Post your favorite SS or SS related item

[Robert H]

name

[Robert H]

party membership

[Robert H]

1

[Robert H]

2

[Robert H]

He was in the TK Roentgensturmbann in Dachau

[Robert H]

his Roehm Dagger document

[Mark C. Yerger]

Another item from forum member Ilse's collection with comment:

After knowing him a couple years via the forum, I visited Mark last year. My interest is as much history of the Waffen-SS as the collectible items and what I saw during that visit added a lot to my appreciation of that history. It was impressive and inspired my desire to learn about the who and what in my collecting area even more.

Later, I finally asked Mark if he could obtain a large size photo of a Waffen-SS KC holder signed to me personally. This arrived and it instantly became a favorite item as it's a connection to the actual personalities of the period.

The inscribed photo is of Siegfried Brosow who won the Knight's Cross with "Das Reich." He wrote the foreword to one of Mark's German Cross holders books. Sadly Herr Brosow died soon after signing my photo. To me, this is a lot more actual history than nameless Iron Crosses from dealers or the SS helmets, Allach, etc that I have, since it's to me personally from a highly decorated officer.

[DougB]

...To me, this is a lot more actual history than nameless Iron Crosses from dealers or the SS helmets, Allach, etc that I have, since it's to me personally from a highly decorated officer.[/I]

That is amazing and as a student of history something very special indeed.

Many helmets can be historically documented as many are personalized inside and handwriting can be matched up. Here is an SS helmet to Sturmbahnfuhrer Alois Rehrl, on the personal staff of the RFSS and brought home by a 506 Para Btn vet inscribed from May 5, 1945 Berchtesgaden.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=356397

Something that can be historically documented is always the top shelf.
To get it personalized like this, thats a wow factor of 10.

[Mark C. Yerger]

I'll sound stupid in parts of these posts but remember this started before Internet, computers, and when I had no contact with anyone in the slightest similar situation.

When I first started meeting senior SS commanders and Waffen-SS KC holders it was (always was) just for the history research aspect. The first few visits I never even took a camera as it simply didn't cross my mind.

A long time HIAG photographer offered to make larger photos before my trips to have inscribed by the men I was meeting or visiting. I thanked him but passed on the offer not really grasping the significant nature of what I was doing. And I continued to polite pass on his offers to help with such material for several years.

I wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer in some ways at the time, but after a few I'd met died I finally grasped that having them inscribe such materials added a personal connection and proof of knowing them besides the mental memories or letters we exchanged between my visiting trips.

In the first image are a number of those personally inscribed photos I obtained. Among them are Fritz Christian of "Totenkopf," Hans Scherg, Fritz Langanke, Oakleaves winner Karl Ullrich, and Oakleaves winner Gerd Bremer. Bremer ran a vaction lodging business in Spain after the war. Top right is Otto Kumm, Swords and last "LAH" commander. 3rd down on right is Panzer KC Fritz Langanke, whose memorey for names is a help beyond words, especially in helping with photo IDs. Bottom right is Heinrich Bastian (KC) who had no photos from the war until I gave him 2.

[Mark C. Yerger]

These 4 include Franz Grohmann (KC), an early Otto Baum portrait (Swords), Karl Nicolussi-Leck (KC) and Karl Kreutz (Oakleaves. Leck eventually moved to Italy where he died. Kreutz was among the most jovial and happy vets, always made me laugh a lot.

[Mark C. Yerger]

Teddy Wisch, Swords holder and commander of the "Leibstandarte." Fluent English is much more common a 2nd language in Europe than the reverse in the US.

[Mark C. Yerger]

Swords winner Otto Baum gave me the cover photo I used with one of my "Waffen-SS Commanders" volumes. When it was done he had this large copy made and framed for me with his inscription.

[jacquesf]

Mark,your picture display is as impressive and classy as any SS collection I have seen. Very nice. Jacques

[Mark C. Yerger]

Otto Baum and I going through one of the photo albums I always took with me, both to show what I'd be using in various topics and help me add names to photos without captions. His wife was a secretary in a senior office and they wre both exceptionally nice and helpful. After Swords winner Otto Weidinger died, Baum assumed Weidinger's position as my advisor and assisted with numerous introductions.

[Mark C. Yerger]

I never met Oakleaves winner Leon Degrelle ( top photo), this inscribed photo to me arrived from him after he saw one of my earlier books. Below him is KC Fritz Darges who was a one time personal adjutant to Hitler.