GERMAN WWII 6 MAGNIFICENT SS PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS.

6 albums belonging to SS Officer Horst Vollrath. The 6 albums trace his history from childhood through the membership of the Hitler Youth, the political schools known as THE NAPOLA, then into service with the SS, which includes officer training at the SS School of Bad Tolz, service in the Adolf Hitler Division, the Viking Division and service at the SS Medical Academy. With the albums are 5 cuff titles all relating to the units he served in. All the cuff titles are full length, they are glued diagonally to the covers of 5 of the 6 albums, they include enlisted ranks RZM 7 strand Adolf Hitler, enlisted ranks 7 strand Viking, officer flat wire SS Schule Tolz, SS Arztlicht Akademie, also a rare cuff title from the Napola School at Ballenstedt, the cuff title reads ‘NA.PO.BI’ with the numeral ‘6’ followed by ‘Ballenstedt’, the last cuff title is for a HJ Danzig unit, The first album is dated ‘1922 to 1937 and contains 123 photographs, starting off with childhood photographs, grandparents photographs, family groups in 1929 and 1931, 1932, 1933 and then in 1934 we see the first photographs of Horst in his Hitler Youth uniform with whom believe he is standing with his father who is in in SA uniform. Some excellent rare shots in 1934 of Mining Association officials wearing their distinctive mining officials hats and uniforms of the Third Reich period. There follows holiday shots in Norway 1934 and 1935, Hitler Youth groups shots in 1935 and in 1936. Many shots from the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Tourist shots also Berlin at 1936. Hitler Youth rallies September 1936 with close-ups of high ranking SS leaders, all personally identified and annotated below the photographs, super shots of a Hitler Youth band in September 1936 being visited by Allgemeine SS leaders. Large postcard size images of Stadts Minister Freyberg in Allgemeine SS uniform, also Reich Leader Sauckel speaking. 1937 Hitler Youth group shots. images at the back of the album taken in May 37 show Horst in Hitler Youth Leaders tunics. Napola Ballenstedt cuff band diagonally placed across the cover 123 photographs in all.
Album 2 with the cuff title of Danzig Hitler Youth diagonally across the cover. The album runs from 1937 to 1942 and contains 161 photographs, all of the images are annotated in year form in white ink at the beginning of the album, nearly every one of the photographs is annotated below. Group shots of fellow colleagues at the Hitler Youth Leaders School, a 1938 shot of Horst with his Hitler Youth Leaders tunic, hatless. Tourist scenes around Germany. Family groupings including Horst in Hitler Youth Leaders uniform with and without his cap. 1939 shots of his parents. 1938 many shots of Hitler Youth marching at camps, parades, training, at camps, visits from Hitler Youth Senior Leaders with a variety of uniforms being shown and worn. Women shown from an overseas trip, which appears to be in the Balkans. Images of the Adriatic Sea, probably taken on the same trip. An excellent large shot of Horst close-up postcard size, hatless wearing his Hitler Youth Leaders tunic. A large group shot of fellow Hitler Youth Leaders at the wedding of a colleague. The album ending in 1942 of families, relations or friends in German army uniforms. Ever image annotated as previously mentioned.
Album 3 with the enlisted ranks cuff title of Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler and Viking Division pasted diagonally over the front cover. A total of 214 photographs. A list on the inside page of what order the images are arranged in. A large group of officers, nco and men at the Berlin Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Barracks. The most wonderful side on shot of Horst wearing his SS M35 double decal helmet in 1939 with the black and white piped collar and collar patches as a member of the 6th Company Artillery Regiment number 5 wearing his early large LAH script shoulder boards. Training in the winter of 1940 with fellow colleagues in what appears to be Munich. Further training shots with the L A H. A page annotated 10th May shows the invasion of Holland, Belgium and France. Battlefield scenes, wrecked bridges, destroyed buildings, French and Dutch prisoners of war, destruction in Rotterdam, crashed German aircraft on wide roads, German half tracks moving through the streets, lines of German soldiers, lines of French prisoners. The standard images of French Colonial soldiers, which seem to appear in every German album. Destroyed factories, French fortifications damaged, German graves, troops asleep and on the move. Huge 18 ton half tracks, destroyed light French tanks, German Panzer tanks, damaged French towns, towed artillery by half tracks. Good close-up of an SS officer and his NCO wearing their hats. German soldiers arriving in Paris and the standard French tourist shots of the Eiffel Tower and other well known sites, which every German soldier in Paris seemed to record. Palace of Versailles with German troops to the front. Memorials at Verdun. LAH on parade in June 1940. August 1941 shots taken in what appears to be annotated as Dachau. The invasion of Russia in June 41. Many shots in the field, destroyed Russian tanks, buildings in flames, Russian prisoners. Pasted to the inner cover of the rear of the album is a folded map of which Horst has traced in red the movement of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler from Holland into Belgium, down into central France and back to Metz in France. A magnificent album of the early two years of WWII.
Album 4. The 4th album, which is of a slightly smaller format having the SS Schule Tolz officers flat wire cuff title fitted diagonally across the front cover, on opening the album the date ‘4th June to 6th June 1944 SS Juncker Schule Tolz’ is written with mixed dates going through to the 12.1.43 where he then attends the SS Artz Academy in Graz. This album contains 124 images, every one of them annotated beginning with pictures of Russian prisoners, German tanks on the move in Russia, Russian villages, lines of Russian prisoners, German soldiers on a river, military crossings of rivers on barges, destroyed bridges, close-ups of a Russian Commissar prisoner, fallen German comrades graves. All of the images are annotated, some with complete descriptions. German observation planes landing, trenches in the snow in November 1941, medal presentation ceremonies April 42 with close-up of an SS NCO taking a parade. Some good studio shots of Horst wearing his SS NCO visor cap. A full compliment of his insignia to his tunic. Images of the Juncker Schule Tolz, tourist scenes in the area of Bad Tolz. Excellent close-up of SS instructor, 1942 leave shots, more shots in the field of SS officers. A good close-up shot of SS General Hauser wearing his open collar style tunic, hatless, another showing Hauser wearing a different closed collar uniform in conference. Two full length images of Horst wearing his Juncker Schule Tolz cuff band to his tunic, hatless. A very nice hand drawn postcard size image of Horst Vollrath with the name ‘Horst’ at the Medical Academy Graz 1942. An interesting December 1942 shot of Horst wearing a rubberised greatcoat, SS officers visor cap and carrying an army style lion’s head sword. More shots of the Medical Academy in Graz.
Album 5. Larger format having the SS Arztliche Akademie officers flat wire Bevo woven cuff title affixed diagonally to the cover. This album contains 104 photographs, the album dated from February 43 to October 43. At the beginning of the album there is a pencil hand written letter, we have no idea who to and from, various hotel labels in The Balkans. Images taken in the streets of Graz with supposedly his girlfriend, village scenes. An excellent photograph with Horst and a Hitler Youth boy. Barrack type buildings, leisure snow scenes, a superb studio portrait photograph of Horst wearing his SS officers uniform, hatless, another one with his officers visor cap. Family shots wearing his SS uniform, another shot by now wearing his SS chained officers dagger with members of his family, another fine studio example of him wearing his SS officers uniform with his parade belt and aiguillettes. Pictures in civil dress whilst on leave in July 43. Shots in the Moselle area with a young boy, which maybe a brother. More pictures of his wife or girlfriend.
The last album is a smaller format album with dates 1943 to 44 within the front cover in white, tracing his year from October 43 through to May 1944. An opening large format picture of a Luftwaffe Major at his desk, unidentified. Leave at home in October 43 with family members. October 43 images of Horst wearing a Allgemiene SS Field Grey tunic with open collar. with his officers cap and carrying his chained dagger. Winter scenes in November 43. An invitation for Christmas from Horst Vollrath Untersturmfuhrer in the Waffen SS. More excellent pictures, both studio and exterior shots of Horst wearing his open collar Untersturmfuhrer’s open collar style uniform. Winter 44, snow scenes. A February 44 wedding party where Horst appears to be either the best man or a close attendant, at the alter with his colleague getting married, Horst wearing his full compliment of parade equipment on his open collar uniform. The same situation, Horst signing the witness register. May 44 leave shots with his wife/girlfriend. The album ends in May 1944, unfortunately we have no further evidence of Horst Vollrath’s wartime service. There are 86 photographs in this album. Accompanying the albums is a very large format period copy of one of the images from the albums of a studio shot of Horst wearing his SS officers visor cap and upper bust and a smaller just larger than postcard size image of Horst wearing his closed collar SS uniform wearing his officers visor cap and carrying his SS chained dagger within his hands. We have had many photograph album groupings over the last 50 years, however this is probably the best chronically produced group of albums we have ever had. One can only speculate as to why the albums finished in 1944. In-depth research through SS officers lists of the name ‘Vollrath’ may reveal some further information, of the total of 815 images , 417 are military or politically related, it is impossible for us to publish all the images, viewing if possible is recommended. Any lifting of these images and use elsewhere is an infringement of ownership and will be perdsued.

Code: 88432