SS Dagger M38 Chained, History?

[Nyyperi]

My parents have this dagger, left by my grandmom who was a nurse in Vienna, Austria with the SS Wiking Division, apparently its the "SS chained full glory". Here's some pictures. I can******180;t find any marks or stamps on blade or anywhere else, except ss in the back of that chain.





















anyone know to who these daggers were issued and how my grandmom might have got it?
I knew my parents had the knife, i've played with it all my life, just never thought it was something this special. Just trying to find out if she was issued it for being in ss-waffen Wiking or got it from some german officer who was drunken and in love, or from Himmler himself during that dinner she was attending with Himmler.
Not selling it, but I'm interrested to know it's price

And to think I've played with this and used it to carve wood and threw it at trees and stuff as a kid...

Here's some pictures that i also found, If anyone regognizes some of these men, please let me know who they are.

Other side blank



Oulu (Finnish town) den 8.Aug 1943
Zur Erinnerung an man=
che sch******246;ne Stunden, Dein
Hermann Wohlgemuth
SSUScha
Feldpostnummer 36868
transl:
Oulu, 8th August of 1943
In remebrance of sever=al
nice hours, your
Hermann Wohlgemuth (first name and family name)
Unterscharf******252;hrer
fieldpostnumber 36868



Meiner kleinen finnischen
Brieffreundin zur Erinnerung
an den deutschen Soldaten
Heinz
16.9.42
transl.:
To my little finish
pen girlfriend in remembrance
of the german soldier
Heinz (only first name)
16.9.1942



Unserem lieben Sonnenschein
in dankbarer Erinnerung
an die Lazarettzeit
Wien, im Mai 1943
Otto Schneider
transl.:
To our beloved sunshine
in thankful remembrance
of our field-hospital-time (=time at the field-hospital)
Vienna (Austria), in may 1943
Otto Schneider (first name and family name)



18.1.
1944
Ellwangen
Zur Erinnerung
an meine Lazarettzeit
im SSLazarett Wien 1943
Ihr Hans Astl
transl.:
18.1.
1944
Ellwangen (location in germany)
In remembrance
of my field hospital time (time at the field hospital)
at the SSfield-hospital in Vienna 1943
Your Hans Astl (first name and family name).



Sisar Helville pienen******228; vaatimattomana muistona ja ik******228;v******246;iden muistaen niit******228; yhdess******228;olon mieleenpainuvimpia hetki******228;, hartaana hyv******228;n******228; yst******228;v******228;n******228; merkitsen:
SS(something) Harald W. Lepist******246; alias Harry (?)
Tampere 7.9.43

To Sister (nurse) Helvi (my grandmoms first name) as a small humble memory and with membering with longing those most memorable moments of being together, as a dear very good friend, SS(something) Harald W. Lepist******246; alias Harry (?)
Tampere 7.9.43

Not the best translation, but you get the point.

Here******180;s also an invitation to a party, Hotel/restaurant Klaus Kurki in Helsinki. The funniest thing is that my friends dad is a co-owner of it now, and this invitation card will now be displayed there.


My Aunt said that my grandmom got the dagger when leaving Austria, from some "higher authority" and she******180;s the only female to got it. Ever.
She said that it could be given to her at the dinner party hosted by Himmler.
Any info of that occasion?
Any info of those SS-men?

EDIT:thanks for the translations and additional info to Wotan (and others) at Germandaggers.com

[Skipper Greenwade]

No way of telling just how your grandmother got the dagger, but that dagger, photo's, etc. really make a nice grouping. It's actually a good sign that there are no markings on the blade...the chained SS daggers came from the factory with the SS motto on the obverse and no markings of any kind on the reverse.

In the condition pictured, the dagger would be worth about $4,500.00 - $5,000.00. Some might pay more for the dagger and the accompanying photos, but there is no way to tie it back to the original owner.

Hope that helps,
Skip

[Larry Lipps]

Generally, the actual awarded pieces will have inscriptions or special engraving. This appears to be a common private purchase example. These were available to all SS officers holding rank as of November 9, 1935 or any member of the SS with three or more years service as of January 10, 1936. Basically, there were several criteria where enlisted men could wear the chained dagger as well as officers. While not falling into the ranks of "rare", they are one of the more desirable Third Reich edged weapons. Yours is an earlier Type II example in nickel silver making it one of the most desirable of the 1936 series. Overall you've a really nice group.

[Billy G]

As Skip and Larry said, a really great grouping with history and all. I really love the pictures and words, it really puts a face on the war.

[Adrian Stevenson]

A very nice group of items, made all the more special given that you Grandma brought them home.

The feldpost number you mention belonged to these units:

36868

(28.2.1941-29.7.1941) Pferde-Lazarett Kommandostab Reichsführer SS,
(30.7.1941-28.2.1942) Pferde-Lazarett Reichsführer-SS,
(8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Pferde-Lazarett SS-Gebirgs-Division Nord,
(8.9.1943-22.4.1944) 14.2.1944 Pferde-Lazarett 6 (6. SS-Division).


Cheers, Ade.

[sdp]

I don't have much input on this other than what's already been said.

Although I would like to say that it's an extremely nice dagger!!!

[Ron Weinand]

M36 Dagger

My only comment is that, from the photos, this dagger appears to be a blued scabbbard plated fittings variety, not a solid nickel silver fittings type. All the blued scabbard types with silver washed copper eagle and buttons have been the plated fittings style that I have encountered over the years.
Ron Weinand
Weinand Militaria

[Frogprince]

The chains appear to have the patination typical of the early nickel silver type of chain. The crossguards seem to lack the same age/patination and from the images might even be the later nickel plated variety. Although from the images presented that is not a certainty and it could possibly be due to the lighting ?? Any chance for some more images? FP

[Colorado]

It looks like it survived your childhood very well. Most daggers that someone said, "and to think I've played with this and used it to carve wood and threw it at trees and stuff as a kid..." would look terrible.

Congratualtions, very nice dagger that is a true survivor.

[tobau]

Great dagger and great photo grouping . I wish it was mine

[Nyyperi]

Update,

yesterday I got a large box from my aunt containing diaries, pictures, papers and permits and other stuff my grandmom had hidden somewhere.
I had time to only take a peek but there was a LOT of papers and permits with SS-stamps and some reichmark-bills and a lot of interresting stuff.

I'll go thru that all and if your interrested I just might tell you what i find.

Are the reichmarks and permits and stamps valuable? Just curious, not selling!

[DavidB]

Very cool dagger and photos indeed!

I would love to see what else you might have in that box.
Can you see anything related to Swedish soldiers in SS?

Cheers,
David

[koivari3]

Hello!Here is something about Harald "Harry" Valdemar Lepistö;Born 09.07.1923 in Tampere,died 26.05.1989 in Tampere.Enlist to Ss troops in Tampere.Come home from ss.troops normally in Hanko. His rank is SS-Rttf.Go in third transport round to Germany.His unit is FFB/3K.In Finnish contunuation war his unit is JR27.Hope that these facts helps you.

[koivari3]

Little pit moore information;he(Lepistö) was a plumber.If you have something which join in finnish ss men and you want to sell it,let me know.

[Nyyperi]

Thanks for the info.
Not selling.
I'm just downloading the software for the scanner. I hope someone here speaks/reads German 'cause I don't.

Edit:

Preview. now off to bed. more tomorrow.