Wehrmacht (Heer) Soldbuch of Grenadier 'Reinhold Schlechta', member within the 'Gren.Ers.u.Ausb.Btl. Hoch-u.Deutschmeister'. When individuals received their registration notice they were to report to the appropriate recruitment center where they would be issued a 'Wehrpaß', until they were inducted into active duty. From the autumn of 1939, when an individual was inducted into active military service the Wehrpaß was exchanged at the recruitment office for the 'Soldbuch' (Pay Book), which remained in the recipients possession as his official military identification document. The recruitment office would retain the Wehrpass and chronicle the individuals active service record in it. The (44.) 'Reichsgrenadier-Division Hoch und Deutschmeister' (HuD) was formed on 1 June 1943 by the redesignation of the '44. Infanterie-Division', which had been reformed after being destroyed at Stalingrad in January 1943. In the summer of 1943 it was sent to fight in Italy, where it was heavily engaged at Monte Cassino. It withdrew up the Italian peninsular during 1944 and briefly clashed again with American forces attacking the Gothic line. Withdrawn to refit, it was instead sent to oppose the Soviet breakthrough in Hungary. The division joined the efforts to recapture Budapest with the 6th SS Panzer Army, and was subsequently nearly destroyed near lake Balaton. The remnants of the division retreated into Austria, near its home station, until the final days of the war, when it marched west and surrendered to the American forces near Linz. The Soldbuch is regrettably missing the Portrait-photo, it however comes with a portrait-photo of Reinhold in his RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst) tunic, this photo is dated 3 March 1944. Reinhold came into active military service on 28 September 1944, he was promoted on 24 January 1945, at that time a member within the 'Grenadier-Ersatz- und Ausbildungs-Regiment 131' which stood under command of the 'Hoch und Deutschmeister' Division. The Soldbuch has been damaged by Shrapnel, see photos. Interesting original late war Soldbuch of a hard to find and rare unit!