Review of German Military Travel Papers of the Second World War

German Military Travel Papers of the Second World War is a great tool for anyone that collects or is interested in documents put out by the Nazi regime. I was given this book to review, and author Matt DiPalma shares information about how the regime used paper to regulate their war machine.

Inside the flap of the book cover is a great description of what DiPalma has to offer.  “The German Wehrmacht ran on paperwork, evidenced by the complicated maze of interrelated forms necessary for troops to move either on leave or for official business from one end of the Third Reich to another.  This work, a unique and thorough compendium of original paperwork carried by he soldiers themselves, documents the forms required for German soldiers to travel, go home on leave, or visit the spoils of occupation. A methodically detailed collection that parallels this work is the most through collection of original travel ephemera from Nazi Germany assembled to date…”

While not a book for bedtime reading, the forms provide insight into the lives of the everyday soldiers offering up tidbits of personal information that make this more than just a reference book.  For example, the story of a form where a soldier was promoted and led nine charges on a night train, while on the trip he was wounded and his son shared ,” which as it happened was most fortuitous, as his evacuation to a hospital in the west prevented his capture by advancing Russians.”

Published by Schaffer Publishing, go to www.schifferbooks.com for details.

Anyone interested in World War II and the details of the Nazi regime will not be disappointed.