Form award or near that IMO as the details were typewritten in.. Facsimile... or auto-type JMO of course G
I'd rather be A "RaD Man than a Mad Man "
Hi, I must agree, a form letter of some sort. Serious, and patriotic by the number of exclamation marks in the content of the text. The stains look to be from whatever held together a pad of these. The line of small holes is used as a perforation, so bend, tear, and type. IMO, the last step is a rubber stamp of H. Himmler's signature. So Himmlers name is not printed on the page but added by stamping with ink so it looks like an actual signature. This stamp was most likely applied by a secretary, Himmler himself, never even touched this. He approved or dictated the message, it was printed on his approval and distributed. I have seen similar examples like this. Although, IMO, this is an authentic document. The paper stock is correct, also the SS typewriter key. I like it. Very nice !!!
Award document for the SS Degen (SS Officers Honour Sword.)
Cheers, Ade,
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It's the bestowal letter for the SS Honor Sword. The text translates as:
"The Reichsführer-SS
Berlin, 9th November 1942.
SS-Obersturmführer
Hurlin Günter, SS-no. 171 646.
I award you the SS Sword.
Never draw it without need!
Never sheath it without honor!
Guard your own honor just as unconditionally as you are to respect the honor of others and to stand up for the unprotected!
This sword shall remain in the possession of your family if you have carried it unreproachfully for a lifetime. Should you separate from the SS before that, it passes back to the Reichsführer-SS.
Do not forget for a single moment what great trust the Schutzstaffel of Adolf Hitler has placed in you by the bestowal of this weapon.
Always stay the same in good and bad days!
Carry the sword with honor!
[signed: H. Himmler]"
The reminder to draw a sword only in need and to sheath it again not without honor has a long tradition and, for example, can be found as a sword blade inscription in German and French long before the 20th century.
Needless to say, the SS honor sword was a decorative and ceremonial weapon; the opening phrase here is purely symbolic and typical for the Nazi love for pathos and creating links to the past.
I have checked the recipient, and I am afraid there is a problem here. The SS-Dienstaltersliste [SS Officers' Seniority List] of 1st December 1938 has the following data on him:
Name: Hurlin Günter
Date of birth: 31st March 1911
SS no.: 171 646
NSDAP no.: 368 366
Duty assignment: Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler
Promotion dates:
- 10th March 1935 - Untersturmführer
- 9th Nov. 1936 - Obersturmführer
- 20th April 1939 - Hauptsturmführer [as per the June 1939 addendum to the list]
Awards and decoration: SS Honor Sword, SS Honor Ring, SA Sports Badge, German Sports Badge.
Other data: Member of Lebensborn e.V.
If he already had the SS Honor Sword in 1938, why is the presentation letter dated 1942?
I cannot comment on the authenticity of the form letter as such beyond the observation that the design and text are correct; but if it is authentic, I would not rule out the possibility that the data was entered at a later time (using an old typwriter from the period) to increase value.
cool thanks alot for the useful info! Never realized they had a stamp of his signature!
Great information! Thanks for all of the help, I've seen some of these before but never knew much about them! that is a good point about the later addition, was it uncommon for the documents to not have a date on it , or if an award was give the documentation award certificate would be at a later date? Thanks
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