WW2 German Luftwaffe Dedelstorf OK Silver Dinnerware Table Knife WMF Nirosta KG200?

[komet45]

This knife was discovered mixed in with a group of items I acquired from the estate of a US Army veteran that served in the ETO during the War. The knife is well marked with the "pyramid" hallmark of the Hammesfahr Nirosta-Werk, the "NIROSTA" stainless steel hallmark of Thyssen-Krupp and the "WMF" hallmark. The handle is also marked with the "WMF" hallmark and "90" on the reverse side, most likely denoting the grade of Silver. There are numerous small dents on all sides of the handle, making it appear as if someone had used it to knock something open or hammer something closed. The handle is also well marked with a Luftwaffe eagle and the letters "OK" along with "Dedelstorf" below. It seems possible that the "OK" could stand for "Oberkommando," as this grade of silverware was clearly not intended for enlisted troops. The airbase at Dedelstorf is of particular interest as the infamous Kampfgeschwader 200 operated out of it from March - December 1944. These two accounts of Dedelstorf in action were shared many years ago on another historical forum and are some of the only pieces of information I have found about the base:

"From "Die Deutschen Lastenseglerverbande 1937-45" by Georg Schlaug:

Between 18.7 and 20.7 1944, 2 staffeln of I./LLG1 arrived in Lyon with 20 Do17/DFS230 and was to transport Fallschirm-Bataillon Jungwirth to Vassieux. The Bataillon was an ad-hoc formation with 2 companies and had just been formed under II./KG200 based in Dedelstorf. The two staffeln left Lyon for Vassieux on 21.7.44. On 23.7.44 I./LLG1 left Valence with 20 DFS 230 + 2 Go 242 from I./LLG2,and this time dropped a company of Ostlegionnaire and 50 Fallschirmjaeger at Vassieux. The following units were already in the Vassieux area on 21.7.44: 2 Grenadier-Bataillone and 2 Pionier-Kompanien of 157.Inf Res.-Div., Polizei Rgt.19, parts of Sicherungs-Rgt.200 and 3 Ostbataillone. (Lastenseglerverbande = Glider units.)

Geoffrey J.Thomas and Barry Ketley. KG 200: The Luftwaffe’s Most Secret Unit (Crowborough (East Sussex): Hikoki Pubublications Ltd, 2003). Thomas devotes 12% of his book to the operation (pp.100-24) and provides enormous detail. These 24 pages are identical to his manuscript entitled, “Air Operations Over the Vercors”, 27 pages plus a map and three pages of footnotes. He begins by stating that Maj. Hans Jungwirth got into a disagreement with his Geschwader Kommodore, Oberst i.G. Heinrich Heigl, during the first days of June and was relieved of his command and dismissed from KG 200. He was replaced on 11 July by Hptm. Günter Hurlin. He next shows that the KG 200 specially trained, volunteer Fallschirmjäger unit was officially given the tactical designation Kampfgruppe “Schäfer” on 8 June 1944, more than a month before the Vercors operation began. It was never called anything else. These volunteers were all Fallschirmjäger-Bewährungstruppe (probationary troops) from a depot at Tangerhütte where they had been assembled after committing minor disciplinary offenses. Few of them had combat experience. They were then put through three months of intense training as 9-man glider assault sections at Dedelstorf. Finally, departing from Gellermann regarding the date the operation began, Thomas very decisively states that it commenced on 21 July and not 22 July. In addition to correspondence with Friedrich Schäfer and many other unpublished and published sources, Thomas cites a detailed postwar interrogation of Obstlt. Kurt Randel-Semper, who was the Ia (operations officer) of KG 200 at the time of Vercors, Namentliche Verlustmeldungen (casualty reports) for II./KG 200 for 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 July 1944, OB West Tagesmeldungen (daily reports) 21-26 July 1944, The Gellermann book and the Schlaug book."

There were several other units stationed at Dedelstorf during the War, most notably Kampfgeschwader 55, Kampfgeschwader 66 and Lehrgeschwader 1, and the airbase was active with the Luftwaffe until the end of the War in 1945. I have not been able to find any other pieces specifically marked "Dedelstorf" and would really enjoy seeing other pieces from that airbase or photographs a member had time to share.