Germany, Heer. A Cuff Title & Document Collection To Female Staff Helper At Volkswagen Factory, 1943-45

The collection consists of: a female staff helper cuff title (178x24mm, extremely fine); a deployment book for female staff helpers (102x146mm, fine); a preliminary Volkswagen factory ID card (105x74mm, near extremely fine); a border crossing certificate for members of the Wehrmacht retinue (210x296mm, near extremely fine); a female staff helper training course preparation letter (3 pages, 210x296mm, fine); a duty travel certificate (209x184mm, near extremely fine); three Wehrmacht travel certificates (149x108mm, extremely fine & 208x104mm, very fine); an on call duty certificate (148x106mm, better than very fine); an unused postcard (153x106mm, better than very fine).

The cuff title is machine-embroidered. The inscription reads “Stabshelferin des Heeres” (female staff helper of the army).

The deployment book (Einsatzbuch) is dated to June 21, 1943.

The preliminary Volkswagen factory ID card is dated to January 25, 1945

The Grenzübertrittsausweis (Rot) für Angehörige des deutschen Wehrmachtgefolges (border crossing certificate (red) for members of the Wehrmacht retinue) is dated to Agram (Zagreb, Croatia) on September 9, 1944. It states that Leifermann would travel via the border checkpoint Brückel to Altenburg (central Germany) between September 10 and September 20 while wearing civilian clothes and her Stabshelferin cuff title.

The female staff helper training course preparation letter is dated to June 18, 1943. Leifermann is about to receive the four week training course that will qualify her to serve as a female staff helper. The course takes place in Danzig from June 24 to July 22, 1943

The duty travel certificate is dated to March 21, 1945. The reason is given as an “urgently necessary mission” with no further details.

Of the three Wehrmacht travel certificates, two are identical and issued to Leifermann and another Stabshelferin. They are dated to August 12, 1944, for traveling from the train station of Dugo-Selo to the train station of Agram (Zagreb). They were issued by the Feld-Kommandantur 725, stationed in Croatia. The third certificate is for a journey from Wolfsburg to Stade (Leifermann’s hometown) upon completion of Leifermann’s service at the Volkswagen factory, dated to March 21, 1945.

The on call duty certificate states that Leifermann reported to her supervisor in her hometown after ending her assignment for Volkswagen. It also serves as verification for the receival of food stamps. It is dated to Stade on April 23, 1945.

The unused postcard is from the Palace Hotel in Zagreb (Croatia).

Footnote:

Annemarie Leifermann was born on September 27, 1917 in Himmelpforten, near Hamburg. She lived in Stade, west of Hamburg. In 1943, Leifermann applied to become an army staff helper. After the mandatory four week training course in Danzig from June to July, she began working as an office help for the Heeresstandortverwaltung (army garrison administration) in Hamburg-Harburg. On January 20, 1945 Leifermann was deployed to the Heeres-Abnahmestelle für Kraftfahrgerät (army inspection site for vehicle equipment) at the Volkswagen factory. This assignment lasted until the third week of April.