Info on Officers of SS-Totenkopf Division

[Georg_S]

One more request of a SS-T. Officer:

Can someone provide me more info on:

SS-Ostuf Leopold Altermüller
Chef 3./SS-Pz.Rgt.3 "Totenkopf"
I have his birthdate and SS-Nr.
But my sources also says that he got Deutsches Kreuz im Gold
can someone verify this and maybe provide me a photo of him,

TIA

Regards,

Georg

[Mikedc]

Hello George,

This is what I've on him, for sure not everything but it's something.

Leopold Altermüller: Austrian.
Born on 14-9-1914 in Vienna.
Member SS(nr. 372.371).
SS-Untersturmführer.
In October 1941 he was Batterie-Officer(or Platooncommander)withSS-Sturm-Geschütz-Batterie ‘Totenkopf’ from SS-Totenkopf-Division.
Between 30-12-1941 and 26 -1-1942 he got wounded at the Russian front.
Later on he got promoted to SS-Obersturmführer.
Between ?? 1943 and 11-8-1943 he was commander from 3. Kompanie with
I. Bataillon from SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 within SS-Panzergrenadier-Division ‘Totenkopf’. On 16-9-1943 he received postumously the German Cross in Gold.
Furthermore he also received the 1939 EK II, the 1939 EK I and the Länderauszeichnungen.
Died(KIA)on 11-8-1943 near Perekop(Russia).


Greetings,
Mike

[Mikedc]

Walther Bellwidt.
1930: Mitglied der NSDAP, Mitglied der SS.
30-3-1933: SS-Untersturmführer.
15-6-1934: SS-Obersturmführer.
1934: Führer des Sturmbanns III der 2. SS-Standarte.
1935: Sturmbann II der SS-Standarte 2 der SS-VT.
15-9-1935: SS-Hauptsturmführer.
1937: Führer des Sturms 7 der SS-Standarte 'Germania'.
1938: Führer des Sturmbanns I der 3. SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 'Thüringen'.
30-1-1939: SS-Sturmbannführer.
10-1939: Kommandeur des I. Bataillons des SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 3 der
SS-Totenkopf-Division.

Source: 'Die Personen-Lexikon der NSDAP'.

Greetings,
Mike

[Georg_S]

Hi Mike,

Many thanks

Best regards,

Georg

[John P. Moore]

Several days ago Georg asked some questions about the former SS-Hstuf. degraded to SS-Mann Rüdiger von Bodungen. This is an interesting case. These are the facts according to his Personalakte. In September 1939 SS-Hstuf. von Bodungen was a Junkerschäftsführer at Bad Tölz. He was caught in a homosexual act with another officer, SS-Ostuf. Rudolf Klaebe. The commander of the Junkerschule Tölz immediately had both men arrested and turned over to the Gestapo in Munich for questioning. In less than two weeks both men were degraded to the rank of SS-Mann and kicked out of the SS. Also, they would both be imprisoned in separate concentration camps as inmates for 6 months. Bodungen was the son of a Forstmeister and nephew of SS-Obergruppenführer Johannes Taubert, the director of the SS-Schule Wewelsburg. However, before the 6 months in the K.L. was up Himmler ordered both men sent to the engineer battalion of the Totenkopf Division where they would be part of the “Verloren Haufen” or lost troop that engaged in hazardous duties such as mine clearing. See the document below.

[John P. Moore]

This report from June 2, 1940 from the commander of the T-Pi.Btl. describes the death in battle of von Bodungen and Klaebe on the same day while clearing English mines. Von Bodungen was killed by a head shot and Klaebe stepped on a mine. Lammerding closes by recommending that both men be restored to membership in the SS.

[John P. Moore]

The division commander Eicke then recommends that the membership in the SS and former be restored for both men and that it be published in a post-war version of a DAL. Less than two weeks later their rank had been restored.

[John P. Moore]

In September 2003 I visited the grave of Rüdiger von Bodungen at the German military cemetery at Bourdon in France. Note that there is no rank next to his name.

[John P. Moore]

Here is Klaebe's grave at Bourdon. His rank has been restored. Compare the date of death on the grave markers of both von Bodungen and Klaebe to the dates of death in the report by their battalion commander and the later document .

[Georg_S]

Hello John,

Many thanks for that info. They should be lucky that they wasn´t hanged on the spot.
which was the regulare precceding when SS-member was caught in homosexual act.

Best regards,

Georg

[Georg_S]

Does anyone have a photo of :

SS-Hstuf Helmuth Berg
Born 1918
His last command was as Kdr over the SS-Pz.A.A.3 "T"
he is probably MIA since march 1945.
He got the DKiG during the war.
Before SS-Pz.A.A.3 he was serving in
SS-Pz.Gr.Rgt.5 and SS-T.I.R.1

I also wonder if someone has a photo of
SS-Stubaf Karl Becker
Born: 1915
He held many assignments during the war some of them
LSSAH, SS-T.-St. Thüringen", SS-T.Div and was the last Kdr of the
Freiwilligen Regiment der Waffen-SS (?)
I also doesn´t have any deathdate of him so if someone has it would be much appriciated.


Many thanks in advance,

Best regards,

Georg

[Georg_S]

Hello All,

About SS-Ustuf Herbert Biesold in SS-Pz.Gr.Rgt.5 "Totenkopf" according to sources
is he KIA in March 1943 or is that date when he got MIA? And managed he to get back
to Germany after the war? Why I ask is that I have found a Herbert Biesold which all the dates
confirms that it is him, but he is still alive. So it makes me a bit confused.

Why this is possibly is that I have a Hans Wissenbach in mind who got MIA during the war, and everyone thought
that he was dead but in the 50´s he got back to Germany, but he got severe wounds during the war and was Kriegsblind,
and in one old number of Der Freiwillige does Wissenbahc thank all of the Comrades who helped him in Soviet Captivity
or as he wrote "without my friends I wouldn´t have manage 14 days in the Camps". His rank was S-Ustuf and was in 15./SS-T.I.R.1 (I think )

Best regards,

Georg

[John P. Moore]

George - Regarding your comments concerning von Bodungen. I have never seen any examples of an SS officer that was executed on the spot for any offense, to include homosexuality. The fact that von Bodungen and Klaebe were both officers may have contributed to the "leniency" of their punishment. I have seen two examples of officers courtmartialed for engaging in homosexual conduct with enlisted subordinates who received more severe punishment. In April 1941 the Austrian SS-Untersturmführer Wilhelm Blank, who was a signal officer in the Artillery Regiment of the LSSAH, was convicted of "Wiedernatürlich Unzucht mit Männern" while drunk. He was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and expulsion from the SS. Blank was KIA on 26.5.1944 at Drvar as a member of the SS-Fallschirmjäger Btl. 500 with the rank of Schtz. A more severe punishment was received by SS-Untersturmführer Sascha Bibrich of the 4./SS-Flak Abt. "Hitler Jugend". Bibrisch was convicted of the same offense committed 17 times with 6 enlisted members of his battery over a period of three months. He was sentenced to death on August 2, 1944 with the sentence being confirmed by Himmler on December 12, 1944. Bibrich was executed on the morning of December 16 at the rifle range at Dachau.

The letter below to von Bodungen's father explains that he will be buried with the degraded SS rank that he held at the time of this death.

John

[John P. Moore]

Those who study DALs may have a special interest in this document from the SS-Personalhauptamt that makes reference to publication of post-war DALs. At the end it says that both von Bodungen and Klaebe will be listed in such a DAL with the former officer ranks.

John

[Georg_S]

George - Regarding your comments concerning von Bodungen. I have never seen any examples of an SS officer that was executed on the spot for any offense, to include homosexuality. The fact that von Bodungen and Klaebe were both officers may have contributed to the "leniency" of their punishment. I have seen two examples of officers courtmartialed for engaging in homosexual conduct with enlisted subordinates who received more severe punishment. In April 1941 the Austrian SS-Untersturmführer Wilhelm Blank, who was a signal officer in the Artillery Regiment of the LSSAH, was convicted of "Wiedernatürlich Unzucht mit Männern" while drunk. He was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and expulsion from the SS. Blank was KIA on 26.5.1944 at Drvar as a member of the SS-Fallschirmjäger Btl. 500 with the rank of Schtz. A more severe punishment was received by SS-Untersturmführer Sascha Bibrich of the 4./SS-Flak Abt. "Hitler Jugend". Bibrisch was convicted of the same offense committed 17 times with 6 enlisted members of his battery over a period of three months. He was sentenced to death on August 2, 1944 with the sentence being confirmed by Himmler on December 12, 1944. Bibrich was executed on the morning of December 16 at the rifle range at Dachau.

The letter below to von Bodungen's father explains that he will be buried with the degraded SS rank that he held at the time of this death.

John

Hello John,

You are right, I was to quickly when I wrote it. Those I thought about was two SS-Soldiers from Nederland who was cought in a homosexual act while they where training at the SS-Lager im Klagenfurt. Both was hanged in front of the Btl. This was told to me several years ago from a former SS-Oscha who had to witness this hanging.

Best regards,

Georg