hucks216

Generalleutnant Eccard Frhr von Gablenz. Born: 26th Jan 1891 Died: 17th Dec 1978 Führer 32 Infanterie Division Kdr 7 Infanterie Division Führer XXVII Armeekorps Kdr 384 Infanterie Division Kdr Division 404 Kdr 232 Infanterie Division Ritterkreuz - 15th Aug 1940 Image: EK II citation

There is a dedicated Legion Condor section over on the Axis History Forum that might be able to shed some light on the signature.

I can't find any Josef Weiss in the Ordenstrager for any high end awards. There are a couple but I very much doubt that they are the same person due to the late war/low rank of those winners. No idea on the signature I'm afraid but the stamp looks to be Sonderstab W which was the covername (for want of a better term) used for the Legion Condor. Over 8,600 Spanish Cross in Silver were awarded but of that number only approx 327 were the Spanish Cross Without Swords.

Major Bruno Kahl. Born: 23rd Nov 1914 Died: 27th Feb 1999 Highest rank reached: Oberstleutnant Chef 2./Gebirgs-Panzerabwehr-Abt 48 Chef 3./Panzer Rgt 21 Kdr III/Pz.Rgt 21 Kdr III/s.Heeres-Panzerjäger-Rgt 656 Kdr Panzerschule Erlangen Kdr Panzer Rgt Großdeutschland Ritterkreuz - 8th Feb 1943 Eichenlaub - 8th Aug 1943 DKiG - 20th Sep 1942 Image: GD PAB '25' citation

Very hard to make out but I don't think it is a number.

SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Säumenicht. Born: 13th Feb 1916 Died: 26th Aug 1944 - KIA at Czarnow 5./SS-Standarte Germania 8./SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 2 Chef 3./SS-Totenkopf-Kradschtz-Btl 3 6./SS-Totenkopf-Kradschtz.Regiment "Thule" Chef 2./SS-Pz.Rgt 3 Kdr I/SS-Pz.Rgt 3 Kdr I/SS-Pz.Rgt 5 Ritterkreuz - 13th Oct 1943 DKiG - 14th Apr 1943 Image: SS-Pz.Rgt 3 Soldbuch

Nice photos. I don't know what unit the soldier in Photo 1 is from - are you able to get a clearer image of his shouldboard as he seems to have a cypher on there which could shed some light. It looks like 'M' for Machinengewehrbataillon but it is too hard to be sure. It might also be a unit number. Rank could be Feldwebel. The second one is a member of Heeresverwaltung as indicated by the HV cypher on his shoulderboard and the collar litzen. Judging by the small bump just visible on the other shoulderboard it looks like he is the equivalent of an Oberleutnant. Here are the various rank details for Wehrmachtbeamte... http://www.wwiidayby...machtbeamte.htm No idea about number 3 and for number 4 I would have a guess at NSFK judging by the shape of the eagle... http://www.wwiidayby...formen/nsfk.htm

Oberleutnant Hans Joachim von Massow Born: 07 Nov 1912 Died: 23 Jul 1944 - KIA Poland Highest rank reached: Oberstleutnant Lehroffizier Inf.Schule Döberitz Zugführer 13./IR GD Chef 13./IR GD Insp.Chef und Takt.Lehere Inf.Schule Döberitz b.Lehrstab 1 u.4 Kdr II/Gren.Rgt 504 Kdt z.W.Kdo Böhmen und Mährenz.Vorausb 14.Lehrg.f.höh.Adjutant Image: GD Soldbuch

There is a Rangeliste book that lists officers of Major and above (by surname only, no first names) for 1944 but as 'your man' was a Hauptmann he won't be listed. Without a date of birth (and unless he was a winner of a high end award) it will be an uphill struggle.

The WASt in Germany can provide basics but tend to only pass such information to Next Of Kin. What do you have for the Hauptmann?

Now that is one powerful looking dog!

Hauptmann Helmut Brinken. Chef 6 (MG) Ausb.Komp. Grenadier Ers.Rgt (mot.) GD Chef 3./1029 Verstärktes (mot.) Grenadier Rgt GD Kdr III/Grenadier Rgt GD Btl-Führer I/Grenadier Rgt GD Ehrenblattspange: 5th Mar 1945 Image: Black Wound Badge Citation.

Oberleutnant Hans-Joachim Doege. Kp-Führer 8./Inf.Rgt GD 1 Chef 1 Stammkp I.E.u.A Btl Grenadier Ers.Rgt (mot.) GD Chef 2 Inspektion - 5th Reserve Officer Candidate Company GD Image: GD Soldbuch

Oberleutnant Gruss. III/Infanterie Rgt GD Chef 1.(Wach-) Kompanie Führerhauptquartier (Führer-Begleit-Bataillon) Image: GD Soldbuch

Hauptmann Weidemann. Chef 20 (Fl) Kompanie GD Image: GD Wehrpass

Oberleutnant Hans Heidermann. WIA 25 Nov 1942 Kompanie Führer 1./Grenadier Rgt Großdeutschland 1 Image: GD Soldbuch

Oberleutnant Hans Stephan Cabanis Died: 30 Sept 1942 KIA during Operation Herbstwind 11./Infanterie-Regiment 511 Chef 1./Infanterie Rgt Großdeutschland 1 DKiG: 19 Dec 1941 Image: GD Soldbuch

Oberleutnant Horst Czayka. Chef 1./Grenadier Rgt Großdeutschland DKiG - 8th November 1943 Image: GD Soldbuch

Major Kurt 'Kiki' Gehrke. Born: 13th Jan 1903 Died: 24th Oct 1944 - KIA in Glodowo, Poland. Highest rank reached: Oberst Kommandeur I./Grenadier Regiment Großdeutschland Kommandeur Panzer Brigade 104 Ritterkreuz - 8th February 1943 DKiG - 1st April 1942 Image: Black Wound Badge citation

Kapitän z. See Winfried Hagen. Born: 28th Jul 1898 OKM Referent Chef d. Stabes B.S.W. Stabschef und stellvertretender Befehlshaber der Sicherung West OKM/K Chef d. Abt f. milit. Fragen des Kriegsschiffbaues OKM Amt Kriegsschiffbau Chef d. Stabsabteilung DKiG - 22nd August 1943 Image: EK II citation

Kapitän z. See Hans Hartmann. Born: 16th Jan 1897 Died: 9th Mar 1976 Highest rank reached: Konteradmiral Chef 5 Zerstörer Division Stab B.d.P, 1 Asto Chef d. Stabes M.Befehlsh. Südnorwegen Stab Kom. Admiral Norwegen, 1 Asto Führer 3 Sicherungsdivision Komdt 'Admiral Hipper' Chef d. Stabes Flottenkdo OKM Sonderbeauftragter des Ob.d.M für Personaleinsparung Seekomdt Attika Kdr 1 Marine Schützen Brigade Kdr 1 Marine Division OKM Sonderbeauftragter des Ob.d.M für Personaleinsatz Seekomdt Oslofjord DKiG - 18th August 1942 Image: Minesweeper Badge citation

Very interesting. My German isn't good enough to read them but I'm always surprised how such flimsy things survived the war.

An example from July 1941 on a KvK II Kl + Schw citation.

Since when has that ever stopped Hollywood from 're-arranging' history :-) They did take off from Wideawake Airfield which is leased to the USAF after all. Having read Sharkey Ward's book it is obvious he has a bug to bear against the RAF (and the Flag & Air Staff in HMS Hermes, and 800 Squadron FAA) but he does bring up a valid point in that there were Sea Harrier pilots who flew far more combat missions during the Falklands War but never received awards as high as those who flew the Vulcans on one or two missions and were never engaged by the Argentine Air Force.

As an aside to the Black Buck raids it is interesting to read 'Sharkey' Ward's views of these bombing raids in his book 'Sea Harrier Over The Falklands'. He basically summarises that it was a lot of effort and fuel for very little return compared to what could of been accomplished by the Harriers if they had access to that amount of fuel.