WARTIME PORTRAIT PHOTO & SIGNATURE – RUDOLPH WESSEL

WARTIME PORTRAIT PHOTO & SIGNATURE – RUDOLPH WESSEL

Wartime portrait photo & signature. 9x13cm.

Rudolf Wessel (September 26, 1914 – December 20, 1985) was a German army non-commissioned officer who served in the Second World War.

Military Role:

• Held the rank of Unteroffizier (NCO).
• Served as a group leader in the 1st Company, Grenadier Regiment 1076, part of the 542nd Volksgrenadier Division.

Notable Recognition:

• Awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on December 26, 1944.
• Also received the Honor Roll Clasp of the Army (December 15, 1944), indicating notable battlefield bravery shortly before his Knight’s Cross award.

Awards & Decorations:

• Knight’s Cross (1944)
• Iron Cross (1st and 2nd Class)
• Infantry Assault Badge
• Wound Badge (Black)
• Honor Roll Clasp

Overall:
Wessel was a frontline infantry NCO, recognized for bravery and leadership in late-war combat, particularly during the final phases of the war on the Western Front.