Germany, SS. A Wehrpaß and Preliminary SS ID Card to SS Totenkopf Unterscharführer Josef Chalupa

The Wehrpaß is dated to Cosel (Upper Silesia, present-day Koźle, southern Poland) on May 17, 1939 and signed by the Commander of Army District Command Cosel, a Lieutenant Colonel, the name is illegible. Measuring 104x147mm, very fine condition with light scuffing and warping of the cover.

The preliminary SS ID card is dated to Deutsch-Krawarn (present-day Kravaře, northeast Czech Republic) on February 23, 1939. It is signed by the leader of the 23rd SS-Standarte, an SS-Standartenführer. Different sources state his name as Werner Pögel or Vögel. Measuring 89x131mm, better than very fine condition with light scuffing and creasing.

Footnote: Josef Chalupa was born on August 12, 1910 in Klebsch (present-day Chlebičov, northeast Czech Republic). Before he began a military career, Chalupa worked as a bricklayer. He spoke Czech and served in the Czechoslovakian army in an infantry regiment for one year and seven months. In early 1939, Chalupa became an SS candidate in SS-Sturm 10/23. On September 1 that year, he was officially accepted into the 4th (machine gun) company of SS Totenkopf Infantry Regiment 3. His Wehrpaß states three missions that Chalupa participated in. Between May 23 and 26, he crossed the La Bassée Canal in northern France. During the next night, he was involved in a battle for a town, the name is illegible. On May 27, 1940 Chalupa fought in Le Paradis, the day of the infamous massacre which was carried out by the 3rd Company of SS Totenkopf Infantry Regiment 2, led by Fritz Knöchlein, and with the help of two machine guns from the 4th Company, resulting in the war crime of the shooting of almost 100 British POWs. It is unknown if Chalupa was in any way involved in this crime. He was part of a different regiment, but he did participate in the fighting. Chalupa was promoted to SS-Sturmmann on July 1. In August, he was placed in the SS Totenkopf Infantry Replacement Battalion 3, before being transferred to the SS Main Welfare and Pension Department in June of 1941. Here, Chalupa would stay until the end of June, 1944. During this time, he was promoted to SS-Rottenführer on February 1, 1942 and to SS-Unterscharführer on June 21, 1943. Chalupa joined the Staff Company of the Waffen-SS Race and Settlement Main Office on July 1, 1944. This department was responsible for maintaining racial “purity” in the SS, and also working together with the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle (Coordination Centre for Ethnic Germans) in their effort to “germanise” the occupied eastern European territories. No further information about Chalupa is known.