SS MK wooden casket

[Sjking]

Some goodies

Inside -- contents
SK

[Sjking]

4

I agree with Robin, probably comissioned to a master craftsman by the family ! what is interesting is that there is a secret catch release to open the box! very cool indeed.

SK

[besslein]

nice item you have inside

[Michael Fay]

Michael.

Looks like a casket that has been custom done as a one-off..............had the centre-piece replaced.

It certainly looks period done. It could even have been done by relatives in, say, 1946..............I have my doubts about whether this sort of alteration would have been officially 'sanctioned'.

These boxes were never intended to hold the belongings of dead SS men.......or their ashes!

Robin, thank you for your thoughts. Ahh, I dont WANT it to have had ashes in it---that is just what has been said already on the the forum in the SEARCH threads and I am trying to clarify this by asking about it ......I think I get your drift on a 1946 alteration, as to the verboten double Sig-runes--but then again, still has the verboten Swaz , so maybe you mean it may have been only for the relatives considerations, and not really to remove the SS.
Thanks, Michael

[Michael Fay]

Good lord. It does not look like the kind of box I would like my ashes in. Then again, it is better than a little urn, I suppose

I have been thinking and I am not sure of German military funeral protocol and whether a flag was presented to the family.

A flag would probably fit in it, with the medals on top to be presented to the family.

Obviously, this is just conjecture, but it certainly is interesting.

If you find out more, then I would be great to hear more about this item.

Raymond

Raymond, thanks for your thoughts. As I just wrote before, I dont want ashes to have been in it, just have heard this may have been the case with some boxes. personal items may have been in it, as Sjking has shared his spectacular box and its' contants-we have a good idea.
--Michael

[Michael Fay]

I agree with Robin, probably comissioned to a master craftsman by the family ! what is interesting is that there is a secret catch release to open the box! very cool indeed.

SK

Thanks Sjking, you have helped me and shown a very spectacular item, to say the least. Those wooden hinges took some work to make . So there is a definite precedent for keeping personal items in these kind of carved boxes. This is an area for much more study.
--Michael

[Michael Fay]

and I have check out volksbund site and he is not listed
very strage,if he was kia in 1941 someone must noted this

Dear Besslein, I don't know about this yet, but hope to. Any ideas where else I should look?

Thanks, Michael

[Sjking]

Contents

another view of contents which which include RZM Germania cufftitle / RZM LAH cufftitle / Germania SS2 rank tab / WSS Infantry shoulder board /
Condolance letter from his unit with 2 photos of his grave / Letter dated 1943 with original Sepp Dietrich signature on headed paper / Letter from Fritz Witt commander of the 12th SS Hitlerjugend with original Witt signature ---letter to Meyers mother saying theyve enclosed her sons items etc/printed card from HJ/ photos etc etc including much more

Cheers

SK

[Gary Wood]

simon,
Nice find

cheers
Gary

[Dr. Strangelove]

Wow

Well I really like that box, now assuming it could be lined with Spanish Cedar it would make one helluva Humidor !!!

[kris simoens]

Ehrhard Meyer does have an entry in the Volksbund database: Nachname: Meyer Vorname: Gerhard Erhard oder Ehrhardt Dienstgrad: Grenadier Geburtsdatum: 04.01.1923 Geburtsort: Dreimhausen Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 14.02.1943 Todes-/Vermisstenort: Lossewo südöstl. Charkow Gerhard Erhard oder Ehrhardt Meyer wurde noch nicht auf einen vom Volksbund errichteten Soldatenfriedhof überführt oder konnte im Rahmen unserer Umbettungsarbeiten nicht geborgen werden. Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen befindet sich sein Grab derzeit noch an folgendem Ort: Lossewo - Ukraine

[Michael Fay]

and I have check out volksbund site and he is not listed
very strage,if he was kia in 1941 someone must noted this

Dear Besslein, I engaged a professional to search in the National Archives II. There is some information now on Otto Rieckmann. While nothing as to whether he was in the SS has been found, his date of birth 9.7.20 is corroborated and strangely his KIA is dated exactly one month off as: 3.10.41 (the box has it as 3.9.41). this info is on 2 NSDAP membership file cards for Otto Rieckmann . His Mitgleidnummer was 8.294.427 he joined when he was 19 years old.
There is still hope that I will eventually find his SS number.

--Michael

[Michael Fay]

info found

and I have check out volksbund site and he is not listed
very strage,if he was kia in 1941 someone must noted this

Here is a copy of one of Otto Rieckmann's nsdap file pages. Here is a portion of what the researcher's opinion is

"... I just can't tell if Rieckmann was in the SS with no documented SS connection found and nothing on the box to directly connect with it. But he fought and died for their cause nevertheless. He joined the NSDAP when he was 19 which gives a bit of support to him being in the SS having joined the party at such a young age. But it is not conclusive. The Enlisted Men files cover mainly late war foreign volunteers and the "Old Guard" called up towards the end of the war.
The Race & Resettlement record were for those SS men seeking permission to marry which Otto might not of had much chance of doing. Not having his SS number, it easy to miss him in the records. Hope this is of some help."

---Michael

[Michael Fay]

otto rieckmann

another page.

[münster]

I have noticed sometimes in groupings that the actual date of death does not correspond with what the family writes. Just an observation. Really nice boxes guys!