Kriegsmarine Interesting Soldbuch.

[Gordon Williamson]

On the face of it, pretty normal and not particularly interesting. Late war Soldbuch to a guy in the Marine Artillery. Lets see if anyone can see why it is a bit unusual.

Nice photo with the MA badge being worn.

[Gordon Williamson]

Personal details.

[Gordon Williamson]

Awards page with MA Badge.

[Chris Boonzaier]

He is pretty young...

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Gordon.

I noticed:

A.-listed as religion being "gottglaeubig" ( not affiliated with any organized religion);

B.- names of both father and mother different from his last name (Schaefer).

Bernhard H. Holst

[Gordon Williamson]

Chris is nearer. It's to do with his age.

Note that the Soldbuch was issued in January 1945. It is a new book, not a replacement or continuation book, but the guy already has the Marine Artillery Badge awarded in September 1944 - yet he doesn't join the Navy until he is 18, in 1945.

The only way I can see that he could have already been awarded the Marine Artillery badge at the tender age of 17, and before actually joining the navy, was that he was in the HJ, and served as a Marinehelfer on a Flak Gun crew.

[nesredep]

Hello!

Amazing find Gordon.Intresting storry.

All the best

Nesredep

[Chris Boonzaier]

Would the Erkennungsmarke number on page one not indicate that he was in the navy in 1942??

[Gordon Williamson]

The thing then would be that in 1942 he was only 16. I know that in the closing stages of the war, very young guys were being drafted, but in 1942, no way a 16 year old would be in the navy - just wasn't allowed. However, as a Marinehelfer serving with a naval flak unit, he may well have had some sort of Erkennungsmarke with a 1942 date. Not sure what kind of ID discs these guys would have been given. I'm guessing that wearing a navy uniform and under navy command, a Marinehelfer would have been issued a naval type Erkennungsmarke so it all fits.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Could he have been a cadet of some kind?

[Gordon Williamson]

Not really. What we would thing of as a "Sea Cadet" type thing with young lads getting naval training, would be serving in the Marine-HJ, not the Navy, which you'd only enter as an adult.