My deepest thanks to all for their kind comments and support.
The general scope of the series is obviously the German Cross holders of the SS and Police. Past books on KC holders or other biographical topic books always frustrated me with a lack of explanation. They give information without explaining the where, what, or who relative to fully understand the plain career facts listed.
So one goal in the series for me was to explain all the relevant data, actually what a school or unit was that an individual attended or was posted to it, who the man was that commanded him or recommended him for the award. Who preceded or succeeded him, both confirming the post as well as details of those individuals. And within the unit topic of a given volume, a full understanding of the element he was with, it’s development, titles, composition, etc. Within the limits of my ability I’ve done that with each volume in as much depth as possible while keeping the general focus on the primary topic.
Being a combat award, the obvious emphasis in the relevant data as far as each volume is the combat elements, even though some support unit data is also in appendix information. However, even for combat element commanders not every one is possible to include within the primary scope and direct tangent data parameters. Some commanders are not connected to the primary biographies to allow an expanded footnote biography or a photo is unavailable for a similar caption. Finding reason and a place to include some individuals is not always possible. In many divisions there were literally dozens of commanders at battalion or detachment level, those men exceeding the number exceeds the number of German Cross holders of the division being examined. To include them all would be more in line with a divisional history addendum instead of a study of specific award winners. In this series it would be impossible and to far off topic in many cases.
Despite these obvious limitations, there are a huge number of various level commanders, other personalities, and non-biographical significant data (units, schools, etc) covered in detail within each volume of the series with many personalities being illustrated. The vast majority of that information has not been detailed in any other texts on any SS topic. This aside from complete and corrected information for the divisional commanders and Ia for each unit covered, details on the latter being noticeably absent or complete previously. No single book on any unit can examine every commander at every level in detail. But hopefully this series starts the process in as much detail as possible within the scope I originally decided upon.
When am image of someone detailed or not shown previously becomes available, I’ve included them in the addendum of the following volumes, as well as updating any unit or biographical information that can be documented.
So the search for information for any unit already covered continues and the help of readers and collectors is needed to add to that information.
I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to all who have helped thus far and I’m humbled by the enthusiasm many readers of the series have expressed. It makes an often frustrating project of this obvious size and scope worthwhile.
The general scope of the series is obviously the German Cross holders of the SS and Police. Past books on KC holders or other biographical topic books always frustrated me with a lack of explanation. They give information without explaining the where, what, or who relative to fully understand the plain career facts listed.
So one goal in the series for me was to explain all the relevant data, actually what a school or unit was that an individual attended or was posted to it, who the man was that commanded him or recommended him for the award. Who preceded or succeeded him, both confirming the post as well as details of those individuals. And within the unit topic of a given volume, a full understanding of the element he was with, it’s development, titles, composition, etc. Within the limits of my ability I’ve done that with each volume in as much depth as possible while keeping the general focus on the primary topic.
Being a combat award, the obvious emphasis in the relevant data as far as each volume is the combat elements, even though some support unit data is also in appendix information. However, even for combat element commanders not every one is possible to include within the primary scope and direct tangent data parameters. Some commanders are not connected to the primary biographies to allow an expanded footnote biography or a photo is unavailable for a similar caption. Finding reason and a place to include some individuals is not always possible. In many divisions there were literally dozens of commanders at battalion or detachment level, those men exceeding the number exceeds the number of German Cross holders of the division being examined. To include them all would be more in line with a divisional history addendum instead of a study of specific award winners. In this series it would be impossible and to far off topic in many cases.
Despite these obvious limitations, there are a huge number of various level commanders, other personalities, and non-biographical significant data (units, schools, etc) covered in detail within each volume of the series with many personalities being illustrated. The vast majority of that information has not been detailed in any other texts on any SS topic. This aside from complete and corrected information for the divisional commanders and Ia for each unit covered, details on the latter being noticeably absent or complete previously. No single book on any unit can examine every commander at every level in detail. But hopefully this series starts the process in as much detail as possible within the scope I originally decided upon.
When am image of someone detailed or not shown previously becomes available, I’ve included them in the addendum of the following volumes, as well as updating any unit or biographical information that can be documented.
So the search for information for any unit already covered continues and the help of readers and collectors is needed to add to that information.
I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to all who have helped thus far and I’m humbled by the enthusiasm many readers of the series have expressed. It makes an often frustrating project of this obvious size and scope worthwhile.
-Nigel
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