Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Meinrad von Lauchert. Oberstleutnant Meinrad von Lauchert (29.08.1905 in Potsdam † 04.12.1987 in Stuttgart) earned the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on September 5, 1943 as Major with the Panzer-Regiment "von Lauchert"; the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on September 8, 1941 as Major und Kommandeur of I. Abteilung/ Panzer-Regiment 35 of the 4. Panzer-Division and the Eichenlaub on February 12, 1944 as Oberstleutnant und Kommandeur of the Panzer-Regiment 15 of the 11. Panzer-Division. Portrait cut-out and pasted on postcard.
Provenance: This signature comes from one of the largest postwar signature collection I’ve ever commissioned. This collection was started by a Waffen-SS Veteran, Werner H., in the 1950’s until he passed away.
Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Hermann Balck. General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck (17.12.1893 in Danzig-Langfuhr † 29.11.1982 in Eberbach) earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on June 3, 1940 as Oberstleutnant und Kommandeur of the Schützen-Regiment 1 of the 1. Panzer-Division, the Eichenlaub on December 20, 1942 as Generalmajor und Kommandeur of the 11. Panzer-Division, the Schwertern on March 4, 1943 as Generalleutnant und Kommandeur of the 11. Panzer-Divisionand the Brillanten on August 31, 1944 as General der Panzertruppen und stellvertretender Führer of the 4. Panzer-Armee.
Provenance: This signature comes from one of the largest postwar signature collection I’ve ever commissioned. This collection was started by a Waffen-SS Veteran, Werner H., in the 1950’s until he passed away.
Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Albert Henze. Generalleutnant Albert Henze (07.08.1894 in Kirchhain † 31.03.1979 in Ingolstadt) earned the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on March 2, 1943 with the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110, the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on January 15, 1944 as Oberst und Kommandeurof Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110 and the 11. Panzer-Division and the Eichenlaub on January 21, 1945 as Generalmajor und Kommandeur of the Gruppe Henze / 21. Feld-Division (L).
Provenance: This signature comes from one of the largest postwar signature collection I’ve ever commissioned. This collection was started by a Waffen-SS Veteran, Werner H., in the 1950’s until he passed away.
Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Helwig Luz. Generalleutnant Helwig Luz (28.06.1892 † 28.04.1980) earned the Ritterkreuz on November 15, 1941 as Oberst und Kommandeur of the Schützen-Regiment 110 of the 11. Panzer-Division. Good condition.
In mid September 1942, his older son Helwig was killed in action in Stalingrad, while served as Leutnant with Panzer Regiment 24 and General Luz was ordered back to Germany. He spent several next months in Führer Reserve, before assumed duty as Commander, Settlement office for the 6th Army (Abwicklungsstelle 6. Armee) in February 1943. (Read more on Helwig Luz (Wikipedia)).
Provenance: This signature comes from one of the largest postwar signature collection I’ve ever commissioned. This collection was started by a Waffen-SS Veteran, Werner H., in the 1950’s until he passed away.
Original Scarce Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Cay-Lorenz Baron von Brockdorff. Oberleutnant Cay-Lorenz Baron von Brockdorff (25.08.1923 † 11.09.1997) earned the Ritterkreuz on April 14, 1945 as Oberleutnant und Regiments-Adjutannt of the Panzer-Regiment 15 of the 11. Panzer-Division. Good condition. Bit smaller as Postcardsize. Condition as seen.
Provenance: This signature comes from one of the largest postwar signature collection I've ever commissioned. This collection was started by a Waffen-SS Veteran, Werner H., in the 1950's until he passed away.
Original Extremely Scarce Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Johannes Streich. Generalleutnant Johannes Streich (16.04.1891 † 20.08.1977) earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on January 31, 1941 as Oberst und Kommandeur of the Panzer-Regiment 15 of the 11. Panzer-Division. Condition as seen.
Ritterkreuz: Streich would be awarded the Knight’s Cross for the actions of his Regiment during latter stages of the Battle of France. The British were trying to evacuate their soldiers from the small community of Veules-les-Roses, just east of Le Havre. Streich’s Panzer-Regiment 15 attempted to enter the town on the 11.06.1940, but accurate anti-tank fire prevented this. Streich decided on a night attack, and the gamble paid off. By the morning of the 12.06.1940 Streich’s Panzers were firing on the remaining Allied ships in the harbour, and the soldiers that had not been evacuated surrendered. Streich’s Regiment claimed to have taken 26,000 English and French prisoners, including the French division commander Général Durant and two brigade commanders.
Read more about Johannes Streich (Wikipedia).
Provenance: This signature comes from one of the largest postwar signature collection I've ever commissioned. This collection was started by a Waffen-SS Veteran, Werner H., in the 1950's until he passed away.
Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Karl Thieme. Karl Thieme (28.05.1914 † 06.06.2004) earned the Ritterkreuzon October 30, 1943 as Hauptmann und Kommandeur in the I. Bataillon/ Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110, the Eichenlaub on October 23, 1944 as Major und Führer of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 111 and the Schwertern on May 9, 1945 as Oberstleutnant und Kommandeur of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110 of the 11. Panzer-Division. Good condition.
Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Heinz Rothhardt. Unteroffizier Heinz Rothhardt (11.02.1921 † 08.08.2011) earned the Ritterkreuz on September 30, 1943 as Unteroffizier und Zugführer in the 2. Kompanie/ Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 11 of the 11. Panzer-Division. Good condition. Postcardsize.
Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Hans-Georg Borck. Hauptmann Hans-Georg Borck (24.09.1921 † 08.05.2011) earned the Ritterkreuz on December 23, 1943 as Oberleutnant und Chef of the 3. Kompanie/ Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 209 of the 11. Panzer-Division. Good condition. Postcardsize.
Knight's Cross recommendation: “Then the 29.10.1943 came. A few days beforehand I had taken over a reinforced Panzergrenadier-Bataillon (the I./111 in the so-called Ghost Division under General von Wietersheim) from a badly wounded Rittmeister, and right away I had to endure days of heavy defensive combat with this unit, with many tanks being destroyed in our sector.On the left wing of the Bataillon the frontline jumped about 800 metres to the rear, and the result was that we had to defend a village with a totally open left flank. Reinforcements were promised, and these arrived on the evening of the 28.10.1943 in the form of an additional Kompanie. During the night I guided this unit into its new positions on our left wing.In the morning hours of the next day, the Russians attacked. In the days before they had always come from the front with tanks, but now they only attacked with strong infantry forces into the threatened left wing. Without either issuing or receiving fire themselves they succeeded in occupying the positions on the left wing. By doing so they acquired a field of fire that would enable them to fire upon the entire frontline sector once it got light. This produced a very critical situation, especially since hardly anyone had noticed the very drastic change in the disposition of forces.I therefore only had the option of ordering an immediate withdrawal behind a protective railway embankment, although the ammunition and equipment would have to be left behind. This would at least allow us to utilize the cover of darkness while moving across 600 metres of open fields.In order to distract the enemy, I personally led a counterthrust while armed with an MG atop of a Sturmgeschütz even though we only had 8 main gun rounds and a case of MG ammunition. With this one vehicle we succeeded in preventing the enemy from making a further advance, but above all we stopped them from conducting aimed fire. We held out until we could assume that the unit had reached the protective railway embankment, then we moved to pull back ourselves. Unfortunately I fell off the vehicle as the Sturmgeschütz drove over a trench, and I stood suddenly alone about 100 metres in front of the advancing Russians.On the way to the German lines I managed to eliminate a tank in close combat together with some other stragglers, but in the process I was badly wounded and only reached friendly lines hours later with the last of my strength. I later learned that the German Sturmgeschütz was knocked out on the way back. Thus, out of the 5 men who carried out the counterthrust, I was the only one to come back, and in a heavily wounded state no less.”
Original Wartime Signature on a Postcard of Hermann Balck. General der Panzertruppen Hermann Balck (17.12.1893 † 29.11.1982) earned the Ritterkreuz on June 3, 1940 as Oberstleutnant und Kommandeur of the Schützen-Regiment 1 of the 1. Panzer-Division, the Eichenlaub on December 20, 1942 as Generalmajor und Kommandeur of the 11. Panzer-Division, the Schwertern on March 4, 1943 as Generalleutnant und Kommandeur of the 11. Panzer-Divisionand the Brillanten on August 31, 1944 as General der Panzertruppen und stellvertretender Führer of the 4. Panzer-Armee. Good condition. Measuring: Postcardsize.
Knight’s Cross: “Breakthrough near Martelange. Pursuit towards Bouillon. Capture of Bouillon. Regiment as the first to reach and cross the Maas. Breakthrough of the bunker position. Defense against attacks at Bois de la Marfe. Victorious pursuit battles along the route Chanery—Omont. Several thousand prisoners and about 30 guns captured.” (via Traces of War)
Oakleaves: Awarded for holding the Chir river line with his 11. Panzer-Division during late 1942. In this time his Division smashed all the corps of the Soviet 5th Tank Army one after another.
Swords: Awarded for assisting in the destruction of Mobile Group Popov in the Barwenkowo area during early 1943.
Diamonds: Awarded for achieving the first successful offensively-conducted defensive battle along the Vistula river in 1944.
Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Karl Thieme. Karl Thieme (28.05.1914 † 06.06.2004) earned the Ritterkreuzon October 30, 1943 as Hauptmann und Kommandeur in the I. Bataillon/ Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110, the Eichenlaub on October 23, 1944 as Major und Führer of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 111 and the Schwertern on May 9, 1945 as Oberstleutnant und Kommandeur of the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 110 of the 11. Panzer-Division. Good condition. Measuring: Postcardsize.
