Extensive grouping to Major d. Res and commander of II./Infanterie-Regiment 55 Karl Heiland. The grouping was never available on the market before and came of a household clearance lately.
Heiland, born on 24.2.1916, served as an SS-Unterscharführer with SS-Sturmbann I/73 before the war. He was a law student serving as a NS-Studentenbund leader at the same time. Heiland has started his military service time on 1.10.1934 with Infanterie-Regiment 21 and was discharged on 12.10.1935 finishing his service time. He was called back for service on 26.8.1939 and served in the Poland Campaign and the France Campaign. In 1940, he was ordered to II./Infanterie-Regiment 55 as a young Kompanie leader and sent to Russia in summer 1941. He stayed with this regiment which was part of 17. Infanterie-Regiment until he was reported missing in action on 30.9.1943. Heiland served as commander of II./Inf.Rgt.55 in Russia at this time with only 27 years of age.
Major Karl Heiland was posthumously awarded the Knight’s Cross on 27.10.1943.
-
Personal album No.13 documenting the end of the Western Campaign and the beginning of the Russian Campaign.
The first page is titled "Abschied vom Westen". The third page shows photos taken in Poland: "Wieder in Polen .." Photos were taken in Warshaw in June 1941.
Shortly after, his unit (Infanterie-Regiment 55) was transferred to Russia for "Operation Barbarossa". There are very interesting photos of Knight's Cross recipient General Herbert Loch, commander of 17.Infanterie-Division (Inf.Rgt.55 was part of this division). Stunning photos of unit emblems on cards as well as interesting photos of shot down aircrafts such as a German Me109 of Geschwader "Pik-Ass". Photos of captured Russian propaganda material and flags.
