Germany, Ordnungspolizei. A Police Soldbuch and Service Pass Group to Josef Wergles, Notable Anti-Partisan Combat

(Polizei Konvolut). An extensive Police document group to Josef Wergles, consisting of:

1. A Soldbuch, constructed of a card stock binding with 36 paginated interior pages filled with handwritten and typewritten entries, named to “JOSEF WERGLES”, the interior retaining a certified studio portrait of Wergles in uniform, issued 2 May 1944 in Graz, measuring 10 cm (w) x 14 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

2. A Dienstpaß, constructed of a card stock binding with 32 paginated interior pages lightly filled with handwritten entries, named to “JOSEF WERGLES”, issued 18 July 1942 in Pettau (now Ptuj, Slovenia), measuring 10 cm (w) x 14 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

3. A Dienstausweis, constructed of oilcloth with typewritten particular to “JOSEF WERGLES”, issued 23 March 1943 in Graz, retaining a certified black-and-white studio portrait of Wergles in uniform, measuring 7 cm (w) x 10 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

4. A single special order document issued by the Gendarmeriehauptmannschaft Marburg an der Drau (now Maribor, Slovenia), dated 19 January 1943 and acknowledged by Wergles’ handwritten signature, measuring 20.5 cm (w) x 19 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

Footnote: Josef Wergles was born on 3 April 1916 in Staroschinzen, Austria-Hungary (now Starošinci, Slovenia) to parents Matthias and Barbara (née Tschernko). He entered Hilfspolizei service on 12 June 1941, attaining the rank of Oberwachtmeister der Gendarmerie by 1 October 1942. He was trained on the use of the Karabiner 98k rifle and Luger Pistole 08, and participated in anti-Partisan operations throughout occupied Yugoslav territories. Notably, both Wergles’ Soldbuch and Dienstpaß confirm that he participated in the 8 January 1943 assault on the camp of the Partisan “Pohorje Battalion” at Osankarica when, after two hours of intense combat, approximately 2,000 Wehrmacht and Polizei personnel killed 69 of the unit's 70 fighters, with the sole survivor subsequently being executed. The site of the battle is presently commemorated by a monument to Slovenian wartime resistance.