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Leutnant d.R Hans-Joachim Kolewe.

Führer 13./Grenadier Regiment Großdeutschland.

DKiG - 19th Dec 1943

Image: GD Soldbuch

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.

Pity one of them was not a Yank, then we would already have a Spielberg film ;-)

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.