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Since there was minimal coverage on SS-Obersturmbannführer Hermann Gadischke in Mark Yerger’s recent book about the German Cross in Gold holders of the SS cavalry I thought I would say something about Gadischke here because he was recommended for the German Cross in Gold and was by some accounts the last commander of the 8.SS-Kavallerie Division “Florian Geyer. I should begin by saying that I have a special interest in Hermann Gadischke through his daughter, who lived in California until her recent death. I was introduced to her through the former SS-Obersturmführer Helmut Schwarz, who served under her father in the 4./SS-Kavallerir Rgt. 1 in 1942 and who I met at a reunion of the SS Kavallerie veterans in Sonthofen back in 1995. Gadischke’s Personalakte contains a recommendation for award of the German Cross in Gold/DKiG submitted in mid-1942. The interesting thing about this recommendation is that it was neither approved or rejected. Instead, there is the remark on the document below, “Nicht in der Kartei b. OKH”, meaning that the proposal was not found in the OHK registry that tracks such awards. Rejected award proposals are normally marked “abgelehnt” or “nicht erreichend” with a reason given for the rejection.

The next few pages contain the proposal for the DKiG. The text is fairly simple and should not be hard to read. Do the readers here feel that his actions rose to thze level worthy of a DKiG?

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Photo of Hermann Gadischke taken in May 1944 and appearing in Ursula Bellah's very good book, "Surviving the Judas Factor" available here-

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?ur ... &x=18&y=14

Ursula Bellah was born in 1929 and here observations of the wartime years are interesting to read.

Below is the front of Gadischke's Führerkarte. As can be seen there was investigation in 1942 that may have had an impact on the award proposal. Gadischke's daughter thinks that the proposal was held up for "political reasons" as he was out of favor with Himmler for some unknown reason.

Very interesting documents, as usual, John. Thanks for sharing them.

The two investigations against him may have been the very reason he was out of favor with the RFSS; the notes in the Dienststellung column of the Stammkarte indicate "Erm.Verf." (= Ermittlungsverfahren, or preliminary proceedings): On 07.07.1942, for offenses against the Kriegswirtschaftsverwaltung (administration of the war economy), and on 26.08.1944, an instance in which he apparently caused someone injury through negligence ("_?_-fahrlaessige Koerperverletzung").

~ Mike

Hi Michael,

Underneath Ermittelungs Verfahren stands "Grd" that means "Grund" - the reason.

Regards

Thank you, RN.

It's all so clear now that I look at it again; don't know why I couldn't make out those simple letters ("Grd.")

~ Mike

Thank you very much for posting this interesting material, Mr Moore!

Horrido!

Nicole