The Wehrpass of SS-Rottenführer August Krämer; Totenkopf Division & KIA

Marked with the Army eagle on the cover, inscribed "Wehrpass" below, stamped in red ink with a death rune, "gef. 6.6.42" and "Waffen SS", dual stamped black and white photograph of Krämer with two eyelets, his signature across the photo and below it on page 2, multiple entries and stamps throughout the rest of the book, one glued in insert on page 32, loose black and white photograph of Krämer and two other soldiers in full uniform tucked inside the pocket on the inside cover, marked "D.R.G.M. (Deutsches Reichsgebrauchsmuster) 1 367 174" on the inside back cover and maker marked "Wetten & Co., Nationaler Werbedruck, Berlin SW 61" on the back cover, containing fifty-two pages printed in brown ink, plus cover printed in black ink, 106 mm x 147 mm, light soiling on the exterior of the cover, the inside pages unaffected, near extremely fine.

Footnote: This Wehrpass was issued to August Krämer on December 13, 1938 in Koblenz. Krämer was born on May 25, 1911 in Kaisersesch near Koblenz and was a Catholic. He was married and resided with his wife, Maria, in Andernach am Rhein. Krämer was drafted, received infantry training and was qualified on the K 98 rifle, Luger pistol, and the 08/15 and l.M.G. 34 light machine guns. From November 3, 1939 to September 6, 1940, he served with several SS-Totenkopf-Standarten (SS Death’s Head Battalions) in Brünn, Ewelsberg, Wien (Vienna) and SS Stammkompanie Norwegen (SS Cadre Company Norway). The Wehrpass includes a snapshot of Krämer with two comrades taken in Oranienburg on June 24, 1940 (SS Stammkompanie Norwegen was presumably headquartered in Oranienburg). From September 7, 1940 to May 17, 1941, Krämer was posted to SS-Sonderlager “Hinzert” (SS Special Camp “Hinzert”), a concentration camp for political prisoners, where many prisoners were executed. The entry for this unit assignment is signed by an SS-Untersturmführer (SS 2nd Lieutenant), who was the Adjutant of the camp. From May 18 to August 11, 1941, Krämer was assigned to the 2nd Company of SS-Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon “Germania” (SS Infantry Replacement Battalion “Germania”). With this unit, he was issued a dog tag having the inscription 2./E. SS-“G” 16050. From August 12 to November 21, 1941, Krämer fought with the 1st Company of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung (Reconnaissance Battalion) of the SS-Totenkopf-Division. During this assignment, Krämer was shot through the left hand in Ssucha-Niwa, Russia, on October 21, 1941. He was presumably hospitalized in Germany and subsequently assigned to the Kradschützen-Ersatz-Bataillon (Motorcyclist Replacement Battalion) in Ellwangen from November 22, 1941 to April 26, 1942. In Ellwangen, Krämer was awarded the Wound Badge in Black on November 25, 1941. From April 27 to April 31, 1942, he returned to the 1st Company of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung of the SS-Totenkopf-Division. From May 1 to May 8, 1942, he was briefly assigned to the 6th Genesenden-Kompanie (Recuperation Company) of the Kradschützen-Ersatz-Bataillon. On May 9, 1942, Krämer once again returned to the 1st Company of the Aufklärungs-Abteilung of the SS-Totenkopf-Division. On June 6, 1942, he was killed in action west of Bolschoj Dubowizy while serving with this unit. On June 24, 1942, he was posthumously awarded the Infantry Assault Badge. After Krämer’s death, his recruiting officer stamped the front cover of the Wehrpass with a red death rune and wrote gef. (gefallen or killed in action) and 6.6.42, the date of Krämer’s death, in red ink. This is a very interesting SS Wehrpass for a soldier who served as a guard at a little-known concentration camp and fought with the SS Totenkopf Division.