Fuhrerliste der Waffen-SS –Parts 1-5 by John P. Moore
Introduction
I have recently taken delivery of the “Fuhrerliste Der Waffen-SS” and thought it worthy of an updated review for forum members.
The work is the culmination of over 20 years of research John P. Moore has undertaken from researching an abundance of resources from the microfilms held at Berlin Archives and the National Archives in the US, wading through 907 rolls of microfilm, 40 Kriegstagbuchs and other wartime documents. The fruits of his labours have been passed by other researchers and veteran Waffen-SS to ensure correctness of the information.
Below is a brief summary of the various parts of the work.
Fuhrerliste der Waffen-SS
The discs 1-7 include just over 13,000 pages from over 1300 the Personalakten from Waffen-SS/Police who have received high awards. These scanned documents originate from both direct scans of microfilm and scans direct copies of original documents provided by the Berlin Document Center.
Some documents were provided by veterans and photos came from many different sources (other researchers, veterans, microfilm records and Berlin Document Center)
The difference is that you have scanned version for your files rather than an inferior photocopy. Many of the pages have been digitally enhanced to ensure the quality is as good as it can be.
The main part of the work of Part 1 is an A-Z record of 26000 officers, with DOB, birthplace, rank, SS number, division etc.
This is the engine of the research. The source list for this information is both extensive and impressive. The information provided for each person usually comes from a multitude of sources which John has used to assimilate it into the A-Z Directory in order to provide as much information as possible about a man’s origins, career path and fate. Such details were obtained by spending much time researching wartime documents in archives in Germany, the Czech Republic, as well as analyzing data on over 1,500 rolls of microfilm on unit and personnel records.
In addition he has enlisted the support of German institutes for the data on KIA/MIA as well as using military cemeteries. The data was then thoroughly checked by other researchers and hundreds of Waffen-SS veterans.
Here is a sample of what you can expect to see.
Part 1 (2 CD’s)
Führerliste of 1,227 pages - The A-Z containing information on 26000 Waffen-SS officers
140+ pages of chronological KIA/MIA listings listed separately for 18 divisions. These include the place of death and final burial as well as unit assignment.
A second section includes over 362 high resolution color photos of officer graves at various German military cemeteries in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Hungary, Estonia and Germany. The graves of 55 Knights Cross holders are included.
500+ additional pages contain lists of officers assigned to each of the main divisions.
3,341 pages of digitally enhanced original documents from 347 personnel files of Waffen-SS and Police officer and NCO holders of the Ritterkreuz, Deutschen Kreuz in Gold and Silver, Ehrenblattspange des Heeres, and Anerkennung des Führers for the names A - G.
These files include such documents as award recommendations, autobiographies, recommendations for promotion, fitness reports. Casualty reports, after-action reports, and investigations.
Part 2 (2 CD’s)
Continuation of personnel file scans as listed in Part 1. Covers surnames in the range H - O
This is comprised of 3,837 pages from 401 personnel files.
Part 3 (2 CD’s)
Two CDs
Surname range P - V.
This is comprised of 3,796 pages from 373 personnel files.
Part 4 (2 CD’s) Famous Names
Comprised of 2,072 pages from 202 personnel files.
This CD has 3 sections:
A. personnel file scans in the surname range W - Z (964 pages from 84 personnel files).
B contains the personnel records of men recommended for the Knights Cross or German Cross in Gold, but not approved. (595 pages from 66 files)
C. contains 583 pages of personnel files from 52 interesting personalities such as Heinrich Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich, Gustav Krukenberg, Jonas Lie, Knud Martinsen, Christian von Schalburg, Arturs Silgailus, Heinz von Westernhagen, and various regimental commanders.
Part 5 - Foreign Volunteers Discs
Over 7,000 pages of documents from the personnel files of over, 1,100 foreign volunteer Waffen-SS officers from 28 countries (are mostly Belgians, Danes, Dutch, Estonians, Finns, French, Latvians, Norwegians, Swedes and Swiss).
Breakdown of number of personnel files / number of pages
Belgium 143 / 708
Denmark 124 / 998
Estonia 116 / 755
Finland 48 / 246
France 49 / 254
Latvia 102 / 703
Netherlands 209 / 1,271
Norway 125/ 685
Ukraine 50 / 269
A smaller number of files are included in the sections on Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Hungary, Iceland, India, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and Yugoslavia. The files on 7 men from the USA and 4 from England who became Waffen-SS officers are included.
More than 450 photos, most never before published.
Personnel files of most senior non-German officers who were battalion commanders and higher.
Complete files of graduates of the 1, 2 and 3 Germanic officer courses, unless the file was missing, and later courses. These personnel records contain biographical information, performance evaluations, and recommendations for promotions, photos, casualty reports and sometimes reports of investigations. A study of these detailed personnel records will provide the reader with a special appreciation for these men.
An additional 200+ pages of promotion and transfer lists plus listings of the graduates of the entire foreign officer courses at Bad Tölz and other officer courses are included in Part 5b.
Conclusions
If you are interested by a good Waffen-SS-Officers database like me, you won't regret your purchase. Here you have 26.000 Waffen-SS Officers in alphabetical order with additional documents for those attaining high awards at a very, very reasonable price.
The discs can be used for a variety of research purposes such as initial research on totenkopf rings, Blood Order awards, graves research as well as an abundance of curiosity value of looking at personnel files of well known figures of the Third Reich such as Eicke, Dietrich, Meyer, Dirlewanger, Pohl, Himmler, Heydrich and so on.
I was more than a little skeptical before receipt of the discs after seeing other offerings on CD covering other areas of military research which seem a little primitive by modern software standards.
From opening the disc, it is clear that large chunk of John’s time has been spent on this work and the results show.
The presentation is very well thought out and most professional, with clear explanatory notes on how best to use the discs. John has kept things simple and that is the best method for ease of use. The format is easy to follow and John has thought through pitfalls, exemplified by including fonts needed to best view the information, even including instructions on how to load the extra fonts. It is that attention to detail of this ever-evolving work that makes it stand out above the majority of CD resources out there.
The discs do make the assumption that the reader has a sound working knowledge of military divisions/ranks etc which is not an unreasonable assumption to make. It is a very small detail, but a small improvement would be to include a folder of additional resources for the budding researchers such as list of Divisions, a brief history of them, ranks and rank equivalent and maybe a glossary of military terms as a bolt-on resource as a further enhancement. For 99% of the buyers this would be unnecessary, but an extra section of ‘resources’ may be both useful and interesting for the other 1% as they would have all the information neatly to hand.
For those of us, who do not have easy access or the patience to wait for responses from the Berlin Archives or NARA then this is a must at a price that is not a burden on the researchers pocket. The images have been digitally enhanced and so the quality is superior to what you can expect from either Archive.
In short, this is an essential weapon to have in any Waffen-SS researchers’ arsenal
Further information and ordering details can be obtained from John P Moore directly at j.moore153@verizon.net
Introduction
I have recently taken delivery of the “Fuhrerliste Der Waffen-SS” and thought it worthy of an updated review for forum members.
The work is the culmination of over 20 years of research John P. Moore has undertaken from researching an abundance of resources from the microfilms held at Berlin Archives and the National Archives in the US, wading through 907 rolls of microfilm, 40 Kriegstagbuchs and other wartime documents. The fruits of his labours have been passed by other researchers and veteran Waffen-SS to ensure correctness of the information.
Below is a brief summary of the various parts of the work.
Fuhrerliste der Waffen-SS
The discs 1-7 include just over 13,000 pages from over 1300 the Personalakten from Waffen-SS/Police who have received high awards. These scanned documents originate from both direct scans of microfilm and scans direct copies of original documents provided by the Berlin Document Center.
Some documents were provided by veterans and photos came from many different sources (other researchers, veterans, microfilm records and Berlin Document Center)
The difference is that you have scanned version for your files rather than an inferior photocopy. Many of the pages have been digitally enhanced to ensure the quality is as good as it can be.
The main part of the work of Part 1 is an A-Z record of 26000 officers, with DOB, birthplace, rank, SS number, division etc.
This is the engine of the research. The source list for this information is both extensive and impressive. The information provided for each person usually comes from a multitude of sources which John has used to assimilate it into the A-Z Directory in order to provide as much information as possible about a man’s origins, career path and fate. Such details were obtained by spending much time researching wartime documents in archives in Germany, the Czech Republic, as well as analyzing data on over 1,500 rolls of microfilm on unit and personnel records.
In addition he has enlisted the support of German institutes for the data on KIA/MIA as well as using military cemeteries. The data was then thoroughly checked by other researchers and hundreds of Waffen-SS veterans.
Here is a sample of what you can expect to see.
Part 1 (2 CD’s)
Führerliste of 1,227 pages - The A-Z containing information on 26000 Waffen-SS officers
140+ pages of chronological KIA/MIA listings listed separately for 18 divisions. These include the place of death and final burial as well as unit assignment.
A second section includes over 362 high resolution color photos of officer graves at various German military cemeteries in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Hungary, Estonia and Germany. The graves of 55 Knights Cross holders are included.
500+ additional pages contain lists of officers assigned to each of the main divisions.
3,341 pages of digitally enhanced original documents from 347 personnel files of Waffen-SS and Police officer and NCO holders of the Ritterkreuz, Deutschen Kreuz in Gold and Silver, Ehrenblattspange des Heeres, and Anerkennung des Führers for the names A - G.
These files include such documents as award recommendations, autobiographies, recommendations for promotion, fitness reports. Casualty reports, after-action reports, and investigations.
Part 2 (2 CD’s)
Continuation of personnel file scans as listed in Part 1. Covers surnames in the range H - O
This is comprised of 3,837 pages from 401 personnel files.
Part 3 (2 CD’s)
Two CDs
Surname range P - V.
This is comprised of 3,796 pages from 373 personnel files.
Part 4 (2 CD’s) Famous Names
Comprised of 2,072 pages from 202 personnel files.
This CD has 3 sections:
A. personnel file scans in the surname range W - Z (964 pages from 84 personnel files).
B contains the personnel records of men recommended for the Knights Cross or German Cross in Gold, but not approved. (595 pages from 66 files)
C. contains 583 pages of personnel files from 52 interesting personalities such as Heinrich Himmler, Reinhard Heydrich, Gustav Krukenberg, Jonas Lie, Knud Martinsen, Christian von Schalburg, Arturs Silgailus, Heinz von Westernhagen, and various regimental commanders.
Part 5 - Foreign Volunteers Discs
Over 7,000 pages of documents from the personnel files of over, 1,100 foreign volunteer Waffen-SS officers from 28 countries (are mostly Belgians, Danes, Dutch, Estonians, Finns, French, Latvians, Norwegians, Swedes and Swiss).
Breakdown of number of personnel files / number of pages
Belgium 143 / 708
Denmark 124 / 998
Estonia 116 / 755
Finland 48 / 246
France 49 / 254
Latvia 102 / 703
Netherlands 209 / 1,271
Norway 125/ 685
Ukraine 50 / 269
A smaller number of files are included in the sections on Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Hungary, Iceland, India, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA and Yugoslavia. The files on 7 men from the USA and 4 from England who became Waffen-SS officers are included.
More than 450 photos, most never before published.
Personnel files of most senior non-German officers who were battalion commanders and higher.
Complete files of graduates of the 1, 2 and 3 Germanic officer courses, unless the file was missing, and later courses. These personnel records contain biographical information, performance evaluations, and recommendations for promotions, photos, casualty reports and sometimes reports of investigations. A study of these detailed personnel records will provide the reader with a special appreciation for these men.
An additional 200+ pages of promotion and transfer lists plus listings of the graduates of the entire foreign officer courses at Bad Tölz and other officer courses are included in Part 5b.
Conclusions
If you are interested by a good Waffen-SS-Officers database like me, you won't regret your purchase. Here you have 26.000 Waffen-SS Officers in alphabetical order with additional documents for those attaining high awards at a very, very reasonable price.
The discs can be used for a variety of research purposes such as initial research on totenkopf rings, Blood Order awards, graves research as well as an abundance of curiosity value of looking at personnel files of well known figures of the Third Reich such as Eicke, Dietrich, Meyer, Dirlewanger, Pohl, Himmler, Heydrich and so on.
I was more than a little skeptical before receipt of the discs after seeing other offerings on CD covering other areas of military research which seem a little primitive by modern software standards.
From opening the disc, it is clear that large chunk of John’s time has been spent on this work and the results show.
The presentation is very well thought out and most professional, with clear explanatory notes on how best to use the discs. John has kept things simple and that is the best method for ease of use. The format is easy to follow and John has thought through pitfalls, exemplified by including fonts needed to best view the information, even including instructions on how to load the extra fonts. It is that attention to detail of this ever-evolving work that makes it stand out above the majority of CD resources out there.
The discs do make the assumption that the reader has a sound working knowledge of military divisions/ranks etc which is not an unreasonable assumption to make. It is a very small detail, but a small improvement would be to include a folder of additional resources for the budding researchers such as list of Divisions, a brief history of them, ranks and rank equivalent and maybe a glossary of military terms as a bolt-on resource as a further enhancement. For 99% of the buyers this would be unnecessary, but an extra section of ‘resources’ may be both useful and interesting for the other 1% as they would have all the information neatly to hand.
For those of us, who do not have easy access or the patience to wait for responses from the Berlin Archives or NARA then this is a must at a price that is not a burden on the researchers pocket. The images have been digitally enhanced and so the quality is superior to what you can expect from either Archive.
In short, this is an essential weapon to have in any Waffen-SS researchers’ arsenal
Further information and ordering details can be obtained from John P Moore directly at j.moore153@verizon.net
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