Danish obersturmführer Søren Kam's RK and nahkampfspange - how did he earn it?

[Jules]

Dear Sirs.

3 Danes was awarded the ritterkreuz des EK. One of them is Søren Kam, who also had the nahkampfspange.
Does anyone know how and where he earned his awards?

Kind regards
Jakob

[Jules]

I found the answer to why Søren Kam was awarded the Ritterkreuz.
In the book "Dansk Dødspatrulje - SS Officer Søren Kam" by Erik Høgh-Sørensen it is written, that Søren Kam in october 1944 served with "Germania" near Wieliszew in Poland.

When battalion commander, SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Martin Kruse was wounded he placed Søren Kam head of the battalion. (The 4 companies had just over 100 men left). The task was to hold the "hill 86".
The battalion led by Søren Kam held the line and with the surviving 42 men he covered the regiments retread.

For this Søren Kam was awarded the Ritterkreuz.

Søren Kam was also in the Tsjerkassij Kessel. But there is no mention of him being awarded any medals there.

[Pedersen]

Dear Jakob. I am well satisfied with your own answer. I must lend the book some day.

Best regards, from your friend i the south,

Kenneth.

[John Pic]

Interesting that I could not find him in Jost Schneiders book about SS RKT.I wonder how many others were left out.

[Jules]

HI Pedersen.

Thank you very much. Our friend has the book. I'm sure he will let you see it.

Did you see the program "Min Morfars Morder"about Søren Kam? It was ok, but only ok.

Kind regards
Jakob

Dear Jakob. I am well satisfied with your own answer. I must lend the book some day.

Best regards, from your friend i the south,

Kenneth.

[Michael Miller]

Kam appears in the 2nd edition of Schneider's "Verleihung Genehmigt! / Their Honor Was Loyalty!" (R. J. Bender Publishing, 1993).

Here is a little data on him:


Kam, Søren
SS-Obersturmführer der Waffen-SS


<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O></O>
* 02.11.1921 in Copenhagen, Denmark. <O></O>

NSDAP-Nr.: [Not a member]
SS-Nr.: 456 059

<O< font O<>

Promotions:
02.09.1941 SS-Sturmmann
30.11.1941 SS-Rottenführer
20.04.1942 SS-Unterscharführer
01.05.1942 SS-Junker
01.09.1942 SS-Standartenjunker
20.12.1942 SS-Standartenoberjunker
30.01.1943 SS-Untersturmführer der Waffen-SS
07.02.1945 SS-Obersturmführer der Waffen-SS
<O></O>

Decorations & Awards:
07.02.1945 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes as SS-Untersturmführer
and Fhr. 1.Kompanie / SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment
9 “Germania” / 5.SS-Panzer-Division “Wiking” /
IV.SS-Panzer-Korps / Heeresgruppe Süd, Eastern
Front <O></O>
20.04.1944 1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
02.09.1941 1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
17.01.1945 Nahkampfspange II. Stufe (Silber)
10.11.1944 Nahkampfspange I. Stufe (Bronze)
00.00.194_ Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
30.07.1944 Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Silber
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Schwarz <O></O>


<O></O>

<O></O>
</O<>

[petermac]

Hmmm, interesting. I'm surprised that you didn't have to be a party member to get that far in the forces. Do you know if any pressure was ever put on non-German members of the SS to become party members for propaganda purposes?

Peter

[Michael Miller]

It's possible- likely, in fact- that Kam was a member of the Danish Nazi Party, the DNSAP. I don't think NSDAP membership would have been open to him as he was non-German. However, it is unusual that he was granted an SS-Nr.- as far as I know, most foreign legionnaires in the Waffen-SS did not receive them (though there were exceptions- Jonas Lie and Sverre Riisnaes of Norway and "Henk" Feldmeijer of the Netherlands). They were generally seen as Waffen-SS volunteers, not full-fledged SS members. A number of well-known SS personalities did not hold NSDAP membership, Jochen Peiper and Rudolf Hoess being two examples.

~ Mike

[petermac]

Mike, Thank you very much for that, I'd assumed that it would be necessary to have Party membership (if only to oil the wheels) in order to rise above a certain rank. Much like a party card was needed in the Soviet Union in order to get anywhere.

Interesting that someone like Peiper who, to most writers would fall into the 'fanatical Nazi' category wasn't technically one at all. Something to ponder about!

Peter

[mvm71]

One of my favorite signed photos..........enjoy, Mike

[Jens]

[QUOTE=Michael Miller]It's possible- likely, in fact- that Kam was a member of the Danish Nazi Party, the DNSAP. I. However, it is unusual that he was granted an SS-Nr.- as far as I know, most foreign legionnaires in the Waffen-SS did not receive them (though there were exceptions-

J dont quite agree . J know 40 danish officers with a SS-Number. You are right that most didnt get it and wasnt full-fledged, but many did! You have allready given the answer yourself. Legionaires had the Prefix "Legion" instead of "SS", and would of course not be intitled to the number.
Most danish officers got the SS number with a (V) for Volksdeutsche even if they wasnt Volksdeutsche. This is the case for Kam as well.

Søren Kam was indeed a member of the DNSAP and a highranking leader in the youth-organisation NSU.

Jens

[Pedersen]

HI Pedersen.

Thank you very much. Our friend has the book. I'm sure he will let you see it.

Did you see the program "Min Morfars Morder"about Søren Kam? It was ok, but only ok.

Kind regards
Jakob

Hi Jakob. Yes, I did see the program about redaktør Clemmesens grandchild visiting Søren Kam in Germany. Only ok... I agree.

Best regards

Kenneth.

[petermac]

What happened to Mr Kam after 1945? It would have been a bit tricky going back to Denmark.

Peter

[Pedersen]

What happened to Mr Kam after 1945? It would have been a bit tricky going back to Denmark.

Peter

Hi Peter.

The assassinate against the danish journalist Carl Henrik Clemmensen, were excecutet 30. august 1943 in Lyngby (Copenhagen). Søren Kam - was then 21 yeas old, SS-untersturmführer and leder of "Schalburgskolen". With the SS men, Knud Flemming Helweg-Larsen and a unknown third man, they killed Clemmesen by 8 rounds from three differend pistols. Helweg-Larsen was after the war sentence to death by the highæy Danish court. The sentence was executet 5. januar 1946. Søren Kam and the unknown SS man disappeard. Søren Kam went public again in 1956, when he got German citizenship. At that time he claimed, that Helweg-Larsen was alone to assassinate Clemmesen. Present day, Søren Kam still has german citizenship, and lives i Germany. By an interrogation in 1998, he made he's confession in Germany. But all the shooting was in selfdefence, he claimed. Denmark on Thursday the 13. march 2005 made an official request to have the 83-year-old Danish former Nazi officer extradited from Germany to face charges of murdering Clemmesen in 1943. Danish courts have ruled there are reasonable grounds to believe Søren Kam, was guilty of the abduction and murder of newspaper editor Carl Henrik Clemmensen.

Best regards

Kenneth.

[rumohr]

[QUOTE=Pedersen]Hi Peter.

The assassinate against the danish journalist Carl Henrik Clemmensen, were excecutet 30. august 1943 in Lyngby (Copenhagen). Søren Kam - was then 21 yeas old, SS-untersturmführer and leder of "Schalburgskolen". With the SS men, Knud Flemming Helweg-Larsen and a unknown third man, they killed Clemmesen by 8 rounds from three differend pistols. Helweg-Larsen was after the war sentence to death by the highæy Danish court. The sentence was executet 5. januar 1946. Søren Kam and the unknown SS man disappeard. Søren Kam went public again in 1956, when he got German citizenship. At that time he claimed, that Helweg-Larsen was alone to assassinate Clemmesen. Present day, Søren Kam still has german citizenship, and lives i Germany. By an interrogation in 1998, he made he's confession in Germany. But all the shooting was in selfdefence, he claimed. Denmark on Thursday the 13. march 2005 made an official request to have the 83-year-old Danish former Nazi officer extradited from Germany to face charges of murdering Clemmesen in 1943. Danish courts have ruled there are reasonable grounds to believe Søren Kam, was guilty of the abduction and murder of newspaper editor Carl Henrik Clemmensen.

Best regards

Kenneth.[/QUOTE


I have Sören Kams original file and RK recommendation signed by Dorr and Gille
anyone interested!?
Rumohr