UBB.threads Forums Uniform & Accessories Helmet Forum NAMED SS M40

here is my latest SS lid, named to ;
untersturmfuhrer lorenz speck ss panzer grenadier regiment 37 / 14 kompanie gotz von berlichingen. This helmet was purchased in 1987 from Mr Emile Waulle who, at that time lived on his farm just south of the Norman village of Roncey (15 miles SW of Saint Lo). During an evening in late July of 1944, Mr Waulle, then 14 years old, remembered that m mortally wounded SS officer was brought in to the family home by some of his men. The officer's name was " Speck". (Emile Waulle remembers this particulary because his father noted at the time that "Speck" is the German word for "bacon") The SS officer died during the night and his body was hurriedly buried in the garden by the other soliders, who proceeded to move south in the face of the American advance. The officers helmet had been left on the kitchen table and was soon after, put out into the barn where is remained for the next 43 years until Mr Waulle by this time in his 50s and the inhertior of the family farm, answered collectors advertisement and sold a variety of items of WW2 US and German origin that had been scrounged up in this farm buildings. Specks postwar activities included his remains having been moved to an SS cemetery about 5 miles south in th village of Harnbye. In the early 1950's, this SS cemetery was cleared out and all the remains were removed to the larger German war cemetery located in the northwest near Marigny. SS-Untersturmfuhrer Lorenz Speck now resides in the Deutches soldatenfriedhof, Marigny, Row 43, Block 1, grave number 1658. The helmet is identified as Speck's by the account of Mr Waulle, the initals "L.S." painted on the rear of the helmet skirt and the fact there is only one SS officer with these initals to be found in any of the area cemeteries..........

slim

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What a unique story!!!! This is what collecting is all about. I assume that you did not buy the helmet from Ms Waulle yourself.. If I were you I would try to get in contact with her to document as much as you could as to her side of the story. Great catch!!!

Erik

hi erik,i did not buy it from mr waulle, but from another collector . if i am reading my information right this man was promoted to untersturmfuhrer june 1944!! SS number 402 066,
i would love to get a picture of this man but maybe never will but fingers crossed. also to point out this helmet once had a winter white wash type finish applied but this was soundly removed causing damage to the decal. and who would have thought that inside the first three months of 2006 i would pick up 2 sd ss lids by the same maker ET and a ss tunic which i will be posting shortly in a other section...........

slim

Now thats my kind of SS Helmet...wonderful background, great condition.
Thanks for showing it!
Paul

Slim, that is what I thought as well. That is why, if I were you, I would try to track up Mr Waulle in order to get the story documented and written down in his own words.

Erik

Wow...yea, you need to get a picture of this guy. Great helmet!

FYI: I'm pretty sure "Speck" is German for "fat". It's a Swabian slang for fat. The substance, not the condition. Just to let you know Slim.

hi guys, if anybody knows of someone that can do a search in the archives for this man i would like to hear from them..........and some light reading!!!!!!!

slim

Nice helmet Slim.
tonym

Awsome Slim!!!!!!!
Congrats

Truly great story behind that helmet, Slim. Congratulations!

just to update you helmet guys i got in touch with rob who researched the archives for me and guess what!! 19 pages of documents as well as 3 pictures. one of the documents is marked for the unit SS FLAK 2 which we know took part in the recapture of kharkov in 43 but this document is dated 1942 so anyones guess really if he was involved. it seems he was rather good on the old M.G for the documents show he served in the training batt for 18 months probably as a instructor or something alike. there are also 7 documents relating to his request to get married
including a questionaire he filled in himself
part of which puzzles me as he has wrote a long message 15 lines long at the end but i cant read german! also on this document there is a name SS OBERSTURMFUHRER RENNTOP FELDPOSTNUMMER 24 607, who turns out to be a knights cross winner in das reich. he won the following awards iron cross 1+2nd class, infantry assault in bronze,wound badge in black,sa sports badge in bronze,13 marz and 1st oktober medals...
after his service in das reich he was transfered to the 17th ss and promoted to untersturmfuhrer in june 44 he took part in the battle for carentan with the german paras and other enagements but 6 weeks after he was dead. see attached scan of picture. i hope you like it i do.....

sklim

Hello Slim

Really great story and info on this helmet and guy. I like helmets like that very much.
Well done

Best regards
Nick H

cheers nick but the research is not finnished he also served in ss flak 3 there is a german book regarding this batt and its on its way to me now fingers crossed he might be in that its a long shot but worth a tr........

slim

Hi Slim, congratulations for this nice helmet and search!

Now if you had a signed deposition from mr Waule
it would have tied it all in nicely