Original 1945 WW2 German Luftwaffe Soldier POW Allied Discharge Certificate Document US 868th FA BN

Offered here is an original WWII 1945 Allied Control Form D.2 Certificate of Discharge, issued to German Luftwaffe serviceman Michael Hannl immediately following the end of the war. These Control Form D.2 certificates were used in connection with the discharge/release of German personnel from Allied custody; surviving examples are recognized today as WWII military-history documents.

This is a particularly interesting example because it is fully named, dated, signed, fingerprinted and officially stamped, and was processed by a U.S. Army Field Artillery Battalion.

The personal information records:

• Name: Michael Hannl
• Military branch discharged from: Air Force/Luftwaffe
• Date of Birth: 6 September 1910
• Place of Birth: Mauthausen
• Civil Occupation: Official
• Home Address: Wels, Wimpassingerstr. 23
• Family Status: Married
• Minor Children: 2

The document retains a large, bold original signature of Michael Hannl.

Medical & Allied Discharge Sections

The medical examination records “NONE” for distinguishing marks and disability. It is signed by the examining medical officer, whose typed identification appears as L. A. Kallen, Capt. MC.

The lower portion is especially desirable, carrying an original right thumbprint together with a large blue circular:

“OFFICIAL DISCHARGE – U.S.”

stamp.

Inside the stamp appears:

868 TH FA BN

indicating processing through the 868th Field Artillery Battalion.

The discharge date is clearly stamped:

7 Aug. 1945

The form identifies the service from which Hannl was being discharged as “AIR FORCE.” Luftwaffe

The Allied discharge section is additionally signed and identifies the discharging officer in typed block letters as:

B. McNEIL, CAPT. 868 F.A. BN

Control Form D.2 certificates are known in surviving collections with precisely this combination of personal information, medical examination, thumbprint, discharge date and Allied authorization, making them fascinating records of the Allied demobilization process in postwar Germany and Austria.

Additional Postwar Austrian Registration

The reverse carries another very interesting postwar marking:

Finanzamt Wels
Meldekarte – 2. Okt. 1945 ausgestellt

This translates approximately to:

Wels Tax Office – Registration Card issued October 2, 1945

with an accompanying handwritten authorization/initial.

This later Austrian administrative marking gives the document additional provenance and shows that Hannl’s Allied discharge certificate continued to be used as an important identification/registration document after his August 1945 release. Period Control Form D.2 certificates could function temporarily as important proof of discharge and identification in the chaotic immediate postwar period.

Condition

Original period-used condition with numerous original folding creases, age toning, scattered spotting/soiling, small edge and fold separations, creasing and general handling wear. Despite the wear, the important typed information, signatures, U.S. Official Discharge stamp, 868th FA Battalion marking, thumbprint and 1945 dates remain clearly visible.

Please examine all photographs carefully for exact condition. The exact original document shown is included.

An excellent named August 1945 German/Austrian serviceman discharge document with U.S. Army processing, original fingerprint, multiple signatures, official stamps and subsequent Wels registration — a strong piece of immediate post-WWII military and occupation history.

SEO Keywords: WWII German POW discharge, 1945 Certificate of Discharge, Control Form D2, German prisoner of war document, US Army discharge, 868th Field Artillery Battalion, 868 FA BN, Michael Hannl, Mauthausen Austria, Wels Austria, German Air Force discharge, Allied occupation document, US military stamp, German POW fingerprint, WWII POW paperwork, 1945 German military document, Allied discharge certificate, postwar Austria, Finanzamt Wels, original WWII ephemera.

TFTRS Series