skopje of the Organisation Todt. His son — notably born in Cleveland, Ohio, USA — returned to Germany and served with the 13. Kompanie / Ski-Jäger-Regiment 1, 1. Ski-Jäger-Division, a specialized mountain and winter warfare unit.

Highlights include:

• Several superb portrait photographs of the son in Hitlerjugend uniform, plus family photos.

• A rare Ski-Jäger cap badge (two piece!)  mounted on an old leather document bag.

• Original Jäger cloth insignia.

• Medals and awards of the son: Wound Badge, Hitlerjugend Shooting Badge, Hitlerjugend Proficiency Badge in Silver, 2x SA Sports Badge in Silver, rank insignia.

• The father’s War Merit Cross 2nd Class (KVK2).

• A small U.S. flag, possibly brought with him from America before or during the war — a tangible link to his unusual birthplace and journey to Germany.

Condition: As seen, with genuine period wear and patina.

An extraordinary and historically fascinating grouping, combining political, construction, and combat service — and with the rare twist of a U.S.-born Wehrmacht soldier in an elite winter warfare division.

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Ernst-August Krag. SS-Sturmbannführer Ernst-August Krag (20.02.1915 † 24.05.1994) earned the Ritterkreuz on October 23, 1944 as SS-Sturmbannführer und Kommandeur of the SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2 “Das Reich” and the Eichenlaub on February 28, 1945 as SS-Sturmbannführer und Kommandeur of the SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2 “Das Reich” of the 2. SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich”. Measuring: Postcardsize. Condition as seen.

Original Scarce Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Hans Weiß. SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Weiß (28.08.1911 † 23.10.1978) earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes on April 6, 1943 as SS-Hauptsturmführer und Kommandeur of the SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 2 “Das Reich” and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on April 23, 1944 as SS-Sturmbannführer und Führer of the I. Abteilung/ SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 “Das Reich” of the 2. SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich”. Measuring: 9×12,5cm. Condition as seen.

On 18 August 1944, while serving as an SS-Obersturmbannführer and commander of the schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102, attached to the 9. SS-Panzer-Division “Hohenstaufen” within the II. SS-Panzer-Korps, he was severely wounded near Trun in the Falaise Pocket. His injuries included bullet wounds to the head, lung, and pelvis. He was subsequently captured by British forces on 19 August 1944 and became a prisoner of war. He survived the war but tragically died in a car accident in Tyrol on 2 October 1978.