Declaration for joining a Wehrmacht penal unit

Declaration for joining a Wehrmacht penal unit (Erklärung zur Bewährungstruppe). Bewährungstruppen (penal battalions or rehabilitation units) were intended to give Wehrmacht soldiers who had committed an offence against German military regulations the opportunity to rehabilitate themselves into reliable and full-fledged soldiers again. The Wehrmacht soldiers convicted by military courts served their prison sentence or they could report for service in a Bewährungstruppe. These Bewährungstruppen were deployed in specific places and precisely where it was preferred not to deploy 'normal' Wehrmacht units. This was because the German commanders considered the chance of enormous losses in those specific places to be great. This is an original document in which convicted soldier Werner Drostel, who was held in the Wehrmacht-Untersuchungsgefängnis Berlin-Tegel, declared himself willing to serve his sentence in a Bewährungstruppe. He indicates that he is not married to a Jew or a mixed race person. Very rare document that is rarely offered for sale!