Germany, Heer. An Afrikakorps Wehrpaß, with Italian-German African Campaign Medal

(Heer Wehrpaß, Angehörige des deutschen Afrikakorps in Nordafrika mit Medaille). A well-preserved Heer Wehrpaß, constructed of a card stock binding with 52 paginated interior pages filled with handwritten and stamped entries, named to “WILHELM HERZER”, who was born on 3 March 1906 and who entered Wehrmacht service in 1941, initially serving with 1. Kompanie, Bau-Ersatz-Bataillon- 9, later serving with 3. Komapnie, Bau-Bataillon 85, who received tropical combat training in May 1941 before being shipping to North Africa the following month, seeing combat service at Tobruk, Cyrenaica, and Gazala, resulting in a promotion to Gefreiter on 1 March 1943 and receipt of the Italian-German African Campaign medal on 23 March 1942, retaining a certified black-and-white studio photo of the bearer and an additional handwritten letter dated 7 April 1943, measuring 10.5 cm (w) x 14.5 cm (h), demonstrating minor material fatigue consistent with wartime usage, an interesting example of a Wehrpaß issued to a soldier who participated in many of the key engagements of the North African campaign in near extremely fine condition.

Accompanied by the recipient’s Italian-German African Campaign Medal, constructed of bronzed zink, on loop for suspension from its period original ribbon, the obverse bearing a raised depiction of two gladiators (symbolizing Italy and Germany) grappling with a crocodile (symbolizing Great Britain), the reverse bearing a central depiction of the Arco dei Fileni, flanked by a fasces and swastika, in turn circumscribed by an inscription of “ITALIAN-GERMAN CAMPAIGN IN AFRICA” in both Italian and German, the obverse maker marked “LORILO, MILANO”, measuring 30.92 mm in diameter, weighing 10.8 grams (inclusive of ribbon), demonstrating total loss of bronze finish throughout the base metal, in very fine condition.