A Wehrpaß And Document Group To Sudetenland-Born Gefreiter Alois Eckert

Wehrpaß measuring 106x147mm. It is dated to March 4, 1940. Health book measuring 143x207mm. Both in extremely fine condition with with light scuffing and warping. The other documents include a “Verwendungskarte” (filing card on occasion of Eckert being drafted) (149x209mm, better than very fine); two pages with a medical evaluation and request for special rubber stockings on account of his problems with varicose veins (210x297, near extremely fine); a note for being transferred back to his former unit from Marching Battalion 374 (210x147mm, very fine), stating that Eckert is not fit for front service due to his varicose veins; an excerpt from Eckert’s troop musterroll (212x304mm, near very fine); a note stating that Eckert’s Wehrpaß is sent back to his former unit, because he is being transferred back (210x146mm).

Footnote: Alois Eckert was born on March 1, 1899 in Naketendörflas in the Sudetenland (modern day Naked Újezdec, part of the town of Chodský Újezd, Czech Republic). He was of both German and Czech nationality and worked as a farmer prior to being drafted. Eckert was a veteran of the First War in which he fought between March 1917 and October 1918 in Dragoon Regiment 2. He also served in the Czech army between 1920 and 1921, and later participated in several training maneuvers of two to four weeks throughout the 1920s. Eckert was first mustered for service in the Wehrmacht in March 1940, yet his health status kept him from being drafted for a few years. This eventually happened on January 29, 1944, emphasizing the desperate state that Germany was in during the last two years of the war. Eckert joined the Cadre Company of Grenadier Replacement and Training Battalion 213. He was eventually upgraded to the Marching Company of Infantry Replacement Battalion 213 in March, but in mid April he left the unit for just short of a week. He was to be redeployed to the 2nd Company of Landesschützen Battalion 827, but for unknown reasons the decision was revoked almost immediately. He returned to his former unit until mid June. Eckert was then transferred to the Marching Battalion 374, presumably for participating in the fighting on the Eastern Front. However, he only lasted for a few weeks until early July. Once more his health status, particularly his problem with varicose veins on both legs made it impossible for him to do any kind of front service. He returned to his former unit again, this time for two weeks, and in late July joined his final unit, the 3rd Company of Landesschützen Battalion 847, tasked with guarding POWs. On April 1, 1945 Ecker was promoted to Gefreiter (Lance Corporal).