Germany, Empire. An Extensive Document Group To Somme & Siegfried-Front Combatant

The collection consists of both a First and Second War military ID booklet (Militärpaß and Wehrpaß); five award certificates (some including accompanying letters etc.): Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class, Austrian War Commemorative Medal with Swords, Bulgarian War Commemorative Medal, Hungarian War Commemorative Medal, and Hindenburg Cross; a half of a First War dog tag; five Second War military papers; a wartime work certificate with envelope; two collections of photos, one First War, including some pre and some post-war pictures (14 photos), one Second War (36 photos).

The First War ID booklet measures 88x139mm, very fine condition with period repair to the spine, and the body of the book having come almost completely loose. The Second War Wehrpaß measures 105x147mm, near extremely fine condition with light scuffing and minimal creasing of the cover. It is dated to Leipzig on January 26, 1938.

The Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class certificate (205x165mm, near extremely fine). It states that Landsturmmann Walter Pischner of the 11th Company of Landwehr Infantry Regiment 106 has been awarded the decoration on January 27, 1917. The document is signed in pencil by Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) and Regiment Commander Schulz.

The Austrian War Commemorative Medal with Swords certificate (147x209mm, extremely fine) in original envelope (155x129mm, better than very fine) from the Austrian Ministry of Defense. It is dated to April 6, 1936. It comes with a receipt (209x95mm, extremely fine) that states that Pischner paid 3.75 Reichsmark for the medal and document.

The Bulgarian War Commemorative Medal certificate (178x254mm, very fine), dated to March 10, 1938, complete with original envelope (191x140mm, better than very fine) and accompanying letter (209x149mm, near extremely fine). There is also another receipt (66x105mm, near mint) that states that Pischner paid 5.40 Reichsmark to the military attaché of the Royal Bulgarian embassy in Berlin on February 23, 1938.

The Hungarian War Commemorative Medal certificate (245x98mm, near extremely fine), dated to February 27, 1936, complete with original envelope (196x126mm, better than very fine) and accompanying letter (225x143mm, near extremely fine). Another receipt (70x105mm, near mint) states that Pischner paid 3.60 Reichsmark. It is dated to February 5, 1936.

The Hindenburg Cross certificate (211x148mm, near extremely fine), dated to April 27, 1935.

The lower half of a dog tag (zinc, 69x25mm, very fine) stating Pischner’s name, his residence and date of birth, as well as his unit, Replacement Battalion of Landwehr Infantry Regiment 106.

A letter from Pischner’s employer, a work certificate (210x199mm, better than very fine) with original envelope (140x215mm). It states that Pischner works for the Leipziger Vereinigung zur Talg- und Fellverwertung (Leipzig Association of Tallow and Fur Utilization). The letter goes on to say that the company is classified as essential to the war effort and therefore Pischner should not be prevented from getting to work on time.

Five Second War military papers. Two are discharge papers (210x222mm and 216x148mm, better than very fine), stating that Pischner has served in the army from August 26, 1939 to August 3, 1940. The other three are orders of deployment readiness (209x149mm, extremely fine), stating that Pischner has to remain ready should be he drafted. They are dated to August 13, 1940, March 8, 1941, and January 17, 1945.

The First War picture set consists of 14 photos, actually spanning the time period from 1910 to 1925. They measure ca. 90x140mm, very fine to extremely fine. Three show Pischner in uniform, dated to late 1917 and early 1918, one shows a train with soldiers on their way to the front. Two pictures show a man and an early car model. One shows a young woman and a child, the significance of which is unknown. Pischner was not married at the time. Seven show soccer players, one of whom could possibly be Pischner, but he might just have been a fan, too.

The Second War set consists of 36 photos, measuring between 57x57mm and 97x136mm, near mint to mint condition. They show individual soldiers, some of Pischner, or groups of soldiers. Several are dated to Poříčany (Czech Republic) in late September 1939, several others to different Czech cities, including Prague, during winter, spring, and summer of 1940. A single picture is dated to 1942.

Footnote: Friedrich Karl WalterPischner was born on March 29, 1896 in Halle/Saale (Saxony-Anhalt). He first joined the Imperial German Army on October 21, 1915, being placed in the Reserve Infantry Regiment 107 on the Western Front in northern France. Between March 1916 and February 1917 Pischner fought at the Aisne river front. Here he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class on January 27, 1917. Between late February and early June of 1917 Pischner took part in the fighting at the Somme river and at the Siegfried-Front (Hindenburg Line), and later in the Second Battle of Arras, and the fighting in the Artois region. After this, for the remainder of 1917, Pischner was redeployed to the Eastern Front, namely Romania and Belarus. In 1918 he was stationed in Ukraine. On January 10, 1919 Pischner was promoted to Gefreiter (Lance Corporal) and discharged on the same day. His final unit was the 1st Replacement Battalion of Infantry Regiment 106. Nothing is known about Pischner’s interwar time. He joined the Wehrmacht in August 1939 and served in the Landesschützen Battalion 373 and later 4 for a year, until being discharged again in August 1940. His Wehrpaß mentions that he was mustered again in July 1943 and was held under orders of deployment readiness, but apparently was spared being put into battle again. A possible reason, aside from his age, was his employment in a company regarded essential to the war effort.