Wehrpass - Mountain trooper / panzer grenadier, KIA Ukraine 1943

1st edition Wehrpass for Josef Küffen, born in 1913 in Mönchengladbach. The Wehrpass was issued in April 1936. He was inducted into the Wehrmacht in late February 1940, first serving with 1. Schtz. Ers.-Kp. Ersatz Battalion 469, from Feb to March 1940. He served with various infantry units, including Infanterie Regiment 209 from May 41 to August 42. He trained at Panzertruppenschule Wünsdorf in August 1942, transfering afterwards to several panzer grenadier battalions ( Panzer Grenadier Ersatz Battalion 9 and 2. / Pz. Gren. Ausb. Btl. 50). He later served with Gebrigsjäger Regiment 144 in February 1943. He was killed a few days later, on Feb 19th 1943. 

His Wehrpass indicates that he was trained to use the standard Gewehr 98k rifle, light and heavy machine guns and the light 5cm mortar (l. Gr. W.). His final rank was Obergefreiter (promoted in Nov 42). He was awarded the Wound Badge in Black  (Verw. Abz. in Schwarz) in Oct 41 for a shrapnel wound that he sustained fighting on the Eastern Front, as a member of infanterie regiment 209. 

His combat record shows that he fought in a series of battles from early May to late June 1940, fighting through Belgium into Northern France (combat along the Albert Canal, crossing the Scheldt, Flanders and Artois, etc). He served in occupied France until July 1940, then serving in Denmark (Sicherung Dänemark) from July 1940 until late 1941. Unfortunately further combat history (on the Eastern Front) isn’t recorded in the Wehrpass. 

His final unit, the Gebrigsjäger Regiment 144 had been badly mauled in January 1943 and they were defending around the city of Luhansk, Eastern Ukraine. The German war graves commision confirms that he died in this area and was buried in a military cemetery in Alchevsk, Eastern Ukraine (Luhansk Oblast).

Shows wear and age, but no damage, all pages present, spine isn’t fragile, no loose pages. All stamps and entries photographed. Interesting Wehrpass for a KIA soldier who served as both a panzer grenadier and a mountain trooper.