Gustav Hoffmann – SS-Flak-Abteilung 12 “Hitlerjugend”

Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Gustav Hoffmann. SS-Sturmmann Gustav Hoffmann (16 January 1926, Vienna † 24 October 2024) served as an SS-Sturmmann in the 4. Batterie/SS-Flak-Abteilung 12 of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend.” Born the son of deaf parents and raised in modest conditions, he completed school and training as an office clerk before volunteering in 1943 for service with the Waffen-SS.

He began his duty on 22 August 1943 at the SS-Flak-Ausbildungs- und Ersatz-Regiment in München and was later transferred to the 4. Batterie/SS-Flak-Abteilung 12. There, Hoffmann served as a driver for the Sd.Kfz. 7/2 halftrack with its mounted 3.7 cm Flak gun. He took part in the bitter fighting in Normandy, the Ardennes, and Hungary. At war’s end, he was captured by American forces in Austria and spent time in U.S. captivity.

In the postwar years, Hoffmann preserved and collected accounts, diaries, and reports from his comrades of the 4. Batterie, culminating in the publication of the detailed unit chronicle “In Erdkampf und Luftabwehr,” which appeared in 2020.

Awards & Service Notes:

• Rank: SS-Sturmmann

• Unit: 4. Batterie/SS-Flak-Abteilung 12, 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend”

• Role: Driver of Sd.Kfz. 7/2 halftrack with 3.7 cm Flak gun

• Campaigns: Normandy, Ardennes, Hungary

Item Details:

• Authentic postwar signature of Gustav Hoffmann.

• Signed on a postwar photograph (postcard size).

• Condition: Very good, crisp autograph.

Collector’s Note:
Hoffmann lived to the age of 98, passing away in October 2024. As one of the last veterans of the 12. SS-Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend,” his personal recollections and his chronicle work provide a rare perspective on this infamous Waffen-SS unit. His signed photo represents a scarce opportunity for collectors of Waffen-SS autographs and unit history.