This striking original-looking WWII-era photograph, dating from approximately 1939–1945, depicts a German Wehrmacht (Heer) soldier seated in a grassy field alongside a magnificent German shepherd, identified on the reverse as a military dog handler (maître-chien). The soldier wears a German Army field-gray tunic bearing the national eagle, collar insignia, shoulder boards and a peaked military cap, although his precise rank and regiment cannot be established from the photograph. The wonderfully composed outdoor portrait captures an unusually relaxed moment, with the soldier looking directly at the camera while his large German shepherd lies comfortably beside him against a rural background of trees and open countryside. Particularly interesting are the markings on the reverse, including a faded oval Cyrillic stamp and the Russian word ПОГАШЕНО, meaning “cancelled,” which indicates previous Soviet administrative possession. SOLD
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