Gerhard Hein – Infanterie-Regiment 209 (Eichenlaub) (12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend”)

Original Wartime Signature on a Postcard of Gerhard “Gerd” Hein. SS-Sturmbannführer & Oberstleutnant der Reserve Gerhard Hein (9 July 1916, Klein Paniow-Rybnik † 6 June 2008, Harrislee) was a German officer who served with distinction on the Eastern Front and later with the Waffen-SS. He was a Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves recipient and rose to command the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend.”

Awards and Decorations

• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) – 3 September 1940, as Unteroffizier and platoon leader, 10./Infanterie-Regiment 209, 58. Infanterie-Division.

• Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross (Eichenlaub zum Ritterkreuz) – 6 September 1942, as Leutnant and company commander, 5./Infanterie-Regiment 209, 58. Infanterie-Division.

Career Highlights

• Distinguished himself early in the war, earning the Knight’s Cross as a platoon leader in 1940.

• Awarded the Oak Leaves for continued leadership and bravery in 1942 on the Eastern Front.

• Later transferred to the Waffen-SS, where he became commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 of the elite 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend.”

• Rose to the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer in the Waffen-SS and Oberstleutnant der Reserve in the Heer.

• Survived the war and lived until 2008, passing away in Harrislee.

Item Details

• Original Wartime signature of Gerhard Hein.

• Signed on a Wartime Postcard.

• Condition: Clear and well-preserved autograph.

Collector’s Note

Hein’s dual career in both the Heer and Waffen-SS, combined with his Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, makes him a particularly interesting figure. His command of the Hitlerjugend Division’s SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 places him among the most notable regimental leaders of the Waffen-SS. His long postwar life and rarity of signed material enhance the value of his autograph for collectors of Knight’s Cross holders and Waffen-SS memorabilia.