Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo + Business Card of Rudolf Berneike. Major Rudolf Berneike (07.10.1909 in Berlin † 09.11.1981 in Hamburg) earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzeson March 15, 1945 as Major und Führer of the Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 15 of the 5. Fallschirmjäger-Division.
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 Walter Sander. Oberleutnant Walter Sander (25.07.1914 † 28.04.1981) earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzeson February 28, 1945 as Leutnant und Führer of 1. Kompanie/ Fallschirm-Pionier-Bataillon5 of the 5. Fallschirmjäger-Division.
Awarded for his Kompanie’s successes during the initial phases of the Battle of the Bulge. At the start of the attack they moved swiftly through a gap in the US 109th Infantry Regiment (28th US Infantry Division) and reached the crossroads of Fels Kalochette, 20 km in the US rear. Here they captured a US communications battalion with 200 men and 50 vehicles. Later, on the 18.12.1944, Sander’s Kompanie captured the crossroads at Café Schumann (5 km SW of Wiltz), thus completing the encirclement of the town. During a US breakout attempt the Kompanie took a further 280 Americans prisoner. Finally, on the 20.12.1944, the place fell to the Germans with the loss of hundreds of US prisoners and 40 Sherman tanks. Sander was recognized appropriately for his Kompanie’s role in bringing about this outcome.
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 Death Card ("Sterbebild") of Unteroffizier Hans Dehling, who served with a Fallschirmjäger-Reigment possibly the 5. Fallschirmjäger-Division when he was Killed in Action on January 31, 1945 on the Western front. Condition as seen.
Buried: Hans Dehling ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuerburg. Endgrablage: Reihe 1 Grab 44
Information:
The death card may have a different color than the scan shows. The scan seem to make the death cards more white than they are.
The "Sterbekartei" (Card from Ancestry that shows the unit, fate..) provided here is only a digital copy! Not part of the original sale.
Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Kurt Gröschke. Oberst Kurt Gröschke (17.07.1907 † 26.03.1996) earned the Ritterkreuz on June 9, 1944 as Oberstleutnant und Kommandeur of the II. Bataillon/ Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1 of the 1. Fallschirmjäger-Division and the Eichenlaub on January 9, 1945 as Oberst und Kommandeur of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 15 of the 5. Fallschirmjäger-Division. Good condition.
Knight's Cross: "Awarded for his actions northwest of Cassino on the 08.02.1944. Here Major Gröschke managed to prevent a potentially disastrous Allied breakthrough to the Cassino—Rome road and by extension the fall of Cassino itself."
Oakleaves: "Awarded for his outstanding command abilities during the Ardennes offensive. By the evening of the first day of the offensive, the 16.12.1944, the Vorausabteilung of his Regiment had already reached the Diekirch—Hosingen road. Two days later the Regiment captured a river crossing near Bourscheid in an undamaged state, with the neighbouring divisions by now trailing far behind the Regiment. Later it fought in a defensive capacity against the US 3rd Army. Positioned in the Harlange/Villers-la-Bonne-Eau area, it defended this region up until the 10.01.1945 even as the US 26th Infantry Division took up positions in its rear, distinguishing itself as it did so."
Postwar Signature of Karl Berger, who earned the Knight's Cross (and two Panzer Destruction Badges + Nahkampfspange der Luftwaffe in Silber!) with Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 15, 5. Fallschirmjäger-Division.
