December 2012 Auction Ends Tuesday, December 18th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/18/2012
A beautiful and historic photo album featuring the self-reflective perspective of a Nazi soldier. The unnamed soldier's military portrait is adorned on the first page of the album and following are 193 of his photographs. Providing a documented view of the war through the soldier's eyes, it begins with a soldier swearing-in ceremony in 1939. Flipping through the pages, there are photos of his unit bathing, marching, at the shooting range and practicing combat simulations. As his unit starts to travel, there is a beautiful photo of the village of R'beland and its famous railroad en route to Poland. In Poland, where the War begins, there are pictures of German tanks, the collection of loot collected and graves of crosses. In 1940, the Western Westfeldzug Campaign to conquer Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France is documented with photos of a dead soldier and adoring crowds welcoming his Nazi troops in Magdeburg, Germany. Paris pictures indicate that he enjoyed sightseeing with photos of the Arc de Triomphe, a Parisian Cafe, Paris theater, Marine Ministry building, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower. There are some photos of Austria on the Danube River including a photo of a troop lined up by the river. An interesting picture shows a train carrying military vehicles to Russia, perhaps part of Germany's ill-fated invasion of Russia. The following pages show Russian children and war-ravaged ruins. The soldier's troops headed to the Russian village of Welisk, which was captured by the Germans on 14 July 1941 and rural landscape photos of the village are included. Photos of a Russian bomber and a plane that crashed are also present. In the city of Minsk in present-day Belarus, there is a picture of the Nazi tanks on the move as well as a few photos of the city. Further along, there are pictures of winter and the snow that would ultimately derail the Nazis and force them to withdraw. One photo shows a tank that had been destroyed and another of train tracks shattered into pieces. One of the most interesting pictures is a huge glider in Cholm, Russia where there was heavy fighting. Another photo shows a dramatic photo of a partisan hanged from the gallows. The 7.5'' x 10.5'' photo album also includes a partial marching route map for the soldier's division. Most of the photos are in very good condition with minimal fading. An exceptional collection.
Nazi Soldier's Personal World War II Photo Album -- Includes Pictures of Captured Polish Troops, French POWs, Destroyed French Tanks, Crashed Soviet Planes & Destroyed Towns
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