Leibstandarte Document

[leibregiment]

Welcome your thoughts, thanks, Paul

[max history]

I hate to say it, but I think there are a few things wrong with this document.
By 1941, the SS-VT had been replaced by the Waffen-SS and Dietrich was signing as both SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS. Also, the signature reads "J.Dietrich" in Sütterlin script. He always signed as "Sepp Dietrich" or just plain "Dietrich" in Roman script. I'm also not happy with the unit stamp in 1941 and the actual printing of the document.
On the face of it, the document initially looks genuine, with a lovely blind embossed unit emblem, but on closer inspection I would be extremely doubtful of its authenticity. It needs physical examination under lab conditions.
Here is a genuine Dietrich signature and unit stamp from a year previous to your example.
Max.

[F L Clemens]

I'm not a major league expert. Here are my pros and cons.

I haven't seen this document style before - shouldn't we see more of them around?

The "Dietrich" signature looks to me like simply "Dietrich" not "J.Dietrich".

My first thought of the paper was "oven-baked" but if other people have seen that style of aging naturally then so be it. The paper is folded oddly, making me think why would somebody fold it that way - seems rather careless of a keepsake promotion document.

Seems odd for a promotion to be signed before the effective date rather than on or before, but that could have been in preparation for a Fuehrer's birthday award ceremony at the barracks.

I believe V.Bataillon was at the Lichterfelde barracks during this period so it would make sense that fancier and somewhat obsolete award document stock would be available there as opposed to with the field units. That could explain the older stamp and Dietrich's original title.

If it is good, congrats on a nice find!

[leibregiment]

would it help with closer scans ?

[Gerdan]

Hi Clemens

the first letter in the Dietrich signature I read as a "J" - than it continues with Di...
The letter "J" is combinde with the first letter "D" of the name Dietrich.

Gerdan

[leibregiment]

More photos,

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[Robin Lumsden]

Personally, I like it.

Looks like an 'old stock' document being used up.

I seem to recall reading somewhere that Dietrich sometimes signed his name in Suetterlin, rather than in his more commonly encountered Latin style.

I don't know why that would be...............but Streicher and others also used two signatures, one Suetterlin and one Latin.

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[callmemeier]

this ought make it interesting

i have one too

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