Wehrmacht German Armed Forces Delegation at Dr.Goebbels

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello readers:

The military estate of Knights Cross recipient Oblt. Otto Ude which is in my custody, contains several photos of which I have attached two. They do not contain any notes as to time or place but must have been taken somewhere in Berlin after January, 1943, the date of bestowal of the Knights Cross to the then Oberwachtmeister Otto Ude. The name of the officer with the Knights Cross near Dr. Goebbels in the one photo is unknown. The N.C.O. with the K.C. in the other is Owm. Ude. However the general looking on in both photos is Gen.Lt. Paul v. Hase, a participant of the 20th of July, 1944 coup attempt on Hitler and executed in August, 1944. One wonders what went through his mind at this time??

Perhaps of note is the delegation mix of more and less highly decorated personnel, a clever move by the organizers of such visits, I think.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Guest Rick Research]

Astonishingly well decorated bunch of NCOs-- a German Cross recipient, multiple Tank Destruction strips... all EK1s. If it wasn'y fro the Totenkopf Division Oberscharführer in there I'd wonder if they were all from the same unit?

NOTHING on the photos, suggesting they are amateur snapshots and not handed out en masse to the invitees by the Ministry?

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Rick.

The photos have no indication of photographer, control number or similar. However the location as are the ones of the other photos lead me to think an official photographer was at work. Besides Dr. Goebbels being the Reichsminister fuer Volksaufklaerung und Propaganda and Gauleiter and held other jobs certainly had the services of photographers.

In the substantial publications I have seen, I do not recall any photos such as these. They may have been meant as memento for the participants only.

By the way I could only make out three Knights Cross recipients, other personnel present range to Iron Cross 2nd class and such. Apparently some gifts or similar were given to Goebbels who appears interested.

Bernhard H. Holst

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello readers:

Here are the three others with the group which seem to cover the same delegation at different functions.

The first one again shows General v.Hase addressing the assembly which here includes another general (facing, at left). This seems at a dinner.

Some party functionary addressing the delegation:

I believe the composition of the delegation can be seen in the last two pictures.

Bernhard H. Holst

Edited June 29, 2013 by Bernhard H.Holst

[Michael Miller]

In post #4, Party functionary in second photo is Artur Görlitzer, stellvertretender Gauleiter of Gross-Berlin (13.03.1933-00.12.1943?). In the first photo, fifth from left at the table, is his successor in that post, Gerhard Schach; at the time this photo was taken, Schach was Gaustabsamtsleiter of the Gauleitung Gross-Berlin (post held from 01.04.1942-17.03.1944; he was deputy Gauleiter from 17.03.1944 to 00.05.1945, and received the Ritterkreuz des Kriegsverdienstkreuzes mit Schwertern on 10.02.1944)

Best wishes,

~ Mike

[Michael Miller]

Just found another one in first photo, post #4: Wolf Heinrich Graf von Helldorf, Polizeipräsident of Berlin.

Wish I could ID the SS officer next to Schach, wearing the somewhat seldom seen Ehrenwinkel mit Stern, but no dice.

~ Mike

Edited June 30, 2013 by Michael Miller

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Mike.

Thank you for the additional information identifying several of the assembly.

For those not too familiar with persons involved in the attempted coup of the 20th of July, 1944, Graf v.Helldorf was also involved and subsequently executed.

Thanks again,

Bernhard H. Holst