DRK Cloth Personalausweis (17 April 1940) – Issued to II./Aufklärungs-Regiment 9

DRK Cloth Personalausweis (17 April 1940) – Issued to II./Aufklärungs-Regiment 9

This is a rare and exceptionally well-preserved cloth Red Cross identification document ( Personalausweis ) issued on 17 April 1940 to a trained Hilfskrankenträger (Auxiliary Medical Bearer) serving in II./Aufklärungs-Regiment 9 —the reconnaissance regiment of the 9th Division, which played a key role during the early campaigns of WWII.

Unlike typical paper identification documents, this version is printed on fabric , enabling the soldier to carry it under combat conditions without fear of tearing or water damage. Only a small number of these cloth IDs survived the war, making this a particularly desirable and historically rich example.

The document was issued to:

Gefreiter Lorenz Josef ,
born 16 July 1910 in Mühlwang (Thuringia) .

The unit notation at the top— “II./Aufkl. Rgt. 9” —is clearly handwritten and ties this item directly to one of Germany's early-war reconnaissance formations. In April 1940, this regiment was preparing for Fall Gelb , the invasion of the Low Countries, making this a document associated with a frontline unit on the eve of major operations.

Purpose of the Document

This Personalausweis certifies that the bearer had completed special training as an auxiliary stretcher-bearer and was authorized to:

• Rescue and evacuate wounded soldiers

• Assist medical personnel in transport and care

• Wear the official Red Cross bracelet with the Hilfskrankenträger stamp

• Operate under the protected status of the 1929 Geneva Convention , provided he wore the proper insignia during medical duties

The right to display the Red Cross emblem was strictly regulated under international law, and only documented, trained personnel could legally wear the bracelet in the field.

Condition

• Cloth remains structurally solid with expected age toning

• Red Cross emblem still bright and striking

• All print fully legible

• Handwriting and signatures preserved and clear

• Stamped unit seal sharply visible

A highly authentic and untouched example overall.

Historical Importance

Items connected to Aufklärungs-Regiment 9 are particularly sought after. Reconnaissance units often operated close to the front line, and each company designated men as Hilfskrankenträger to provide rapid medical support during rapid advances. This document therefore represents the human and humanitarian side of a fast-moving combat unit just weeks before the invasion of the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

This cloth DRK Personalausweis is a rare survivor and a powerful artifact reflecting both the operational realities and the medical obligations within a German reconnaissance regiment at the start of the war.