The Soldbuch (paybook) was carried by all serving German soldiers of World War 2.
It served primarily as a record of the soldier's pay and as a form of identification.
Personal identification consisted of physical features,
family details, age etc.
Military details consisted of the current field unit, current replacement unit, clothing, equipment and weapons issued and
military awards issued. Other details included hospitalization, innoculations and home leave taken.
The Soldbuch was to be carried at all times.
(This photo is of Paul Barke at age 20, probably taken between the end of May and early July 1942 soon after joining the regular army.)
I purchased this Soldbuch in 1993 from a house demolisher in West Auckland, New Zealand.
He had found it along with a number of photos in the basement of the house he was demolishing. Sadly, the Soldbuch and the accompanying photos
had been badly damaged by water and some of the photos were indistinguishable. However most of the pages of the Soldbuch and
two portrait photos were of satisfactory quality to keep.
These documents and photos would probably have been souvenired by a New Zealand soldier in North Africa. They were
most likely either taken taken off a POW, found lying on the desert floor or removed from a dead body.
Paul Barke was born on 29 December 1921 in the town of Lehne which was within the Danzig area of present day Gdansk, Poland.
He had blond hair, blueish eyes and stated himself as being of Catholic denomination.
(The restored photo at left shows Paul Barke in RAD uniform prior to joining the army)
Paul Barke served with the RAD (work service) prior to joining the Army.
This was a standard procedure that all prospective soldiers went though.
This photo of him in RAD uniform was developed in the town of Wittenburg (central Germany). This town was part of
Wehrkreis 4 (Military District 4).
Paul Barke was destined to join the 164th Infantry Division which originated from this Wehrkreis,
so I assume he completed all or part of his RAD service in Wehrkreis 4 and then joined a division from the same area.
Paul Barke entered active duty service with the 382nd Regiment of
the 164th Infantry Division sometime between late May and July 1942. From early 1942 the division
had been based in Crete and I assume he joined them briefly here before their departure to North Africa.
His Soldbuch however, was issued from his home district of Wehrkreis XX, Neustadt sub area
at age 20 in May (21st?) of 1942.
Wehrkreis XX comprised the Danzig (Gdansk) area of present day Poland,
the Polish corridor and the western part of Prussia.
He received a gasmask and sundry items on 22 May 1942.
164th Infantry Division transferred to Panzer Army Africa in North Africa
during June-July of 1942. This was undertaken by air transport (Junkers 52) due to the rapidly
diminishing capabilities of sea transportation due to Allied interdiction.
Arrival in North Africa at this time of the campaign meant landing at a remote airbase and
endeavouring to locate vehicles and fuel to move to the front. Transport and fuel was scarce and
rear echelon support was not to be relied upon.
The exact date that the 382nd Infantry Regiment landed in North Africa was 10 July 1942 and again I assume Paul Barke
was with them as he received his tropical equipment and innoculations over the next two days.
Records state that upon arrival on 10 July 1942 - without vehicles - the 382nd Regiment was just in time to save the Headquarters
of Panzer Army Afrika from the British and Australians. It had been threatened because the
Italian Sabratha Division had collapsed, and Allied infantrymen were within 3,000 yards of the HQ
when the 382nd arrived.
After this initial dramatic arrival in North Africa the 382nd fought extremely well (mainly against Australians)
in the defensive actions around El Alamein from July through early November 1942. Finally crushed, the remnants of the 164th Division
retreated a thousand miles across Egypt and Libya into Tunisia, where they were eventually destroyed
when Army Group Afrika collapsed.
Paul Barke's Soldbuch has a field unit redesignation of 382nd Infantry Regiment to 382nd Panzer Grenadier Regiment.
This redesignation which included a divisional name change of 164th Infantry Division to 164th Light Afrika Division took place in late 1942.
From this I can assume that Paul Barke survived the El Alamein battles and was probably captured or killed either in Libya in late 1942 or Tunisia in 1943.
His last actual Soldbuch entry was 30 July 1942.
If anyone has any record of this soldier or can find out anything else about him, I would be most grateful. It would be nice to contact any descendents of him. (or even the man himself!)
Chronology of legible entries in Soldbuch:
29-12-1921 born
21-05-1942 Solduch issued
22-05-1942 Gasmask and sundry items issued
26-05-1942 Innoculations received
02-06-1942 Innoculations received
15-06-1942 Continental equipment issued
12-07-1942 Tropical equipment, rifle, bayonet and cleaning instruments received
11-07-1942 Innoculations received
30-07-1942 Innoculation received
Photos of Paul Barke's Soldbuch
• Soldbuch cover
• Page 1: rank, number, bloodgroup etc.
• Page 2: physical characteristics and details
• Page 4 & 5: Military units (p4), family details (p5)
• Pages stating equipment issued (tropical issue sheet pasted in)
• Close up of tropical issue sheet (part 1)
• Close up of tropical issue sheet (part 2)
• Page showing Innoculations
