Identification of SS-officers from "richcarrick collection"

[richcarrick]

Hi guys!

I'm preparing several hundred amazing original photos of members of the LAH, Das Reich etc. for auction on eBay. Michael Miller and Richard Maxwell were kindly helping me, but their time is otherwise occupied right now. As I want to get these items listed fairly soon, I would like to enlist the help of other forum members. I can offer nothing except my gratitude! So please, if you see anyone you know, call out. Some are really obvious, some have been tentatively identified, but there are many more. I'll start posting them up in batches. Please note each one is annotated / copyrighted for obvious reasons.

Some have notes on the rear. In that case I'd like to know if they are people of significance. A lot of the time, I can't read the German writing well enough to translate it, in which case I'd appreciate assistance also. I'd also like to know if any of these photos can be accurately dated.

So first up, a few from my Das Reich photo collection. We have an SS-Uscha. Shultz (top) and SS-Uscha. Gourke





next up are two shots of Gen. von Vietinghoff - in what context? What relation to Das Reich?





unknown? The rear of this photo is heavily annotated, but my German is too rusty to make it out...





Gen.Oberst Guderian and SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Kumm - again, not sure of the timeframe or context. Perhaps someone can help?





SS-Uscha Gourke & SS-Uscha Hahn, Das Reich - anyone important?





several named individuals in this Das Reich group shot...are they anyone of significance please?





SS-Oberstgruppenführer Paul Hausser (is he an Oberstgruppenführer here though?)







Hausser and SS-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Bittrich (I think - am I reading the inscription right?)

[alexzouv]

53.1 showes Werner Ostendorff and Heinz Harmel

[Ivan Ž.]

Hello,

That's a nice grouping and I think it should be split into a topic of its own.

I haven't checked all the photos yet, so just a few quick comments at the moment:

next up are two shots of Gen. von Vietinghoff - in what context? What relation to Das Reich?

von Vietinghoff was the "Reich" Division's corps commander in mid-1941, see: http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... orps-R.htm

Gen.Oberst Guderian and SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Kumm - again, not sure of the timeframe or context. Perhaps someone can help?

...and Guderian was the armoured group's commander, see: http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gli ... mee2-R.htm

SS-Oberstgruppenführer Paul Hausser (is he an Oberstgruppenführer here though?)

He is an SS-Gruppenführer there (the year is 1941, he was promoted to SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer three years later).

Cheers,
Ivan

[richcarrick]

thanks Ivan! That's a great help

[richcarrick]

also thanks Alex

[gunter83]

with Vietinghoff keeping binocular is Otto Kumm
with Hausser on several pics is adj Otto Kroger (including photo with Bittrich)

[PLom]

SSDR 53.2:
Text in German:
Russland im April 42

Kameradschaftsabend mit Kampfgruppenführer Ritterkreuzträger, Standartenführer Ostendorf und
Kommandeur von SS "D" Stubaf. Harmel in unserem Kameradschaftsheim.

In English:
Russia in April 42

Comradeship evening with the battle group leader Knight's Cross bearer, Standartenführer Ostendorf and
Commander of SS "D" Stubaf. Harmel in our comradeship home.

Hope this helps, -Peter

[richcarrick]

awesome guys, I knew I could count on the experts in this group!

Many more fantastic photos to follow

[richcarrick]

ah - I see I have my own group now! Thank you to the admins for doing this

OK moving on...

next up are some photos from the collection of SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinrich Oelkers. They were given to former SS soldier and author of 'Endkampf zwischen Mosel und Inn. XIII. SS-Armeekorps' Erich Spiwoks. The book was published for 1976 so I think the photos have been in Spiwok's possession for at least 40 years. As far as I know they have not been seen or available for sale.

Oelkers served with the I./SS-Polizei-Regt 3 as battalion adjutant. Most of the photos in this lot were taken during the period of the battles of Leningrad and Luga. Oelkers is at least shown on one of them (although I cannot work out which photo shows him?)







Things start to get really exciting as we move on to my LSSAH albums - I have two of them with over 300 photos. I will upload what I thik are the most interesting ones...














The guy at left in this one identified by Michael Miller as SS-Sturmbannführer (later Obersturmbannführer) Dr.- Ing. Willhelm 'Wim' Brandt. Second opinions welcomed.



This one identified by Michael Miller as SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Karl-Maria Demelhuber, 1940. I'm sure he's correct but second opinions welcomed

[richcarrick]

Michael Miller got quite excited by this one - it shows the then-SS-Stubaf. Jürgen Wagner (future SS-Brif.u.Gen.Maj.d.W-SS and holder of the Eichenlaub) (second from right). Anyone recognise the others?

[Ivan Ž.]

Hello again,

I don't see any LAH photos there, all I see is SS-VT / "Reich" Division again (plus a couple of Polizei-Division pics, one RAD and one Heer image). The guys in black uniforms are also from the SS-VT.

You can see their commander Hausser here again (with Demelhuber).




RAD


Heer (the letter "L" on his shoulder board stands for "Lehr")


Polizei-Division


The Knight's Cross holder is Generaloberst Georg Lindemann, commander of the L. Armeekorps.

Cheers,
Ivan

[richcarrick]

thanks a lot Ivan!

[richcarrick]

perhaps when I say these photos are LSSAH, what I mean is that the previous owner served with the LSSAH. I imagine all kinds of different SS units are shown

[Ivan Ž.]

As far as I see, these are all SS-VT / "Reich" Division:















Cheers,
Ivan

[richcarrick]

thank you