Austrian Red Cross Decoration 2nd class

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, I am researching the original owner of a chained SS dagger that I have in my collection. He was a Doctor in the Marines in WW1 and served on the Western Front. He was awarded the Austrian Red Cross decoration 2nd class, which I assume was given to him during WW1? This is really outside my scope of knowledge, and I would like to obtain a photo of this award. Can any of the forums members help me?
Many thanks!
Cheers, Ade.

[Rick Research]

Send along his NAME and all shall be revealed that can be revealed. Since a variety of decorations might have had this title--in English-- only Rank List etc checking will narrow it down.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Rick, his name was Dr. Enno Lolling and he was a Marine -Stabsarzt in "Flotte und MarineKorps Flandern".
I have a copy of his SS personel file and his WW1 service is given in two formats, one as "Alte Armee": Garde-Fus.Rgt, K.M. and the second as "Front", which is the details I have listed first.
He is also listed as having served for almost a month (!) in the Reichsheer from 2.5 -28.5.36.
I know he was awarded the 1914 EKII if that is any further help?
Many thanks!
Cheers, Ade.

[Rick Research]

Enno Lolling was born 19 July 1888 in Köln, Protestant. He probably did his One Year Volunteer "military" duty in the regiment you mention 1907-08. He served in the Imperial Navy from 1 April 1908 to 17 January 1919:
Marine-Unterarzt (Warrant Officer) 1.3.13, in May '14 still a medical student at the Charité Hospital, Berlin. Would have been Marine Assistenzarzt later in 1914. Marine-OberAsistenzArzt 24.5.16 A. Marine-Stabsarzt (same as a Kapitänleutnant or army Captain) 18.8.18 C.

WWI: assistant physician on SMS Wittelsbach to November 1915, Ship's Physician on SMS Pfeil until January 1917, assistant physician on SMS Hannover until August 1917, assistant physician at Marine Lazarett Mürwik to April 1918, assistant physician with the I. Seeflieger Abteilung to June 1918, then assistant physician with II. Küsten-Bataillon in Flanders to end of war.

The February 1918 Naval Rank List and 1937 and 1944 SS Seniority Lists confirm that he had no other German WWI award than an EK2. Given his service, it is difficult to imagine how on earth he could have ended up with the 1914 Austro-Hungarian Red Cross Decoration 2nd Class ( a rounded ends crucifix shaped cross, red and white enamelled , with a red Red Cross in center on white, with date "1914" on reverse. A "war decoration: of a long oval shaped green enamel wreath was superimposed on the cross arms. the ribbon was white with two narrow red stripes near each edge.) It is, however, even more difficult to imagine how he could have gotten the similar award from the First Austrian Republic given his interwars civilian medical practice:

he was not a member of the Marine Offizier Verein in 1928, but had joined by 1931, member # 5953. He was married at that time: General practicioner and "Geburtshelfer" with residence and doctor's office at same street address, Beginenstrasse 31, but "home" listed as Strehla/Elbe home phone 121 and "office" as Strelitz-Alt in Mecklenburg, office phone 28.

The 1935 Naval Officers Directory listed him in Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg, no street address, telephone 345.

The 1937 NOA directory listed him as general practioner and SS Staffelarzt, SS Hauptsturmführer as Truppenarzt Verfügungstruppe, SS Führerschule, Bad Tölz.

The 1937 SS Seniority List shows that he joined the SS directly as a Hauptsturmführer, date of rank 13.9.36. His SS number was 179, 765 and his NSDAP membership number 4, 691, 483. In 1937 he already held the SS Honor Sword. He was a member of the Lebensborn, and had added WWI Frontfighters' (Hindenburg) Cross and an SA Sports Badge (then in bronze class).

By November 1944 he had been awarded an SS Honor Ring, and was a Waffen-SS Standartenführer with seniority 9.11.43, Chief of Amt D III SS-W.V. Hauptamt. He had received a bar to his EK2, and the War Merit Croses 1st and 2nd Classes with Swords.

French MacLean's 1999 Schiffer book, "The Camp Men: The SS Officers Who Ran The Nazi Concentration Camp System" shows him as having been Camp Doctor at Dachau, then chief of Department D III (euthenasia) at Oranienburg, but no dates.

He committed suicide 27 May 1945.

[Adrian Stevenson]

WOW! Thank you Rick! This extra information is great!
Cheers, Ade.

[Rick Research]

OK, Ade sent me scans from Lolling's service records, and what he had was actually the GERMAN Red Cross Decoration (Ehrenzeichen) 2nd Class, which he and the SS clerks sloppily called "Auszeichnung" in error. This is the one piece 1934-37 version, next to last on this bar. The 1937 version--which is probably what he got--had a separate slender black eagle clutching a wreathed swastika.