Pin of Honour of the SS-Heimwehr Danzig. Group of SS-Unterscharführer Herbert Hunger

Pin of Honour of the SS-Heimwehr Danzig.

Known Makers – Stumpf u Sohn

Rarity – Extremely Rare.

Pin of Honour of the SS-Heimwehr Danzig - Obverse

 Pin of Honour of the SS-Heimwehr Danzig - Reverse

SS-Rottenführer Herbert Hunger - Citation.

The Danzig Senate decided to form a Home Defence in the summer of 1939, and the responsibility for this was taken over by the Reichsführer-SS, in October 1938, the third battalion of the 4th SS Death's Head Regiment was formed in Berlin-Adlershof under SS- Obersturmbannführer Götze. In June 1939 the battalion was transported to Danzig where it was joined by the Anti Tank Demonstration Company of the Death's Head Regiments (Panzerabwehr-lehrsturm der SS- Totenkopfstandarten), which as part of the Home Defence, became known as Leiner Company (Companie "Leiner ').  From the original Home Defence Danzig, this unit, SS - Heimwehr, was raised in July 1939.  The formation was completed and its full complement consisted of 42 officers and approximately 1,500 men, two-thirds of whom were German nationals while the rest came from Danzig.

On 18th August 1939, Gauleiter Forster, presented the unit with its' company standard, which was received on the unit's behalf by SS - Obersturmbannführer Götze.  This unit, at the start of the war in September and throughout November 1939 saw action in and around Danzig, Gdingen and Westerplatte. Shortly after the unit was disbanded and its personnel distributed as cadres for the new Death's Head units and subsequently became incorporated into the Third Division of the Waffen - SS, which was known as the Totenkopf Division.

In October 1939 this commemorative pin was authorised for wear by former members of the SS - Heimwehr Danzig, and took the form of the standard of that unit which comprised of a red flag which had, at its centre, a blue circle on which was surmounted a black swastika, outlined in white, with the death's head at its apex.  Round the blue circle was a white line followed by a black border, which was encompassed by a further white line outlined in black.  The field was then quartered with black arms, on which was superimposed in the upper right, white SS Runes repeated in the lower left and in the upper left a gold ducal crown and white crosses of Danzig, which again was repeated in the lower right.  Both series of arms were outlined in white, so the resultant design produced a square lapel badge, which was used in a stick format.  This was attached to one side by a flagpole, which measured 22 mm in length.  The flag itself is 17 mm square and was produced in genuine silver.  The reverse is flat with at the centre a raised circular line over which is placed a plate that holds a vertical silver coloured safety pin type clip. On the right hand edge in raised vertical letters is GES. GESCH, to the side of this is stamped the series number of the award. On the other side, in like manner, is the maker’s mark in two lines Stumpf u Sohn, Danzig, while across the bottom is SILBER.

It is considered that it was possibly awarded to about 1700 recipients and was to be worn on either the lapel of civilian clothes or on the left breast pocket of the uniform. The highest number yet observed is 1627.

 Recipients of the Honour of the SS-Heimwehr Danzig.

80	SS-Unterscharführer	Hans Otto Deicke	18.06.1918
	SS-Sturmann	Leopold Hermann
1449	SS-Rottenführer	Ernst  Grünheid	12.08.1917
955	SS-Unterscharführer	Herbert Hunger	22.01.1917

SS-Heimwehr Danzig ID - SS-Unterscharführer Hans Otto Deicke.

SS-Unterscharführer Hans Otto Deicke - Citation.

SS-Unterscharführer Herbert Hunger

SS-Unterscharführer Herbert Hunger - Commemorative Medal of 13th March 1938- Citation.

SS-Unterscharführer Herbert Hunger - Commemorative Medal of 1st October 1938- Citation.

SS-Unterscharführer Herbert Hunger - Driver's Service Badge - Bronze Class.

 

SS-Unterscharführer Herbert Hunger.

Friedmann Götze - SS-Obersturmbannführer with Gauleiter Forster, reviewing the “SS - Heimwehr Danzig”. 

Gauleiter Forster with the Commander Gotetze, inspecting 4 Kompanie, with it’s Commander SS-Hauptsturmführer Baier. 

Gauleiter Forster, presented the unit with its' company standard, which was received on the unit's behalf by SS-Obersturmbannführer Götze.

SS-Heimwehr Danzig Flag Honour Guard. SS-Untersturmführer Zipp, SS-Obersturmführer Hilgenstock, SS-Untersturmführer Kersten.

 

Götze Friedmann - SS-Obersturmbannführer.

3rd November 1897     27 May 1940 K.I.A.

Party Number            SS Number

Danzig Cross 1^st Class, Baltic Cross, German Horse Riders Badge, 1914 Wound Badge Black.

Hans Friedmann Götze was born in Rendsburg in Schleswig-Holstein. Between December 1937 to March 1938 he was employed as an instructor at the SS-Junkerschule Bad Tolz. Götze was the commander of the Danzig Home Defence. He received from Gauleiter Forster of Danzig on 18^th August 1939 a standard for the “SS – Heimwehr Danzig”. In October he took the command of SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 3. Götze was killed during the French campaign in 1940, while leading a battalion from his regiment SSTK/I. R. 3, to rescue SS-Obersturmbannführer Heinz Bertling and was hit by a British sniper just outside Le Paradis.

Promotions:
15th March1937: SS-Hauptsturmführer

12th September1937: SS-Sturmbannführer

1st September 1939: SS-Standartenführer

Fakes of the Honour of the SS-Heimwehr Danzig.