Wehrmacht Soldier

[dante]

I have a wehrpass to Rudolf Israel, served up to 1944, is it not unusual not to have changed the name? and did the "Israel's" survive, any pointers for research welcome, Paul

[dante]

I have a wehrpass to Rudolf Israel, served up to 1944, is it not unusual not to have changed the name? and did the "Israel's" survive, any pointers for research welcome, Paul

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[dante]

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[dante]

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[Ulsterman]

He's not Jewish. Hes' ev. luther.-and I'll bet he was beaten up quite often in the Third Reich. He may beof distantly mixed (Mischlinger) heritage, but I thought they had a special stamp in their Wehrpasses.

Had he been qualified as a Jew he'd have been disqualified for military service by the Nuremberg Decrees and never issued a Wehrpass.

Edited January 22, 2008 by Ulsterman

[dante]

He's not Jewish. Hes' ev. luther.-and I'll bet he was beaten up quite often in the Third Reich. He may beof distantly mixed (Mischlinger) heritage, but I thought they had a special stamp in their Wehrpasses.

Had he been qualified as a Jew he'd have been disqualified for military service by the Nuremberg Decrees and never issued a Wehrpass.

Thats what I would have thought, bet he had a laugh when he had to show this pass to the SS Fieldjager........

[Ulsterman]

Thats what I would have thought, bet he had a laugh when he had to show this pass to the SS Fieldjager........

I doubt anybody laughed around an SS feldjager.

[dante]

I doubt anybody laughed around an SS feldjager.

Were they not renowned for there sense of fun...........

[Andwwils]

"Israel" as a family name may not be too unusual. If it were his first name, then yes I'd bet he had some Jewish lineage. Anyway if he were of Jewish descent his Wehrpass would have shown something to indicate this if it were discovered post-issue. There's a good book entitled "Hitler's Jewish Soldiers" that goes into those of Jewish lineage in the German armed forces during the Third Reich pretty well.

[dante]

"Israel" as a family name may not be too unusual. If it were his first name, then yes I'd bet he had some Jewish lineage. Anyway if he were of Jewish descent his Wehrpass would have shown something to indicate this if it were discovered post-issue. There's a good book entitled "Hitler's Jewish Soldiers" that goes into those of Jewish lineage in the German armed forces during the Third Reich pretty well.

Andy, thanks just ordered it from ABE, as a mater of interest could he have changed his name?

[Ulsterman]

To boast a little- i was very indirectly responsible for this book. The chap who wrote (Brian Rig) it discussed the fact that he'd just discovered "Mischlinge" in the library one day long ago with me (I camped out in the German history section). he had done Marvah and served in the Israeli army. I was the only gentile ever to do Marvah-and I got sent home immediately when they found out I wasn't jewish.

Anyway-

I'd just read Rick R's post about a Field Marshalls' mother's perjury and mentioned it.

Off he went and wrote his senior paper and viola-a book appeared.

His girlfriend was quite a snap too.

His thesis advisor, (not me) whose entire book sale numbers equal about 1/3 of the first printing of Hitlers' Jewish Soldiers made all sorts of snotty remarks about "accessability" (i.e. normal folks can read their books).

I find that American academics are often quite insulated, self-absorbed, arrogant and petty-minded.

I think of them as the ultimate Baby-boomers: the ugliest Americans.

Having said that they are angels of truth and light compared to French academics.

Edited January 23, 2008 by Ulsterman