Germany – Third Reich: The potentially interesting Wehrpass and Soldbuch as issued to Rudolph Fischer, a Leutnant in various construction and engineering units who saw service in Finland and later on occupation duties in Norway during the Second World War. He would be awarded the Sports Badge in Bronze, Winter War Medal, War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords and the Lapland Shield
Condition: In Good Condition
Rudolph Fischer was born in Erlangen, Bavaria on 28th July 1901 and would join the Wehrmacht through the enlistment office in Bremen on 19th August 1940 having previously worked as freight forwarder and handler in civilian life.
From 1st March to 8th June 1941 he would serve as part of the occupation force in Norway, before in late June 1941 he joined the fighting in Finland where he would initially participate in the fighting around Salla as part of the German attempts to cut the road from Murmansk down to Leningrad, a route which would quickly become a supply line for the Soviet Union in the form of British and American lend-lease equipment.
He would then take part in the envelope battles in the Wojta section during August and September 1941 before taking part in positional battles for the rest of the year. In early 1942 he would be on the defensive against the Red Army’s winter counterattacks. But from mid 1941 until June 1944 he would be taking part in the positional fighting in Northern Finland.
After the withdrawal of the German troops from Finland in late 1944/early 1945 he would serve on occupation duties in Norway until the German surrender on 8th May 1945.
During his service Fischer would receive the Sports Badge in Bronze on an unknown date, the Winter War Medal on 20th August 1942, the War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords on 1st September 1943 and finally the Lapland Shield for which his entitlement was confirmed on 14th July 1945 some two months after the end of the war.