Ebay find.

[J Temple-West]

I pondered over which section to put this thread in as it covers Heer, SS and Political areas?all will be revealed as to why I?ve chosen the Political section!

Looking through some ebay listings last week I came across a description of a carved wooden platter that ?Has some sort of unit badge on the front, and inscription on the back which I can?t read.? The pictures were not the best but I could see that the item was representative of the type of ?Black Forest? carvings produced during the war and that the unit designation on the rim was legitimate. There was no reserve, the starting price, low?.worth a bid I thought. Well, I won the piece for very little outlay and it arrived today.

As hoped?a very nice piece of ?Black Forest? carving with unit insigne and designation for the ?Generalkommando XXXVI. <Geb.> AK.? (Headquarters of the 36th Mountain Army Corps.)

[J Temple-West]

Of course, the thing I was interested in was the inscription on the back, which I expected to be some sort of dedication to the memory of the owner?s service time in the unit?I couldn?t have been more wrong!

The outer line of the inscription reads:

?Dem Gauleiter und Reichsstatthalter von K?rnten ? Dr. Rainer ? Zum Julfest 1943.?

The inner line of the inscription reads:

?Die soldaten der Kandalaschafront?

Between the lines of the outer inscription is a carved facsimile of the signature of General Karl Weisenberger, commander of ?Generalkommando XXXVI. <Geb.> AK.?

[J Temple-West]

comparison of the carved signature and a signature from an 'Urkunde' signed by General Karl Weisenberger.

[J Temple-West]

So we have a presentation plate from General Weisenberger and his men to one, Dr.Rainer.

Political/SS connection.

RAINER, Dr. jur. Friedrich ("Friedl")

(1903 - 1947)

Gauleiter und Reichsstatthalter / SS-Obergruppenf?hrer / Chef der Zivilverwaltung / M.d.R.:

Born: 28. 07. 1903 in St. Veit an der Glan / K?rnten

Executed 19. 07. 1947 in Yugoslavia

NSDAP-Nr.: 301 860 (Joined 10.10.1930)

SS-Nr.: 292 774 (Joined 1934)

SS Promotions:

SS-OGruf.: 21.06.43; SS-Gruf.: 9.11.40;

Assignments:

Obersten Kommissar in der Operationszone "Adriatisches K?stenland" (encompassing provinces of Udine, G?rz [it.: Gorizia], Laibach [Ljubljana], Fiume, and Pola): 10.09.1943 - 8.05.1945.

Reichverteidigungskommissar in K?rnten: 11.12.1941 - 8.05.1945

Chef der Zivilverwaltung in den besetzten Gebieten K?rnten und Krain: 18. Nov. 1941 - 8. May 1945

Gauleiter des Gaues K?rnten (Seat: Klagenfurt): 18.11.1941 - 8.05.1945

Reichsstatthalter Salzburg: 15. Mar. 1940 - 17. Nov. 1941.

Reichsverteidigungskommissar f?r den Wehrkreis XVIII: 1.09.1939 - 17.11.1941

Gauleiter des Gaues Salzburg (Seat: Salzburg): 22.05.1938 - 17.11.1941

Mitglied des Reichstages: 1938 - 8.05.1945

Landeshauptmann in Salzburg: 24.05.1938 -

Joined NSDAP: 10.10.1930; Co-founder of NSDAP Ortsgruppe in St. Veit.

Joined SA in St. Veit: 1923.

Notes:

Married, 1926. 8 children.

Decorations & Awards:

KVK I ohne Schw.

KVK II. ohne Schw.

Goldenes Parteiabzeichen

Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. M?rz 1938

Ehrendegen des RF SS / Totenkopfring der SS

(credit: Michael D. Miller & Gareth Collins)

Friedrich Rainer is thus far the only Austrian Landeshauptmann who has ever held this office in two Austrian Bundesl?nder.

Rainer, whose father was a teacher at a B?rgerschule (a now obsolete kind of vocational school) in St. Veit, studied law in Graz and earned money between semesters as a worker and a bank employee. After successfully completing his examination, he worked in a notary's office before he graduated late in 1926. Already while he was studying, Rainer joined the SA, and was a member of some organizations based in St. Veit that already had leanings much like the Nazis.

In October 1930, Rainer joined the NSDAP, and was a co-founder of the St. Veit Ortsgruppe ("local"). A mere four years later, the Gauleiter Hubert Klausner handed his own office over to Rainer. For high treason ? the exact circumstances are unknown ? Rainer was sentenced to one year in police custody in August 1935, but was released early for good behaviour the following March. In May 1936, Rainer was assigned to the NSDAP's provincial governing body in Carinthia.

At Anschluss on 13 March 1938, Rainer was hired by Gauleiter Josef B?rckel, the Reich Commissioner for Austria's Anschluss into Nazi Germany, as leader of the organizational department on his staff. In May 1938, Rainer was personally appointed by Adolf Hitler to be the Gauleiter of Salzburg, and in the same year a member of the Reichstag.

Once the war broke out, Rainer's appointment as Reich Defence Commissar followed, and on 15 March 1940 came his appointment as Reichsstatthalter (Reich Governor) of Salzburg. On 18 November 1941 Rainer was given the NSDAP Gau leadership of Carinthia, and he also took on the function of Landeshauptmann. As in Salzburg, Rainer was also made Reich Defence Commissar here on 11 December 1942. After Italy forsook its German ally on 10 September 1943, Rainer furthermore took over the Operation Zone of the Adriatic Littoral as the Reich Defence Commissar, thereby becoming chief of the civil administration in the Italian provinces of Friuli.

On 7 May 1945 ? eight days after Hitler's death ? Rainer transferred his official functions to an executive board and fled to the area around the Wei?ensee (a lake in Carinthia). After being given leads by the local population, the British arrested Rainer and transferred him to Nuremberg, where he was compelled to testify as a witness in the Nuremberg Trials in the proceedings against the 24 main defendants, specifically in the case against Arthur Sey?-Inquart.

In March 1947, Rainer was handed over to Yugoslavia and sentenced by a military court in Ljubljana on 19 July 1947 to death. His widow received a death certificate from Yugoslavia after the war which showed that same date. Nevertheless, as in similar cases, rumours lingered on into the 1950s that Friedrich Rainer was still alive.

[J Temple-West]

Inscription.

[Paul R]

What specific charges was he found guilty of?

Great presentation, john! Definitely a one of a kind item!

[J Temple-West]

"Tried by a Yugoslav military tribunal at Ljubljana for atrocities and deportations." is all that appears on any documents.

[Paul R]

Interesting set of scars on his face. I would have thought that he was a combat veteran of WW1.

[nesredep]

Hello!

This is an interesting item,congratulation.I wondering if it is safe to shop on Ebay?

All the best

Nesredep

[J Temple-West]

By all accounts Rainer was easy to recognize by the scars on his face received during fencing bouts. From the amount of scaring, it looks like a lot of hard lessons were learnt.

[Robin Lumsden]

What a great pick up John.

I saw that one on eBay, but the poor pix put me off.

My loss is your gain!

[vestae]

Hello All

A realy RARE bird...Congratulation.....

Robin, I see you everywhere

Sebastien.

[Duzig]

Hello,

Just want to say...very impressive looking item,even if it didn't have the historical significance attached to it. Very nice find!

Duzig(Bill)

[cabbell2207]

Hello,

Just want to say...very impressive looking item,even if it didn't have the historical significance attached to it. Very nice find!

Duzig(Bill)

Nice find mate :cheers: