Bidspirit auction | Extensive Photo Album & Estate

Extensive Photo Album & Estate of an SS Tanker (SS Death's Head Division / Armored Troops) – Heinz Gresel (1938–1945) - Important, densely documented collection of photographs and documents belonging to Waffen-SS member Heinz Gresel (Hanover/Nienburg). In total, there are 88 images. Please understand that, for legitimate reasons, we cannot show all of them, and some of the visible parts have been partially retouched. The original photo album (brown cover with embossed SS runes, formerly secured with a skull clasp closure – heavy skull fragment included) alongside a stack of loose photographs document his continuous service history: Pre-War & Hitler Youth: Factory band of the Wülfel Ironworks (Hanover, 1938), Hitler Youth Reichsführerlager (leadership camp) in Brunswick 1939 (camp life, sports, training, Flieger-HJ / Flying HJ). Waffen-SS & Dachau: Enlistment in 1939, comradeship evenings (including one signed by SS-Obersturmführer Gäbler), rare and razor-sharp photographs of the swearing-in ceremony in Dachau (March 7, 1940) featuring the SS standard, gorgets, and Totenkopf headwear. Music Corps & Training: Rare motifs as a member of the SS-Musikkorps Totenkopf wearing musician's swallow's nests (Schwalbennestern); SS NCO School Lublinitz (Poland, winter 1940) with barracks and training scenes. Frontline Service in Russia: Detailed captioned photographs of the 3rd Platoon / 4th Company, SS-Totenkopf Infantry Regiment 1 (including early graves of fallen comrades from July 1941 near Dno / Eastern Front), units in Platanenmuster (plane tree pattern) camouflage attire. Armored Troops & End of War: Portraits and group photos in black special armored crew uniforms / modified field blouses (Tauroggen 1944 and 1945); handwritten career summary inside the front cover (deployment on Panzerjäger / Hetzer tank destroyers, Vienna 1945). Accompanying Items: Original release/registration card: Allied Expeditionary Force D.P. Index Card issued to ”Gresel, Heinz” with handwritten addition ”SS”. Tax card 1939 (City of Hanover). Fragment of the silver skull clasp ring. Condition: Photographs mostly corner-mounted, very sharp focus and strong contrasts; many prints extensively dated and captioned on the reverse with names and units. Album cover shows minor signs of age, closure strap fragmented. (Note: Historical collector's item and document of contemporary history).gemäß §§ 86, 86a StGB