GPB soldbuch-Panther commander KIA

[ccnrecon]

Would a 25 year old be entitled to a gpb? Likely not but was there not 400 or so awards of the gpb made for special achievment, with the last big number of them awarded in 1943? There is a magazine article on the award of the gpb for achievement or "special contributions" I think the age of this soldier is irrevelant when there is no way to determine how or why he carries the gpb. I am here to learn and would like to know myself.

[Ian Jewison]

Can you post a larger scan of the photo and the surrounding stamps?

It will be interesting to see other peoples comments on the photo.

/Ian

[Diaspora]

If the soldier got the gpb for "special achivement", wouldt that be something that would be mentioned in the Soldbuch. I must have missed that entry?

[ccnrecon]

I will post the research tonight. I have spent close to six months studying this soldbuch and there is nothing to me that stands out as not genuine. Sure i will post a close up of the photo after work. Would the gpb be annotated in a soldbuch? I do not know. I do know this. The article discussing the award of the gpb under special circumstances is very informative and I will go over it tonight and cite any pertinent details for review. I can not recall ever seeing a gpb pictured being worn by a company grade officer or below in any soldbuch. Well, here is for sure one and I agree that more analysis is in order.

[Diaspora]

I just assumed that it would have been. If only 400 was awarded for this, I guess it would have been considered such an honor that It would have been entered in the Soldbuch.

This article, is it online? I would love to read it

[der-hase-fee]

I was just looking at a GPB holder born in 1908, who joined in 1927.

Interesting that this guy died in March 1945, when he was in the sick bay with middle ear infection.

[ccnrecon]

The article I am referencing is entitled "The Wehrmacht and the Golden Party Badge" by a Mr. Clyde Davis. This article is in the Spring 2011 issue of military advisor magazine. The article examines a primarily "political decoration" and its possession by members of the Wehrmacht. The article states that in additon to the first 100,000 NSDAP members, the GPB could be awarded by Hitler to members over 100,000 for exceptional service to the party, and also to non-party members, including military members for, and I quote, "Special services" to the Reich. The article states that honorary awards started in 1934 and through November 1942, there were 508 awards. On 30 January, 1943, another 379 badges were awarded, for a total of 887. The article states that according to available data, only three awards were made from that point on, two in 1944 and two in 1945. The article states that honorary awards were made on various dates, to include Hitler's birthday. However, the majority of awards were made on 30 Jan. The article states it is unknown why NSDAP membership requirement was exempted for Wehrmacht recipients.

[ccnrecon]

There is no doubt that this photo depicts a very rare NSDAP/Wehrmacht association. Here is a bit more info about the soldier:He served with Panzer regiments 15 and 52 (1938-45) and was a Panther tank commander during the last years of the war. He was KIA on the Western Front in March 1945. He fought throughout the war in Poland, France, Balkans, Russia (Moscow, Stalingrad relief effort, Kursk, Cherkassy) and the last stages of the war in Germany.He received combat decorations for Sudetenland, Black Silver and Gold Wound badges, Panzer Badge in Silver, and the very rare upgrade award for “25” engagements, Ostmedal, and the EK2 and EK1.There are two documents listing 31 days of tank combat and confirmation of his award for the Panzer Badge in Silver, 2nd grade (aka "Panzer Badge 25"). This paperwork, and numerous entries in the SB, are stamped with feldpostnummer 23444. This was the FP of the Stab Company of Pz Rgt 15 and 52 - which matches the entries in his SB (see photos). The SB shows the sweat and wear of being carried in combat. A few other observations:

1) This SB is almost completely filled with entries. Everything shows proper age; sweat stains, useage wear, ink fading, etc. The entries (stamps, signatures, feldpostnumbers, etc) are historically consistent with his service in Pz Rgt 15 and 52.. His CO's signature on the support documents for his "Panzer Badge 25" is consistent with the same signature on the award entries page of the soldbuch.

2) After late 1943 soldbuchs included the soldier's photo (which was a security measure enacted after the mass surrenders of Stalingrad and Africa). This soldbuch was used until the soldier's death in March 1945, and shows no evidence of any previous photo. The soldbuch photo, and it's attaching staples, appear well aged and have caused much contact wear onto the facing page of the soldbuch- as has the ink from the photo's rubber stamp.


3) Looking underneath the photo, the tan coloured cover-stock paper shows none of the detritus of time as on the rest of the page, nor any sign of an earlier photo.

4) Nicely centered under the photo is the soldier's signature, which exactly matches his same signature on page two of the soldbuch. The only reason for his signature to be in this location would be to countersign under this photo.

[ccnrecon]

Here is a close up of the photo in the soldbuch. I am not sure what else to add or say, although it is truly an enigma as to what this man did to receive such a decoration.

[naxos]

Imo, there is no indication that the photo is anything other than original to the soldbuch. The signatures match exactly any there is no sign of tampering with the photo.

The indicators are:

1) The awards are are wrong

2) The age is wrong

3) The picture has been replaced

4) The photograph was taken before 1944

.

[naxos]

Could you post an enlargement of the awards?

It appears to me his ribbons are:

EKII 1914 with 1939 clasp - Hindenburg cross - Sudetenland Medal

in the button hole is the 1939 EKII - and the EKI looks like a 1914 EKI. (I could be wrong on the EKI since the picture is to grainy.)

I think this picture dates to 1940

[jmark]

If this photo shows Henkel as a Leutnant, then it must have been taken after April 1944, the date of his promotion to Leutnant, but note that he is not wearing all of this awards (Ostmedaille, Wound Badge or Panzerkampfabzeichen).

I'm sorry to say that the evidence is pointing to the photo not being correct for this Soldbuch. Why someone would carefully prise open the staples, take out a photo of a decorated panzer officer, put in the photo of this guy and then reclose the staples, is another question altogether.

Jason

[Edward]

Original photo missing and would have been glued in judging from a lack of earlier staple holes. Would also have shown whoever Henkel was as an R.O.B. while at the Fhj Schule. Whoever inserted the photo shown tried to line up the older photo stamps with the ones on the replacement, but could not get them correct. This should be treated as a caution. if the photo had been replaced it would have been stamped as well. I also agree with the earlier comments posted that if the photo was taken in 1944 as a newly ranked Leutnant those awards previously earned would have been worn as well.

The photo aside, it is an interesting Soldbuch indeed. The paper listing his NKS days dated 1942 is one of the earliest I have seen mentioning a PKA II.

[ccnrecon]

I will post an enlargement of his ribbon bar and ekI. Perhaps that will tell us something. Can we say for certain then that not him not wearing all his awards is a deal breaker?

[Edward]

Could you post an enlargement of the awards?

It appears to me his ribbons are:

EKII 1914 with 1939 clasp - Hindenburg cross - Sudetenland Medal

in the button hole is the 1939 EKII - and the EKI looks like a 1914 EKI. (I could be wrong on the EKI since the picture is to grainy.)

I think this picture dates to 1940

That is what I see as well.