RAD to Heer Transition Service Photo Album

Updated August 7, 2026

Lot number1004064
AuctionThe Bagale Collection, Session III - Wartime Militaria
DateAugust 15, 2026 at 6:05 PM MDT
Auction house345 Auction
LocationPueblo West, Colorado

This original service album chronicles a soldier’s progression from the Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD) into the Heer (German Army), spanning 1937 to 1940. The black textured cover features the silver-embossed RAD spade emblem and the title Meine Dienstzeit (My Service Time). A significant historical detail is the interior handwritten dedication from the soldier's mother, dated Christmas 1939, presenting the album as a gift to her son, Max. Across 21 pages, the album holds 84 original black-and-white photographs and 25 modern reproductions. The early images document RAD labor service, including athletic training and group portraits in work uniforms, while the later photographs transition into active military life. Notable candid shots include "Hptm. Schwotzer" in the field and "Uffz. Schmidt" receiving a haircut, alongside images of troops in transit via rail cars. The 9" x 12" album is bound by its original decorative cord with tassels and remains a well-preserved personal record of the mobilization era. OT

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