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.

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.

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.