Dear friends,
Having gotten way behind in reading my copies of "Military Advisor," I am always playing 'catch-up,' and have just read through Volume 26 #1 (Winter 2014/15) of that excellent magazine. In that issue we have a fine essay titled "Old Fighters! Part 1: Sister Pia" by Jeff Hanson (one of my favorite historians and authors), and I noted that Jeff tells us that Sister Pia "...received, in 1934, Blood Order No. 61." Obviously having far too much time on my hands, I checked other references to confirm this BO number, and came up quite confused! The Wilhelm Brückner/USArmy list of 1st Issue BO recipients does not include Sister Pia under that or any of her other names -- Eleonore Mayr, Eleonore Sponseil or Eleonore Baur -- nor does that list credit BO number 25 to anyone else; and while the Klaus Patzwall list of BO recipients does include Eleonore Sponseil as well as her chosen nickname, "Schwester Pia," it credits her with being awarded BO number 25, not 61. The Patzwall list shows BO #61 as having been held by Hans Erich Gierbauer, a member of SA Regiment 'Rossbach.'
I must apologize if this discrepancy has already been noted and discussed at the time this issue of "Military Advisor" was published, but I don't recall such a discussion. Kindly refer me to such an earlier discussion, if it indeed took place, and if not, does anyone among us have any thoughts on this question?
Many thanks, friends, for putting up with me,
Br. James
Having gotten way behind in reading my copies of "Military Advisor," I am always playing 'catch-up,' and have just read through Volume 26 #1 (Winter 2014/15) of that excellent magazine. In that issue we have a fine essay titled "Old Fighters! Part 1: Sister Pia" by Jeff Hanson (one of my favorite historians and authors), and I noted that Jeff tells us that Sister Pia "...received, in 1934, Blood Order No. 61." Obviously having far too much time on my hands, I checked other references to confirm this BO number, and came up quite confused! The Wilhelm Brückner/USArmy list of 1st Issue BO recipients does not include Sister Pia under that or any of her other names -- Eleonore Mayr, Eleonore Sponseil or Eleonore Baur -- nor does that list credit BO number 25 to anyone else; and while the Klaus Patzwall list of BO recipients does include Eleonore Sponseil as well as her chosen nickname, "Schwester Pia," it credits her with being awarded BO number 25, not 61. The Patzwall list shows BO #61 as having been held by Hans Erich Gierbauer, a member of SA Regiment 'Rossbach.'
I must apologize if this discrepancy has already been noted and discussed at the time this issue of "Military Advisor" was published, but I don't recall such a discussion. Kindly refer me to such an earlier discussion, if it indeed took place, and if not, does anyone among us have any thoughts on this question?
Many thanks, friends, for putting up with me,
Br. James
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