Original German WWII DAK Afrika Korps Personal Photo Album of Gefr. Karl Vehmann – Captured and Sent to POW Camp in Canada Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind-album. This is a wonderful personal photo album of Heer Enlisted man Gefreiter Karl Vehmann, who saw service as part of the Afrika Korps in Italy and North Africa, before being captured by Allied forces and sent to a Canadian POW Camp in 1943. From what we can tell, Vehmann enlisted and was trained before being sent to North Africa via Italy. There are pictures that document his travels, showing a lot of non-combat scenes before arriving in North Africa. There doesn’t seem to have been much time for photos once they got there, as the rest of the album is a series of picture postcards sent from the POW Camp in Canada, showing the various activities that the prisoners engaged in while being held. Really some interesting photos in this album!

The album is not a military style album, and has a black textured leatherette cover with Photobraphs in the upper left corner. It measures 9 1/2″ x 7″, and is secured together by a gold cord on the spine. A total of 45 photographs fill this album, making it a treasure-trove of images taken from the viewpoint of a young, patriotic German soldier. These are contained on the first 9 pages of the album, while the following 6 pages have 12 picture post cards from Canada. these show several group photos of the captured soldiers, as well as later photos that appear to show the prisoners staging a theatrical production, complete with a pit orchestra. A few show postal stamps, showing that Vehmann was taken as a POW in 1943. Following these is a picture of what we assume is Vehmann’s family. All of the photos are held in place with period corner tabs or adhesive, some of which has failed over time.

A great Heer Army Serviceman’s photo album from the German Afrikakorps, who was captured and sent to Canada as a POW in 1943, and stayed there until the end of the war. Ready to research and display!

Historical records like this album have become priceless time capsules that provide an incomparable level of insight into the individual experience of the Second
World War, now that almost eighty years have passed.

The older albums such as these usually withstand the ravages of time. The leather or fabric covers may wear, but the pages stay well intact. The black paper albums of the early 20th century are more fragile, while the glue from magnetic albums can damage photographs. And, as with all old photographs, keep albums in a safe, climate controlled environment.

History of the German Africa Corps

The Afrikakorps or German Africa Corps (German: Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of their African colonies, the formation fought on in Africa, under various appellations, from March 1941 until its surrender in May 1943. The unit’s best known commander was Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.