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    Tough research project ends well

    I just wrapped up a research project which lasted some 6 months and wanted to share the highlights here. Hope u enjoy





    I. Research process: The search for Karl´s father

    The information gathered from the engraving on the dagger´s crossguard was simply: “R. Plange to his dear son Karl” (“R. Plange s.l. Sohn Karl”). I was, therefore, looking for a Heer officer named Karl Plange, whose father´s first initial was R. The name Plange was very rare during the war years, as evidenced in the published ranglisten (no matches), and the KIA/MIA online database of the Volksbund (4 matches for Plange, in a database of 4 million names)

    Though the dealer who sold me this piece had not done any research on the inscription, I immediately found a Karl Plange listed among the recipients of the Deustche Kreuz in Gold, an Oberleutnant who served in an anti tank unit of the elite Grossdeutschland Regiment. That was my starting point, and I wrote the Bundesarchiv Militararchiv (BA-MA) for copies of any extant documents on this Oblt. Karl Plange. Shortly after I received copies of the Karteikarte (from the reserve officer files) and the DKiG award card of Karl Plange. Key data provided by these documents were:

    - Karteikarte: Date of birth 4.9.1914
    - DKiG award card: Place of birth Wilhelmshafen; Next of kin: Mother, Hana Plange of Soest, Westf., with an address.

    The information I was hoping to obtain, that is, the first name of his father, was not provided. I proceeded, therefore, to contact the Wilhelmshaven Stadarchiv and requested the information providing them with Karl´s date of bith. A month or so later they replied that they could not locate this name among the records of individuals born on that date. As a last attempt to achieve certainly on this piece, I contacted the Soest Stadtarchiv, as Soest was the place of residence of Karl´s mother during the war. In parallel, I heard from a previous owner of this dagger, that he believed this was in fact the right Karl Plange, a member of the famous Georg Plange flour and baked goods dynasty (Diamant Mühle Hamburg GmbH), which he had done business with in Germany. He believed there was in fact a Karl among their ancestors. The breakthrough, however, came a few weeks later from one of the employees of the Soest archive. This Karl Plange´s father was named Wilhelm Karl, no R initial. I concluded I had reached a dead end.

    I proceeded to ask BA-MA if they could search again the full set of officer card file systems for any other matches for Heer officers named “Karl Plange.” There was another such individual, another Oberleutnant der Reserve, and his full personalakte was available. Once the CD arrived from BA-MA subcontractor Selke, I began to eagerly scan the 20+ documents looking for the “nächste angehörigen” (next of kin”) information nearly always found in these files. First two references were in the Kriegstammrolle of his unit, and it merely said: Vater: Dr. Plange. I feared I would never close the loop on this. Finally, on page two of the Wehrstammmbuch was written: “nächste angehörigen: Rudolf Plange, Düsseldorf, and street address. Perseverance had paid off. I began to plow through a wonderfully detailed treasure trove of information on the “real” Karl Plange. No photo, unfortunately, but just about everything else I could have hoped for.


    II. Oberleutnant d. R. Karl Plange, Defender of Dieppe


    Information gathered from his HPA file
    Documents include Polizei Dresden file, Kriegstammrolle, Wehrstammbuch, etc



    Karl Ernst Wilhelm Otto Plange, born in Düsseldorf 3.9.1914. Evangelical, single, a businessman by profession (“Kaufmann”) like his father Dr. Rudolf Plange, family residence on Weissermühlenstrasse 36, Düsseldorf

    Highlights of his period in France (1940-1942)

    1940, fighting along the Maginot Line

    7.4.41 to Jan 43: Kustenschutz Atlantikuste Frankreich. Coastal artillery, French Atlantic coast.

    His documentation mentions “Urlaub” holidays: 4-19 Jan 1940; 14-29 April 1940; 16. Aug to 7 Sept 1940.

    From 12.1.42 to 7.2.42 Lehrgang at Kompanie Führer Schule Sisonne, France.

    19.8.42 British landing Dieppe. His role at Dieppe is stated in two separate documents, and the same formula is used: 'Zerschlagung des brit.[ischen] Landungsversuchs bei Dieppe' Crushing their British landing attempt at Dieppe.




    The Ostfront.

    The 302 Infanterie Division was shipped frm France to Southern Ukraine in February 1943, and it took positions in Woroschilowgrad (Voroshylovhrad), on the Donets river, where it remained through March. The division began retreating westward, and in October it reached Saporoshje on the banks of the Dnjepr, and Nikopol in January 1944. Karl Plange was wounded in September 1943, when the division was somewhere between Mius and Saporoshje, He was killed in or around Bykovo, on the Northwestern edge of the Krim peninsula, while traveling with a Heer Marsch Bataillon, i.e. a temporary unit of men being returned to the front. (Source: Lexicon der Wehrmacht, Plange file)



    #2
    Awesome. Congratulations!

    Comment


      #3
      Last, wanted to share this fragment of an exam taken by Plange in 1935, when he joined the army as a schutze

      Interesting to read what the average speed on German roads was....This is math for 10 year olds no? I love the notes that Plange did on the margin to add up the hours of the trip

      Comment


        #4
        Excellent work, do you know which decorations he recieved?

        Angel
        Looking for DKiG Heer winner Soldbuch who also won the TDB and/or CCC, specially in Silver.

        Comment


          #5
          Hola Angel. Only the EK2 is mentioned, and I presume he also received the black, and perhaps the gold wound badge (posthumous)

          It seems to me the Heer should have produded a Dieppe Shield, given how badly the British-Canadians were beaten there

          Comment


            #6
            Enhorabuena, a very nice research, you can add history to a simple metal piece and this is the nicest part of our hobby.

            Do you have any picture from this officer?

            Keep showing your collection.

            Angel
            Looking for DKiG Heer winner Soldbuch who also won the TDB and/or CCC, specially in Silver.

            Comment


              #7
              Yes! What a treasure. The history turns your Heeres - Dolch into a sincere tactile monument to poor Karl that will live on for quite some time! I must say that I read on hoping the best for Karl and his old age, but as is the case with many soldiers this was not too be.

              Gustavo I’m pretty sure you have a sense of respect and obligation to these previous owners of your daggers and I for one think that this would be the ultimate reward for this truly fascinating hobby! Without the history they are just fancy knifes!

              Thank You THANKYOUVERYMUCH….
              John

              Comment


                #8
                Thanks John. What excites me about these daggers is getting to the original owners and context. The internet plus access to the archives makes it possible in many cases, thankfully.

                I have a little project of consolidating everything Ive learned the last 3 years re. wehrmacht officer research and named officer daggers into a website. It will have sections on relevant material at the various archives, period studio photos of daggers in wear, material culture as a framework for studying these named artifacts etc. of course also sections with photos of my collection so far and associated documentation and stories. I look forward to getting feedback on the first version from you in a couple of weeks

                Comment


                  #9
                  I follow your work because it is unselfish, thorough, and so very good!
                  I think I remember some excellent work you did on the initial production, issue numbers, facts of the SA (rohm?) daggers and I hope things like it will be on your web site as well.
                  You have a real wealth of time, energy, and consequently valuable knowledge in this area that I believe is of real interest to us fellow collectors who can just barely pickup a new piece every so often.
                  I personally peruse a dagger type after having read a book about some aspect of the NSDAP, but to tie one to a person has got to be the best!

                  Thanks again for letting us tag along. I know this all sounds like some sort of Gustavo love-fest but it is just unusual to get so much for free due to the passion of others!

                  Looking forward to the web site!
                  John

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Hi Gustavo,

                    I will join the "Gustavo love-fest".

                    Your diligence and persistence in pursuing your search to the end is very commendable, Gustavo. But what is truly outstanding is the special relationship you have struck up with the right people at BA-MA that has led to success in obtaining copies of the Personal Akten. I think others - including me - would not have been so lucky. How were you able to overcome BA-MA's reluctance to provide personnel information to researchers and collectors?

                    --Larry

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Larry, you master of all things Luftwaffe (et al).

                      I am lucky so far yes. Bottle of Spanish wine helps (contravening German public servant rules, they said, this time only )

                      Seriously though, I think they appreciate that the work done with the material is acceptable and theres no hidden agenda, no prohibitted issues etc. With my website I hope the historical/research emphasis is clear. WASt is still a challenge.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Thanks, Gustavo, I momentarily forgot about your web site. Indeed, that is how they could check your credibility. I don't know if you planned it that way, but it sure worked! It's a lesson to all of us here that it may be vital - even necessary - to establish credentials before dealing with BA-MA in the matter of these records.

                        Again, great job, Gustavo!

                        --Larry

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