large grouping of a WWI and WWII veteran 1/2

This is a fairly large group of documents, certificates, a military pass, and photos of Wilhelm Seiferling, born in 1899, who served in both the First and Second World Wars. This sale consists of 26! pieces:

• his military pass


• 8 photos (including a very large original photo where he is sitting on his horse in the rank of Oberfeldwebel and in his role as "Der Spiess").


• 8 certificates


• 2 documents


• 7 medals

He served as a Non-commissioned Officer in Mountain Battery No. 15 during the First World War. Mountain Battery 15 was a German mountain artillery unit that was deployed during the First World War. The unit was mobilized on October 29, 1915. The unit was established within the area of the 6th Army Corps (2. Ers...). They were part of the specialized German mountain artillery (Gebirgsartillerie), often deployed in mountainous terrain, such as in the Vosges Mountains or in support of Austro-Hungarian troops (such as the Alpine Corps). Although not explicitly linked to the 15th battery in the search results, the Skoda 7.5 cm Gebirgskanone M.15 the standard modern mountain artillery used by Austria-Hungary and also used by German units in the First World War.

There he earned the Karl Friedrich (Grand Duke of Baden) decoration, the Iron Cross 2nd Class, the Baltic Cross 2nd Class, and later he received the Commemorative Bulgarian Medal 1915-1918 and the Honor Cross for Front Fighters. The Iron Cross 2nd Class is in very fine condition and is marked "K.O", which stands for the maker Königliches Münzamt Orden from Berlin. The Baltic Cross is in mint condition; these are offered as genuine by various reputable dealers, however, I have some doubts about this. The Karl Friedrich medal is in reasonable condition. The Honor Cross (Hindenburg Cross) is mint, features the long ribbon, and is marked "G4", which stands for the maker Glaser & Sohn from Dresden. The Bulgarian Commemorative Medal 1915-1918 is mint and the original packaging is also included. The original certificates for all these awards are present, and even the Bulgarian certificate.

During the Second World War, he served from 1939, first in the Wehrdienst, then with the 11th Infantry Regiment, and later with the 6th Infantry Regiment as an Oberfeldwebel with the function of "Der Spiess," which essentially amounts to a company sergeant major often referred to as the mother of the company. See also the large photo where he is sitting proudly on his horse; the silver trim on his left arm is clearly visible there. Later, he again served as a soldier in the Wehrdienst with the rank of Luftschutz Obertruppenführer. Naturally, he also earned the Luftschutz-Ehrenzeichen there; this decoration is likewise in mint condition, maker-marked with the number '10', indicating production by the firm 'Förster & Barth' from Pforzheim and still possesses the long ribbon. He was also awarded the Deutsches Schutzwall-Ehrenzeichen; the medal is in perfect condition, also featuring the long ribbon. The certificates are included with these two items as well. Included is also one certificate from 1937 in which he was awarded the Austrian War Memorial Medal with swords; however, this medal is not included. The accompanying photos were all taken in the field, so there are no family snapshots. The large original photo is mounted on sturdy cardboard and has a very nice size of 21 x 29 cm. The two other documents belonging to this group are a letter he sent in 1940 in which he requested permission to leave the service because he was by then the father of four children and his previous employer urgently needed him. As evidenced by his Wehrpass, this was unsuccessful. The other document is his original discharge letter from active service in 1919. They are all military documents, so as is often the case, there are no bank statements or insurance papers included.

After the war, he was decorated with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland), often called the Bundesverdienstkreuz, which is the only general national distinction of present-day Germany. Instituted September 7, 1951, by the first Federal President, Theodor Heuss. To recognize merits in the political, socio-economic, and intellectual fields that contributed to the reconstruction and the peaceful rise of the Federal Republic. This medal also comes with its clasp, is in mint condition, and comes with its original box.

It also includes a portrait photo of him wearing this medal. All in all, a great complete set with quite a bit of history in very nice condition!