Signatures of Waffen SS Knights Cross Winners

[Mark C Yerger]

Here are a few others: Degrelle, Hack, my favorite Baum portrait, and Christian

Best,
Mark

[Paul D]

Moderator PaulE sent me several nice PMs and asked me to post some of my Sepp Lainer images. Hope this is where he wanted them .

Sepp won the KC and Close Combat Clasp in Gold, both awards being given to him by Sylvester Stadler (Regiment "Der Führer commander) and Walter Krüger ("Das Reich commander). Apologies for any tint as I can't remove them from the frames.

First is Krüger putting on the KC with help from the IIa (Divisionadjutant). Then Krüger shaking hands with the new recipient. Per tradition Lainer then reviews men of his unit along with Stadler and Krüger. An informal shot afterwards shows, from left, Krüger, Lainer, and Stadler. In the course of the ceremony and meal afterwards, these photos were taken and later given to Sepp, one being a great photo of Krüger. Sepp gave me that as the cover photos for one of my two "Waffen-SS Commanders" volumes. He loved going through the photo albums I assembeled for the Truppenkameradschaft "Der Führer" reunions. Soon as I handed them to him: "zoom," he was everywhere showing everyone. My "Das Reich" interests covered all ranks, books to that time could not, and he always found people he'd known or who others knew. The postwar photo, mid-1980s, I took of him with Walter Reder (KC "Totenkopf") who was recently released and a guest that year. At the time Lainer would have been 60s, looked as if in his 40s, a huge muscular man, that can't be told in photos, with great energy and zest for life. Lainer and Oakleaves winner Heinz Macher were 2 who looked like they could still go in combat in their 60s with great physical presence.

Sepp carried the funeral pillow holding the awards of my Ratgeber (Otto Weidinger). A different generation and culture, photos were taken at the primary internment as families kept a "life book" for each person like a photo album of today. Pictures were taken at the service as the friends and those influenced by the person who passed away is noted by those who attended. Weidinger's passing was extremely difficult for me personally. But talking afterwards with Wolfgang (Weidinger's son), Sepp's role in the ceremony deeply effected Frau Weidinger and her children in the most positive sense. For the entire lengthy ceremony, longer than a normal US funeral service, Lainer was at full attention holding that decorations pillow and literally did not move a single muscle the entire time. Full attention, eyes forward, braced as if a statue, and he was 70 at the time. I never look at them, but the family sent me the funeral photos to acknowledge the closeness of our friendship, and Sepp's honoring his commander (my deeply close friend) that day I will always remember.

And Sepp was there again in Lenggries at the next "DF" Treffen when the unit as a whole paid tribute. Sepp Lainer had great honor and character, I miss him. He's already gone a decade. Other images then follow that are possibly new to some. New to posting images and Windows 8 drives me to despair so apologies if sequence off. It seems some types of film processing or paper appear "checkered" when scanned though are are crystal clear in the original. PaulE: hope some posted are new for you, when you next write have a private story about Sepp to tell you.

Mark C. Yerger

Mark many thanks for posting the photos of Sepp Lainer and for the history that goes with them !! For those who are not aware Sepp Lainer was a remarkable Front line soldier , much of his story can be read in Franz Kurowskis " Infantry Aces "

[Paul D]

SS Unterscharfuhrer Harald Nugiseks

[Paul D]

Harald with fellow Estonian RKT Alfons Rebane and Harald Riipalu .

[Mark C Yerger]

Despite high interest for me in the Latvian and Estonian units, only had lengthy correspondence with one senior officer: Waffen-Oberführer Artur Silgailis. While his letters the most valuable, copies of his award documents were interesting. On this one they spelled his name wrong. His book translated to English by Bender Publishing still on my "Top 20" SS books favorites list.