SS Stammrollenkarte

[Friedrich-Berthold]

For those of you devoted to SS headwear, this document attached is an interesting aspect of the documentary evidence one can use to defeat the faker. It is the personal file card for an SS officer, in this case the exact personality is of no account and not my theme tonight.

My point: the anal retentive collection of personal data in the SS much prized by collectors seized of the imperative of provenance.

What is significant, however, is the fact that the person's head size and shoe size are included along with much other interesting data.


Fend's cap size was 57 cms, his height was 173 cm and he wore a size 43 shoe ( as does your writer here....)

I have seen many instances where these documents have been offered for sale with a piece of regalia, only then to disprove that the piece of regalia could ever have been that of the person in question. I have two examples of my own experience that prove just such.

This uniform for this man Fend I have no data on, and I make no assessment of same. All honor and credit to Oak Leaf Militaria which includes what promise to be some interesting SS headwear. I shall leave to others a minute examination of such objects, as this is the favorite past time on other sites to eviscerate dealers and their wares. Such is not my trait.

I wanted to include this object because of its usefulness for our pursuit of old sweaty hats.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

A foot note, or head note to the above: Kopfweite = head size.

[Bob Hritz]

If this type of material was more widely available, I am afraid there would be some rather dissapointed collectors.

Bob Hritz

[Friedrich-Berthold]

If this type of material was more widely available, I am afraid there would be some rather dissapointed collectors.

Bob Hritz

Thank you. My purpose here is to sharpen the collector's own powers of assessment and judgment with the tools that are potentially at hand.

I own a cap mistakenly attributed to an Allgemeine SS officer, who, in fact, was a man with a similar name in the SS Totenkopfverbaende. The researcher and dealer's error was my profit, as I deem the cap owned by an SSTV officer to be much more valuable than the former. The rank lists are not without their problems too as regards spelling and multiples of common names.

I actually care more if the piece is just real than to know the man's complete biography. Granted how easily screwed up such things can get, I am more skeptical of the imperative of provenance.

I own a uniform attributed to a Berliner of slightly built, which nonetheless was for a Main Franken (Wuerzburg) unit. Solely the belt was the property of the Berliner, whereas the black tunic from the Main was for a large man (much larger than the belt), which the Berliner plainly was not. The ensemble was put together out of bits, all of which are authentic, but not organic to one person. The collector embarked on a huge project of research to determine the owner of the belt, but not the cap, tunic, breeches and whatnot. The geographical distance between Berlin and Wurezburg bothered him not at all, though the files showed no evidence of the man ever having served in Bavaria. The file is impressive, but it does not add real value to the tunic and cap, which can stand on their own without a fairy tale about their provenance.

My goal is surely not to disappoint collectors or to thwart dealers, but to add an element of realism based on minute data open to all, in the case one can find the right personnel file. The trouble begins when the SS Mann is named Schmidt or Mueller, which is hardly an infrequent instance.

Happy head wear