Guten Tag Meine Herren

[GuntherW]

Servus,

My Grandfather served in the 12th Company of 3rd Waffen SS Division Totenkopf I.R. 1 from September 1st 1939 until his death in Russia in 1942 in the Demjansk pocket. He was a Rotenführer and received the Demjansk shield as well as The Russian Front Medal. I am currently researching the division and his time with it and will look with interest through the links and posts on this website.

If anyone can help or has any leads especially to veterans and their diaries or stories I'd be most grateful. Fritz Düsel was from the same company and is of particular interest as I recently read a diary entry of his in Wie Ein Fels Im Meer.

I have posted some photos on the Totenkopf reenactment site. www.totenkopf.co.uk

Alles gute,
Gunther

[Crazy Feldgendarme]

Welcome to the forum, nice to have you on here.

[Franz repper]

Hallo Gunther I have some original photos of TK some place I will look them out and post them up!

[GuntherW]

Many thanks - it would be great to see any photos you have!
Here's a couple of my Grandfather

[sparky]

thats amazing!
i have german ancestory and would love to trace some relatives but dont know where to start

[Franz repper]

Gunther see this topic viewtopic.php?f=9&t=13480

[GuntherW]

thanks for the photos! much appreciated

regarding finding family records - if you have name and birth date and possibly birth place then there is a lot you can find out about members of the Wehrmacht and SS via the Deutsche Dienststelle in Berlin. I can find a link and help if anyone does have relatives especially with any translations

[Sean]

Welcome to the forum. One question though, was he a fencer pre/during the war?

[GuntherW]

Yes, I believe he did in the 30s whilst studying and obtained the 'dueling scar' or 'Schmiss' on his left cheek in the process.....some history behind that follows

For a student and all of German Society, the badge of courage was the Schmiss (The dueling scar, or sometimes called the Renommierschmiss, or bragging scar), mostly on the left side of the face, where blows would fall from a right-handed duelist. This was borne by a generation of doctors, jurists, professors and officials, certifying the owner's claim to manly stature. The dueling scar was certain to attract attention because it signified courage and breeding.

[Pummelchen]

The dueling scar was certain to attract attention because it signified courage and breeding.

It went down very well with the women....and your grandfather
surely was a handsome man Gunther. Thank you for sharing the pictures with us.

Kind regards,
Beate

[GuntherW]

thanks )

[A.Weiss]

Hi GuntherW,

Make yourself at home!

A.Weiß

[Erich Johann]

Deutsche Dienststelle in Berlin.

http://www.dd-wast.de/

[GuntherW]

I recently found this photo whilst visiting my mother in Germany at the weekend - it shows my Grandfather of the left shortly after the dueling scar ceremony, yes that blood is real.

[A.Weiss]

This picture proves that his grandfather was a duelist.

A.Weiß