Help with research

[EsoxHunter]

Hi all,

My grandfather recently died and left me a couple medals and a signed book called Zwolf Jahre 1. Kompanie Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in which he is listed. My grandmother is still alive but refuses to talk about the war and wouldn't let him talk about it much when he was alive. So basically I don't know much about his past and would like to know more. I would like to post a picture of his medals and see if someone could tell me more about them, but can't. Also is there somewhere I could get an english version of this book, I searched and couldn't find any.

Thanks.

[Denis]

Hello

Send them to rkkc73@hotmail.com and I will post them for you.
Regards
Denis

[EsoxHunter]

Thanks, you have mail.

[Denis]

Hi
Here are the medals from Esoxhunter :

This is an EK2 (Iron Cross 2nd Class) and the 1st October 1938 commemorative medal (for the Sudetes occupation). They are seemingly nice. Is the EK2 hallmarked (have a look on the ring) ?
For more explanation about those items, pay a visit to

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/serv...ion_medals.htm for the 01/10/38 medal

and to

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/iron...ironcross2.htm for the Iron Cross 2nd Class

The book seems to be translated into "12 years within the 1st Coy of the Leibstandarte" (at least, I think so).
It was published by Verlag Schültz firstly in 1990. I believe it was made under the authority of the Leibstandarte Kameradschaft and tells the story of this "elite among elite" unit from the prewar years until the end of WWII.
What is your grandfather's name ? Maybe one meber will have some info about him.
Regards
Denis

[EsoxHunter]

Thank you very much for this info. I don't know about the hallmark I will have to check when I get home.

His name was Erwin Zapp and all I do know is that he was wounded twice in battle, once in France and once during the fall of Berlin. Im also curious as to why he has no equivilent to the purple heart for the wounds. He also escaped russian capture twice. I would greatly appreciate any more info someone might have.

[Peter Wiking]

Thank you very much for this info. I don't know about the hallmark I will have to check when I get home.

His name was Erwin Zapp and all I do know is that he was wounded twice in battle, once in France and once during the fall of Berlin. Im also curious as to why he has no equivilent to the purple heart for the wounds. He also escaped russian capture twice. I would greatly appreciate any more info someone might have.

For one to two wounds he would get the black wound shield.
The medals you have there is the ones that where sendt home, and replaced with ribbons. Its possible he lost his wound shield in the field.
I know from Norwegian, Danish and Swedish Wiking soldiers (i talked to one Norwegian vet) and have many Swedish and Norwegian books, that in the last hours of fighting in Berlin, SS soldiers had to hide their uniforms and replace with army or civilian ones. If cought by the Russians, you where shot through the neck at point blank. Maybee he lost his soldbook and uniform that way, trying to survive. The LAH fought shoulder to shoulder with Wiking in Berlin.

Cheers.
Peter Wiking

[Glenn2438]

Tewlve Years with Hitler

The English translation of the book was published by Schiffer in 1999: Twelve Years with Hitler: A History of 1. Kompanie Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler 1933-1945 edited by Qussowski. ISBN: 0-7643-0777-0

Regards
Glenn

[slayer]

Hi hope you manage to find out some more info about your grandfather makes for very interesting research.