Given the funny and totally off initial claim and description from the dealer, I wanted to share this research story, soon to go up on my site (if my cousin is reading, I owe you another nice lunch after this!) I welcome any comments, especially from anyone feeling I have missed something. The piece is a beautiful, high quality early Eickhorn and a nice amount of info subject to research.
Dealer description on his web catalogue: "Thats right, the name is Munster. Not Herman, but maybe his relative on old Germany. I took a look at my (Heer Rangliste) and did find Herr Munster....he is listed as a Lieutenant Colonel...he was responsible for writing the army regulation manual...just a desk man...His dullness, though, kind of makes sense, as the name and date are so perfectly executed."
I was immediately aware of the unwarranted nature of this claim, but decided to make this hypothesis my starting point. As we have mentioned before, printed Heer and Luftwaffe Ranglisten are very incomplete sources for officer research, as a vast majority of the total number of officers who served from 1933-45 were Offiziere der Reserve, and are not listed in these printed sources. The same applies to kriegsoffiziere, offiziere zur Verfügung, etc.
Confirmation that the Oberst Münster (RDA 1-11-40) mentioned by the dealer is NOT the N.A. Münster of the inscription on the reverse crossguard of this dagger came to me from BA-MA in April 2007. The first name of that Münster was in fact Julius. No N.A. initials.
Upon further inquiry, the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv replied to me with the kartei karte of the one Heer officer whose name did match the data provided. The kartei karte belongs to Hauptmann z. V. (zur Verfügung, “made available” from retirement) Nikolaus Münster, born 2.3.88, who at the time of the inscription would have been 48 years old. He was most likely a WW1 vet, recalled for service in the period of aggressive expansion of the army.
The kartei karte is in the usual format and style. In addition to promotion dates and RDA´s, it bears on its obverse the following information:
Wehrkreiskommando XII (XII Military District) (aka Corps Area). Wehrkreiskommando XII had its HQ in Wiesbaden
Wehrkreisbezirkskommando St. Wedel (Saar) (St. Wedel/Saar Military Sub-District) (Corps District)
Armeenachschubführer 501 (501st Army Supply Commander) This army level supply unit was part of 3. Armee Oberkommando and 2. Armee Oberkommando. See as illustration of an army level supply order of battle http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germ...y_support.html
Kraftwagentransport-Regiment z.b.V. 982 (982nd Special Motor Transport Regiment). Z. b. V. stands for “zur besonderen Verwendung” (special admin. staff).
On its reverse the card bears a stamp with the 1941 promotion order details, and a hand-written note reading “Gren. Rgt. 111.” The 111 GR was part of the 35 Infanterie Division, based in Karlsruhe, the Saar region, and this location agrees with the Wehrkreiskommando XII data at the top left of the card.
Now, a last KEY issue. The information provided does not at first sight provide any clues as to the significance of the date engraved in the second line of our inscription. The engraved date, namely, 5.10.36 is written in the often seen period format. If Nikolaus Münster is indeed one and the same with N.A. Münster, then the date is clearly not his birthday. It also does not match the promotion dates to Oblt. and Hptm. as given on the card. The possibility remains that the 5.10.36 date corresponds to the date of N.A. Münster´s promotion to Leutnant z. V. Alternatively the 35 Infanterie Division was established in Karlsruhe on October 1st 1936, so it is possible that the engraved date commemorates Leutnant Münster´s incorporation into the division as supply officer, just 4 days later. This seems a likely hypothesis and will most likely remain so, as no further information is available from the Bundesarchiv.
A final avenue for research would be the Captured German records held at NARA, if any data is extant of Armeenachschubführer 501.... etc
Dealer description on his web catalogue: "Thats right, the name is Munster. Not Herman, but maybe his relative on old Germany. I took a look at my (Heer Rangliste) and did find Herr Munster....he is listed as a Lieutenant Colonel...he was responsible for writing the army regulation manual...just a desk man...His dullness, though, kind of makes sense, as the name and date are so perfectly executed."
I was immediately aware of the unwarranted nature of this claim, but decided to make this hypothesis my starting point. As we have mentioned before, printed Heer and Luftwaffe Ranglisten are very incomplete sources for officer research, as a vast majority of the total number of officers who served from 1933-45 were Offiziere der Reserve, and are not listed in these printed sources. The same applies to kriegsoffiziere, offiziere zur Verfügung, etc.
Confirmation that the Oberst Münster (RDA 1-11-40) mentioned by the dealer is NOT the N.A. Münster of the inscription on the reverse crossguard of this dagger came to me from BA-MA in April 2007. The first name of that Münster was in fact Julius. No N.A. initials.
Upon further inquiry, the Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv replied to me with the kartei karte of the one Heer officer whose name did match the data provided. The kartei karte belongs to Hauptmann z. V. (zur Verfügung, “made available” from retirement) Nikolaus Münster, born 2.3.88, who at the time of the inscription would have been 48 years old. He was most likely a WW1 vet, recalled for service in the period of aggressive expansion of the army.
The kartei karte is in the usual format and style. In addition to promotion dates and RDA´s, it bears on its obverse the following information:
Wehrkreiskommando XII (XII Military District) (aka Corps Area). Wehrkreiskommando XII had its HQ in Wiesbaden
Wehrkreisbezirkskommando St. Wedel (Saar) (St. Wedel/Saar Military Sub-District) (Corps District)
Armeenachschubführer 501 (501st Army Supply Commander) This army level supply unit was part of 3. Armee Oberkommando and 2. Armee Oberkommando. See as illustration of an army level supply order of battle http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germ...y_support.html
Kraftwagentransport-Regiment z.b.V. 982 (982nd Special Motor Transport Regiment). Z. b. V. stands for “zur besonderen Verwendung” (special admin. staff).
On its reverse the card bears a stamp with the 1941 promotion order details, and a hand-written note reading “Gren. Rgt. 111.” The 111 GR was part of the 35 Infanterie Division, based in Karlsruhe, the Saar region, and this location agrees with the Wehrkreiskommando XII data at the top left of the card.
Now, a last KEY issue. The information provided does not at first sight provide any clues as to the significance of the date engraved in the second line of our inscription. The engraved date, namely, 5.10.36 is written in the often seen period format. If Nikolaus Münster is indeed one and the same with N.A. Münster, then the date is clearly not his birthday. It also does not match the promotion dates to Oblt. and Hptm. as given on the card. The possibility remains that the 5.10.36 date corresponds to the date of N.A. Münster´s promotion to Leutnant z. V. Alternatively the 35 Infanterie Division was established in Karlsruhe on October 1st 1936, so it is possible that the engraved date commemorates Leutnant Münster´s incorporation into the division as supply officer, just 4 days later. This seems a likely hypothesis and will most likely remain so, as no further information is available from the Bundesarchiv.
A final avenue for research would be the Captured German records held at NARA, if any data is extant of Armeenachschubführer 501.... etc
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