Hi Folks:

Anyone looking for something to spend their tax refund/stimulus checks might be interested in Wittman's identified SS sword that has the "K.W. Janssen/ 286914" engraved on it. He notes that Karl-Wilhelm Janssen, SS No. 286 914 turns up in the 1938 Dienstaltersliste . I had the chance to look into him at the National Archives and found that his only appearance in the lists is due to that the fact he was KIA in Poland on 14 September 1939! Janssen was with 3 Kompanie, Leibstandarte SS-Adolf Hitler. There are three photos of him in his Race & Settlement file as well though they are a bit low contrast. You can see the sword, item 26989, here under "Special Offerings":

http://www.wwiidaggers.com/SPO.htm

Below is one of Janssen's photo's.

Enjoy!

Ross Kelbaugh
www.ssdaggers.com

Great info Ross, i love this stuff. Rebate check? Ha, I get no check, and I doubt Tom would take $600 anyway...hehehe

I know you were just joking....

John

Guess I should have added that Janssen actually has a marked grave in Poland you can visit on your next fieldtrip.

Enjoy!

Ross Kelbaugh
www.ssdaggers.com

Nice job Ross. Keep up the good work.
Jim

Wow! Beauty Degen!

Way to go Ross. Your research and attention to detail REALLY Adds a lot to the Hobby!

Txs, Dave/dblmed

I guess that I live closest to this SS-man grave (about 70 km). I should add that he was killed in SOCHACZEW not STOCHACZEW.

Anyway great job.

Thanks Gottlieb. Just goes to show that there can be problems encountered among German records. Thought I would also post his other photos. Be interesting to see a photo of his grave.

Regards,

Ross Kelbaugh
www.ssdaggers.com

Here is his other photo.

And here is the the card placed in his Race & Settlement File noting that he was gefallen. There are about 30 documents in this file which includes his family tree which goes back before 1800.

Enjoy!

Ross Kelbaugh
www.ssdaggers.com

Here You have short film about this cemetery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZUwosFn6J0

Thought you all might be interested to know that this sword sold to a collector in Europe.

Regards,

Ross Kelbaugh
www.ssdaggers.com

Hi Ross,

Just a question, with the German Volksbund site you've shown listing his grave site, can anyone type in a name of an SS officer and see if there is a grave listed ?
How does this site work and can you provide a web link please.

Thanks, also a big thumbs-up for all the work you do in you research efforts.

Hi Slayer:

The German Volksbund is free public access, but you will have to complete a registration form. It includes names and data relating for officers & enlisted men who were KIA from both world wars. Because of the number of men with the same first and last name (sometimes what you might think is the most unique name is not), it helps to have additional information such as birthdate, rank, birthplace, date of death, or place of death to help narrow your search. The birthdate was the key component for identifying men in the German military, not SS or the myriad of other assigned numbers they received. And it remains a key component to researching them today in the original records both in the U.S. and in Germany. Here is the link:

http://www.volksbund.de/

Hope you can find it useful and perhaps become a donor to support the project.

Ross Kelbaugh
www.ssdaggers.com

Hi Ross, thanks my german is minimal.
Is this the page I fill out, to enquire about the officer ?

http://www.volksbund.de/grabschmuck/

Thanks.

Step by Step guide for the "non German"

Guide

Keep in mind the search tool as of last week was down for maintenance, so it may not work for you - just keep checking back though - its a good tool

Thanks, I don't think the enquiry screen is working ?

http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche/content_suche.asp

Hello Ross,

thanks for this great information,they are very important for me,because i am the new owner of this fantastic sword.The sword is throughout a textbook unmarked one .

And here in the front now the Degen in display with others.

ov

3

4

super collection !

I am jealous...

CONGRATULATION

Sebastien.

WOW Well done