UBB.threads Forums Uniform & Accessories The Honor Ring Forum New Out of Woodwork Ring

Here's a ring that I just got out of the woodwork. Very interesting story on the vet who brought it back - it was a woman! She was a nurse, and one of her patients gave it to her in hopes of gaining favor in the hospital.

Another shot.

Another.

This is the third ring I've out-of-the-woodwork acquired.

Still another shot.

Final pic.

Check out the hand finishing to the teeth. I have never seen teeth with this much detail.

It belonged to an SS Officer who was in the Der Fuhrer Regiment initially:

DOB 31.12.14
Graduated Braunschweig 1937
SS Officer's Sword
SA Sports Badge in Bronze
Reichs Sports Badge in Bronze
1st Batallion SS-Standarte "Der Fuhrer"
SS number 131361
Not an NSDAP member
Untersturmfuhrer as of 12.3.38

(Thanks Bernie!)

That ones in pristine condition.

Dang that sure is a Great looking ring the detail is just unreal!! Hey I will like you a lot more if you give it to me

Sepp
GDC 0292 Gold

Was it no problem to be an SS member without being a NSDAP member?
Cheers,
Benten

This ring apears to be small to me. What size is it exactly?
Jim

dam Craig! what wood pile you been looking in lately!

No problem being a SS member and not being in the NSDAP..They were urged to so but many did not join..

It is a small size - I haven't measured it. It's actually almost as small as the Kraemer ring.

Craig - From the info Bernie gave you the ring belonged to Klemens Tost who was KIA on the Russian front in March 1942 and buried in Russia as can be confirmed below from the Volksband Deutscher Kriegsgr�berf�rsorge Website. How could a vet have given this to a US Army nurse? Or was it an American vet that picked up some rings from the reputed Wewelsburg cache?

John


Nachname: Tost
Vorname: Klemens Wilhelm Georg
Dienstgrad: Hauptsturmf�hrer
Geburtsdatum: 31.12.1914
Geburtsort: Hannover
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 26.03.1942
Todesort: Panowo



Klemens Wilhelm Georg Tost wurde noch nicht auf einen vom Volksbund errichteten Soldatenfriedhof �berf�hrt oder konnte im Rahmen unserer Umbettungsarbeiten nicht geborgen werden. Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen befindet sich sein Grab derzeit noch an folgendem Ort:


Kurkino / Rshew - Ru�land

Super ring but quite a conundrum. The wear is light at best which would be consistent with Herr Tost only having it 6 months, if this is indeed the same recipient John mentions. If it is, he wouldn't have been buried with the ring. In all liklihood it would have been returned to Wewelsburg, right? Might this be one of Col. Black's horde?

Here is a period document that reports the death in battle of Klemens Tost. The dates of birth furnished by Bernie from a DAL match what the VDK had in their grave report. There is no Personalakte for Klemens Tost (or any other SS officer named Tost) is the NARA microfilm

For those with an interest in seeing more of these period casualty reports I have been posting them here on AHF:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=100253

John

Billy: Not a conundrum at all. You have to remember, with respect to "ring lore" that you can never say "wouldn't have" and "didn't" with respect to the disposition of rings before, during, and subsequent to an owner's death. What we know for certain is that this ring was acquired somehow, in Europe, by the nurse in question, from whose estate this ring came. We also know for certain that this ring belonged to the Tost in question. What we don't know (and might never know) is whether or not Tost ever even HAD the ring when he was on the Russian Front. Generally, rings were delivered to the home record address, and then forwarded to the unit that the recipient was serving in. This is not speculation, but fact. I have documented proof inthe form of a telegraph that it did happen sometimes. The most likely scenario is that this ring never made it to Tost, who died on the Eastern Front as John stated. This is most probably what happened, as it would have been very difficult for Tost's wife to get the ring sent via feldpost to his unit, as they were fighting on the Eastern Front. This story is consistent with the ring having NO wear whatsoever. Whatever happened, it's really just speculation and is irrelevant to the ring itself. My personal belief is that the ring was "liberated" from the wife (facts forever lost to time), and that it subsequently made it to me via the story related to you all. Or, it is possible (though unlikely, given the geography, combat events, and ring condition) that the ring was returned to Wewelsberg. I tend to believe that the facts support the first hypothesis. Just thought I would clear this up. Thanks.

And John: Super document - thanks so much.

Craig,

I think you make a good argument for the former scenario involving the ring being forwarded to Tost's wife and never making to the Eastern front and it's recipient.

But bearing that in mind, my only question would be how possible would it have been for the ring remain in the possession of Tost's wife in light of Himmler's order mandating that the rings of deceased or discharged recipients be returned back to Wewelsburg? Tost was killed in March, 1942, more than three years before the end of hostilities. As you say, I'm sure we'll never know to a certainty, but I would think there would have been a more diligent enforcement of Himmler's order for ring retrieval at such an early date in the war.

Being the Ring was her Husbands, Maybe she ignored the order but who knows. By 1942 I don't think the SS had the extra men to go and retrieve these Rings from Family members of those who died.

Tost, Klemens

SS_Hstuf.
Born 31 Dec 1914 Hannover

SS #131 361
SS-Junkerschule Braunschweig, Class of 1937
SS-Ustuf. with I./Sta.�Der F�hrer� in Dec 1938
SS-Ostuf. Commander,9./Pz.GR.3 in Oct 41
SS-Hstuf. Commander.I./Pz.GR.3 in Mar 42