The collection consists of: a Wehrstammbuch (Army Service Record) (158x214mm, very fine); a rejection letter for officer candidates career (210x149mm, better than fine) with transcript (210x295mm, near extremely fine); an army assignment card (Verwendungskarte) (149x209mm, better than very fine); two unit redeployment letters (209x148mm, 209x155mm, extremely fine, very fine); a service record transcript (Auszug aus der Kriegsstammrolle) (213x303mm, extremely fine); a discharge letter (210x294mm, near extremely fine); an army call for medical check-up (148x208mm, near extremely fine); a Flak Helper unfit for service note with transcript (210x149mm, better than very fine); an HJ career ID card (Ausbildungs-Laufkarte) (209x149mm, very fine); an HJ certificate exempting Gehlken from physical work (210x197mm, very fine) with transcript (209x148mm, near extremely fine); two letters concerning Gehlken’s army registration papers (210x147mm, extremely fine); two declarations of ancestry (Abstammungserklärung) (210x149mm, near extremely fine); two police records (Polizeibericht) (210x149mm, 150x214mm, better than very fine).
The Wehrstammbuch is dated to August 1, 1944.
The rejection letter for an officer candidate career is dated to Eutin on September 28, 1943 (the transcript is dated to Hollenbeck on February 4, 1944). It informs Gehlken that his request to become an officer candidate has been denied since he doesn’t meet the conditions. However, he is advised that he may still become an officer by volunteering for service as a soldier and then distinguishing himself.
The army assignment card states information from a physical from February 2, 1944. It also states in which units Gehlken served.
The first of the unit redeployment letters is dated to Delmenhorst on October 2, 1944. It states that Gehlken is leaving the Infantry Signals Replacement and Training Company 269 to join the Landesschützen Training Battalion I/10. The second one is dated to Wolterdingen on October 16, 1944 upon leaving this unit.
The service record transcript is for Gehlken’s time in the 2nd Landesschützen Training Battalion I/10 until the time of his discharge. It is dated to December 10, 1944.
The discharge letter is dated to Wolterdingen on December 10, 1944. It states that Gehlken has been dismissed effective December 8 and is on his way to his local army drafting department (Wehrmeldeamt) to be discharged. It also states that Gehlken can only be redrafted if his physical condition improves enough to allow front service.
The army call for a medical check-up is dated to April 9, 1945. The check-up is scheduled for April 16. Presumably they want to try and find out if Gehlken can be used in the final and desperate attempt to defend Germany from the advancing enemies.
The Flak Helper unfit for service note with transcript is dated to Stade on December 21, 1943. It states that because of his physical condition Gehlken will not be called on for the task of Flak Helper.
The HJ career ID card is dated to December 13, 1943. Gehlken’s only remarkable attribute is knowledge of Latin and English.
The HJ certificate with transcript exempting Gehlken from physical work is dated to November 25, 1943. It states that the exemption is made initially for a year, but that Gehlken will take part in evening and educational events.
The two letters concerning Gehlken’s army registration papers are dated to Stade on May 5, 1943 and Hollenbeck on May 14, 1943, respectively. The local army drafting department requests the papers back from the mayor of Hollenbeck, Gehlken’s town of birth, but the mayor sends another letter to the district administrator (Landrat) of Stade stating that he is unable to fill out the requested forms as he doesn’t have them.
The declarations of ancestry are dated to Hollenbeck, one on May 13, 1943, one on December 16, 1943. Gehlken declares that he is not jewish and that he doesn’t know of any of his ancestors to have been jewish either.
The police records are dated to Stade on May 17, 1943 and January 10, 1944. There are no entries.
Footnote: Kurt Gehlken was born on August 19, 1927 in Hollenbeck in the district of Stade (present-day part of the town of Harsefeld, northern Germany). Gehlken was an HJ boy in Gefolgschaft 28, Bann 190. However, his physical health was not very good. At only 16 years of age Gehlken already measured 188 cms (6 ft. 2 in.), but weighed only 66 kg (145 lbs). He had to wear glasses, was colourblind, and suffered from serious allergies. As such, he was exempt from the physical aspects of the HJ. He was also not eligible to become a Flak Helper. Despite this, Gehlken applied to become an officer candidate in the Heer, however he was rejected on September 9, 1943. His army physical on February 3, 1944 found him conditionally fit for service. On March 25, 1944 Gehlken was exempt from the mandatory half year Reich Labour Service term. He joined the army on September 5, 1944, his first unit being the Grenadier Replacement and Training Battalion 16 in Oldenburg. However, only three days later he was redeployed to the Infantry Signals Replacement and Training Company 269. Less than a month later, on October 3, 1944 Gehlken joined the 2nd Company of Landesschützen Training Battalion I/10 in Wolterdingen. From here he was discharged on December 8, 1944, bringing a rather short military career to an end.