Original German WWII Heer Pioneer & Panzer Armored Personal Photo Album with Tank Pictures & Captions- 180 Photos Original Items

Original Item: One-of-a-kind-set. Here we have a wonderful Army Heer personal photo album, filled with what looks to be almost entirely personal photographs. It is covered with what looks to be burlap fabric, and it also looks like originally there was some type of label or message on the front in red felt, however almost all of this has peeled away, so we cannot read what it says. The album measures 12 3/4″ x 9 1/2″, and is bound with blue rayon cord through the binding. This really looks like it was made or customized using a commercially made album, and it is definitely unique in more ways than that!

A total of 180 photographs fill the pages of this album, making it a treasure-trove of images taken from the viewpoint of a young, patriotic German soldier. These are contained on 24 pages, all of which have “Onion skin” separators. Opening the front cover shows the following message, made from cut out fabric letters glued to the page under a “Pioneer” logo:

4. E. (mot.) Pi. 17
Würzburg

This is a Pioniere (Pioneer) unit, most likely an “ersatz” or replacement unit, and looks to have been motorized and based in Würzburg. The other side of this page shows the entire company, and the next page has „Pionier Hick“ pictured in his Waffenrock uniform. There are then 21 photos on the following pages, many of which have captions. After this is a divider page, and it looks like Hick transferred into a Panzer armored unit, listed under a Danziger totenkopf badge:

I. / Panzer-Rgt. 25
Erlangen

The reverse of this page shows another photo of Hick, however this time he is listed as Panzerschütze Hick, and the following pages show 56 photos, many of them showing armored vehicles. Many of these are also captioned, and we can see a Panzer II, a Panzer IV, and lots of other armored vehicles. There are even some photos of tanker troops wearing their iconic black uniforms and Panzer “berets”! There are also some personal and “at ease” photographs interspersed.

After this is another section, labeled In der Rhön, which features 21 photographs, showing areas in the Rhön mountains, located in central Germany. Following this is another divider, labeled Im Rheinland, followed by 82 photos showing Western Germany along the border near the Rhine river, a historical region of Germany. These photos start out in winter, and show numerous areas during all times of year. There are additional pictures of soldiers, and even a rare MG34 fitted with an DT-15 double drum magazine!

There are additional photographs of Panzer tanks, some with captions, and even some photographs of a German military band. Definitely some great research potential in this album!

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.