Awards (OL, Sw. & Diam.) personally bestowed by Hitler

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 29 Mar 2004 14:11

Hello,

I have seen on various posts several requests from identification of Oakleaves or Swords holders who attended to ceremonies where Hitler personally bestowed the coveted award.
Postwar literature displays many pics from those ceremonies (e.g. Angolia's "On the Field of Honor", Geissler's "Das Eiserne Kreuz bis Heute" or Stockert's "Die Eichenlaubträger").
By beginning this thread, I would like to list the greatest number of these ceremonies, giving for each of these latter ones the complete list of all awardees and their respective award, the exact date and possibly the location.
Here are several examples :

2nd semester, 1942
From left to right, the 5 following soldiers were present (between brackets, the award) :
- undientified LW officer
- Max-Hellmuth Ostermann (Swords)
- Helmut Lent (OL)
- Heinrich Setz (OL)
- Friedrich Geisshardt (OL)

26/09/42
- Rommel receives his Schwertern grosse urkunde

08/02/43, Wolfsschanze
From left to right :
- Erwin Fischer (OL)
- Hermann Hogeback (OL)

28/08/43, FHQ
From left to right, the 5 following soldiers were present (between brackets, the award) :
- Hans von Obstfelder (OL)
- Paul Laux (OL)
- Gustav Hoene (OL)
- Bruno Kahl (OL)
- Karl Langesee (OL)

15/10/43
- Wolfgang Lüth receives his Brillanten grosse urkunde

- fall 1943
From left to right :
- Bodo Spranz (RK + OL)
- Joachim Lemelsen (OL)

13/02/44, Rastenburg
From left to right :
- Kurt von der Chevallerie (OL)
- Hans Gollnick (OL)
- Friedrich Wiese (OL)
- Hans Schlemmer (OL)

05/05/44, Obersalzberg
From left to right :
- unidentified (LW)
- unidentified (LW)
- unidentified (LW)
- unidentified (LW)
- unidentified (LW)
- Wilhelm Herget (OL)
- Martin Möbus (OL)
- Erich Rudorffer (OL)
- Alfred Grislawski (OL)
- Emil Lang (OL)
- Günther Schack (OL)
- Otto Kittel (OL)
- Anton Hafner (OL)

I have several other ceremonies listed but without much info except the awardees, that's why they ghave not been insertted there for the moment.

I hope that members will be able to post interesting additions and elements to this thread. As many pics are seemingly credited to the US National Archives, has anybody know whether it is allowed to have access to their photographic data ?

Thanks in advance
Denis

Daniel L · Post by **Daniel L** » 29 Mar 2004 14:23

Denis, this is a very interesting topic. Feel free to list the rest of the names you have. I'm sure other members can fill in the blanks.

Best regards/ Daniel

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 29 Mar 2004 16:44

Thanks Daniel for your kind words
Here we go :

29/06/41
(location and position of the 3 officers are not known)
- Engelbert Endrass (OL)
- Henrich Liebe (OL)
- Herbert Schultze (OL)

date unknown,
From left to right :
- Friedrich Guggenberger(OL)
- Wolfgang Lüth(OL)
- Karl-Friedrich Merten (OL)
- Werner Töniges (OL)

date unknown
From left to right :
- unidentified LW officer (bearing an Afrikakorps cufftitle)
- Johannes Kümmel (OL)

date unknown
From left to right :
- Bruno Dilley (OL)
- Ernst Kupfer (OL)

date unknown
From left to right :
- Heinz Harmel(OL)
- Otto Baum (OL)

december 1943
From left to right :
- Friedrich Kemnade (OL)
- Carl Emmermann (OL)

20/01/44, Wolfsschanze
14 LW officers receive their Schwertern grosse urkunden

- Heinrich Bär
- Werner Baumbach
- Alfred Druschel
- Adolf Galland
- Gordon Gollob
- Hermann Graf
- Joachim Helbig
- Herbert Ihlefeld
- Helmut Lent
- Günther Lützow
- Walter Nowotny
- Walter Oesau
- Dietrich Peltz
- Wolf-Dieter Wilcke

25/05/44, Obersalzberg
as far as I can see on the photo, at least 9 Heer officers (several generals). This photo is displayed on "on the Field of Honor" (volume 2 - see entry for von Brese)
the second soldier when looking from right side is Heinz von Brese (OL)
the fourth soldier when looking from right side is Ernst-Günther Baade (OL)

date unknown
as far as I can seen on the photo, there are 5 WH officers, from left to right :
- unidentified WH officer
- Max Sachsenheimer (OL)
- unidentified WH officer
- Walter Elflein (OL)
- unidentified WH officer

To be continued tomorrow

Daniel L · Post by **Daniel L** » 29 Mar 2004 17:12

1943,

Erwin Meierdress receives the oakleaves. No other in the photo.

Unknown date,

Joachim Peiper receives the swords. No other in the photo.

Unknown date,

Christian Tychsen receives the oakleves. Two different photos exist, one with Dietrich in the background and another with Darges.

Unknown date,

Harmel receives the oakleaves. Baum and Himmler in the background.

Best regards/ Daniel

Denis · Post by **Denis** » 30 Mar 2004 14:53

Hello,
Here are new ones

Date unknown
From left to right :
- Alwin Boerst (OL)
- Josef Wurmheller (OL)

Date unknown :
From left to right :
- Hans Kreysing (Sw.)
- Johannes Mayer (OL)

I have also found several pics (mainly in "On the Field of Honor") where single soldiers were seen being awarded the OL or a higher class. Due to lack of information and until a new larger photo can be found, we can only suppose that the following soldiers received their respective award without any fellow counterparts. They are sorted by alphabetical order.

- Fritz Bayerlein (OL)
- Georg Bochmann (OL)
- Walter (graf v.) Brockdorff-Ahlefeldt (OL)
- Theodor Eicke (OL)
- Paul Hausser (OL)
- Bruno Hinz (OL)
- Ludwig Kirschner (OL)
- Hartwig (v.) Ludwiger (OL)
- Kurt-Jürgen (frhr. v.) Lützow (OL)
- Hans-Joachim marseille (OL)
- Walter Model (OL)
- Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (OL)
- Otto-ernst Remer (OL)
- Theodor Scherer (OL)
- Ferdinand Schörner (OL)
- Rainer Stahel (OL)
- Helmuth Thumm (OL)
- Karl Ullrich (OL)

Feel free to add any comments, suggestions or corrections in order to upgrade this thread.
BEst regards
Denis

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 03 Apr 2004 20:28

A very poor quality of one of them -- but it is the only one I have. If someone has a better one please post it.

From left to right :
- KpLt Friedrich Guggenberger, EL 171
- KpLt Wolfgang Lüth, EL 142
- KvKp Karl-Friedrich Merten, EL 147
- KvKp Werner Töniges, EL 143

Cheers
Freiherr

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 03 Apr 2004 20:33

I assume this is part of

13/02/44, Rastenburg
From left to right :
- Kurt von der Chevallerie (OL)
- Hans Gollnick (OL)
- Friedrich Wiese (OL)
- Hans Schlemmer (OL)

It was from the forum so while ago. Could anyone have the complete pic?

Cheers
Freiherr

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 03 Apr 2004 21:06

This is

05/05/44, Obersalzberg
From left to right :
- unidentified (LW) ..... my pic probably missed the first couple
- unidentified (LW) .....
- unidentified (LW)
- unidentified (LW)
- unidentified (LW)
- Mj Wilhelm Herget EL 451
- Mj Martin Möbus EL 463, about to shake hands with H
- Mj Erich Rudorffer EL 447
- Hptm Alfred Grislawski EL 446
- ObLt Emil Lang EL 448
- Lt Günther Schack EL 460
- Lt Otto Kittel EL 449 .... not shown
- Lt Anton Hafner EL 452 ..... not shown

So all the unindentified ELT's must be Mj, ObstLt, Obst and above.

Cheers
Freiherr

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 03 Apr 2004 21:09

This starts with Herget and ends with Hafner. Lang shaking hands with Hitler.

Cheers
Freiherr

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 03 Apr 2004 21:11

This starts with Grislawski and ends with Hafner, shaking hands with Hitler.

Cheers
Freiherr

J.N. Houterman · Post by **J.N. Houterman** » 03 Apr 2004 21:27

freiherr wrote:I assume this is part of

13/02/44, Rastenburg
From left to right :
- Kurt von der Chevallerie (OL)
- Hans Gollnick (OL)
- Friedrich Wiese (OL)
- Hans Schlemmer (OL)

It was from the forum so while ago. Could anyone have the complete pic?

Cheers
Freiherr

How about this?

Cheers,

Hans

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 03 Apr 2004 21:28

Hi Denis,

You did not post this series. Looks like Obersalzberg also judging from the numerical order of EL's being awarded.

First pic is:

#490 GenMj Gottfried Weber
#484 ObstLt Wolf Hagemann
#494 Mj Ernst Wilhelm Hoffmann

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 03 Apr 2004 21:31

Next is:

#490 GenMj Gottfried Weber .... partly hidden
#484 ObstLt Wolf Hagemann
#494 Mj Ernst Wilhelm Hoffmann
#477 Hptm Fritz Mueller, shaking hands with Hitler
#381 Hptm Bernhard Flachs
#469 Hptm Theodor von Luecken
#495 Hptm Konrad Zeller

Cheers
Freiherr

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 03 Apr 2004 21:33

Finally,

#477 Hptm Fritz Mueller
#381 Hptm Bernhard Flachs
#469 Hptm Theodor von Luecken
#495 Hptm Konrad Zeller
#485 ObFwb Hans Strippel

Cheers
Freiherr

Elwyn W · Post by **Elwyn W** » 03 Apr 2004 21:49

Thank you Hans!

Would someone post these two series? Or Denis send me a ogg photocopy of both.

25/05/44, Obersalzberg
as far as I can see on the photo, at least 9 Heer officers (several generals). This photo is displayed on "on the Field of Honor" (volume 2 - see entry for von Brese)
the second soldier when looking from right side is Heinz von Brese (OL)
the fourth soldier when looking from right side is Ernst-Günther Baade (OL)

date unknown
as far as I can seen on the photo, there are 5 WH officers, from left to right :
- unidentified WH officer
- Max Sachsenheimer (OL)
- unidentified WH officer
- Walter Elflein (OL)
- unidentified WH officer

Cheers
Freiherr