Gordon Williamson

He was a member of the Sudeten German Association (Sudetendeutsche Landsmannschaft). It was formed in 1950 and as Lösel's card is dated January 1950 he must have been one of the first members.

Note his nationality before 1938 is given as Czech and after as German (D.R. - Deutsches Reich)

The Ausweis was issued in Nürnberg, and would have been issued after he was released from captivity at Nürnberg Langwasser

As one of the many Sudeten Germans expelled from Czechoslovakia at the end of the war, Lösel carried a Fluchtlings Ausweis.

The greeting.

Interesting again that he is referred to in this card as Hauptmann der Schutzpolizei, the Police rank he continued to use even in his Waffen-SS Soldbuch even though he also held the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer. His Zugführer however uses the abbreviation for the rank of Untersturmführer though he has omitted the "SS" prefix

With a skillfully executed drawing of the camp.

After the surrender in 1945, Lösel and his men were interned at the PoW camp at Nürnberg Langwasser. This is a Christmas greetings card made for him by some of his men. Note the name mis-spelled !!

Once again, in dual language.

This book, embossed with the Czech LIon on the cover, appeares to be for the equivalent of National Insurance.

Once again, no more subscription stamps after 1938.

Another membership book. This one for the Arbeiter Turn und Sport Union der CSR.

Interestingly, the subscription stamps for 1933 show him as on Military Service (presumably with the Czech army).

The book contains subscription stamps up to 1938. Of course after the Germans took control, this organisation, like its German counterpart, would have been prohibited.

The German equivalent organisation was prohibited by the Nazis in 1933 when all such independent organisations were either banned or assimilated into the Party controlled equivalents.

Membership book for the Arbeiter Turn und Sport Verband (Workers Gymnastics and Sports Association) . Dual language Czech and German.

A travel pass issued to Lösel, authorising him to travel on public transport when out of uniform. Issued by the Kommando der Schutzpolizei in 1942

Sadly, the photo is missing.

And they keep coming ! The seller contacted me again with even more of Lösel's material. Pre-war, wartime and post-war.

Here is his Youth Hostelling Ausweis from 1932

There are no entries relating to wounds or ilness and at 39 years old when he was released from the Military, he certainly wasn't too old, plus his discharge entries show a "K.v." prefix (Kriegsverwendungsfähig or fit for combat) so I assume he was released back to service with the civil Gendarmerie simply ( he was with the Gendarmerie pre-war) because he had completed a suitable "tour of duty" with the military.

A further clue to his subsequent service is a covering letter tucked into the back of the Wehrpass from the Kommander der Gendarmerie in Lublin, addressed to the Gendarmerie Post in Hrubieszow ( in Eastern Poland, bordering the Ukraine) sending Hahnel his Polizei Dienstpass, together with his Soldbuch and this Wehrpass so he clearly served with the Police in occupied Poland after leaving the Wehrmacht.

Service in the Polish Campaign, the Westfeldzug and briefly on occupation duty in Norway before moving into Finland. Not visible here, but under the pasted in sheet for service in Finland, is another entry showing that he returned to France in August 1942 "Einsatz unter dem Militär Befehlshaber Belgien und Nordfrankreich" until March 1943.

Hi rank, and his awards, - nothing special- the KVK2 and the East Front Medal

His units were all attached to Ortskommandantur , Feldkommandantur or Hohere Kommando elements.

Another rather nice Feldgendarmerie Wehrpass. What drew me to this one was the photo. I've a few others where the Wehrpass has a uniform rather than civilian photos as the holder was already serving when the Wehrpass was created.

However my others show the soldier in a previous branch before joining the Feldgendarmerie. In this case the soldier was already a Senior NCO in the Feldgendarmerie when the book was issued so the photo shows him as a Stabsfeldwebel der Feldgendarmerie.

Recently acquired, here is a nice example of the "Honourable Discharge" document for wounded soldiers that recipients of the SWB would have received.

Just acquired this one.

The French records show that he died of Peritonitis.

Just wondering, if this could be that he developed an infection after a gut wound and died of the infection rather than the wound itself, or would this be purely an "illness" rather than due to enemy fire ?

And Blockade Breaker

Ellerbrock returned to the Merchant Navy after the war and sailed on all over the wordl for many years.