Germany, SS. A Lot Of Items From The Estate Of SS-Obersturmführer Johann Sailer, Claimed Knight’s Cross Winner

(Waffen-SS Nachlass). A mixed lot of items from the estate of SS-Obersturmführer Johann Sailer, a decorated soldier who served with 9th SS Panzer Division “Hohenstaufen” and who was a claimed recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, including:

1. A miniature medal chain featuring nine awards executed in both Third Reich and 1957 versions, constructed of bronze with black, silver, and gilded finish, featuring Wound Badges in Black, Silver, and Gold Grades, a Panzer Assault Badge in Silver, an Eastern Front Medal, 1939 Iron Crosses in both II and I Classes, a German Cross in Gold, and a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, all suspended from 15 cm-long chain with needles at each end for pin-on attachment, one needle has detached, in overall extremely fine condition.

2. A customized cigarette case, constructed of aluminum, the obverse bearing a raised applique featuring a cut-out and raised Panzer, topped by double Sig runes and a mobile swastika, the reverse bearing inset and blackened and Sig runes, surrounded by etched inscriptions of “KOMP. 305 78” and “MEINE EHRE IST TREUE” (“MY HONOUR IS LOYALTY”), opening with a functional snap button to reveal an interior with an elasticized band to hold the contents in place, unmarked, retaining an original suede sleeve, measuring 10.5 cm (w) x 8 cm (h), an interesting and personalized example in extremely fine condition .

3. A lot of five postwar-reprinted photos, including three studio photos of Sailer with decorations edited in post-capture, all featuring his handwritten signature, supplemented by a postwar veterans’ group photo, as well as a photo showing Sailer with a wartime comrade at an event with decorations in wear, in overall extremely fine condition.

4. A death notice, cut out from a newspaper following Sailer’s death on 12 November 2005, measuring 16 cm (w) x 7.5 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

5. A carefully-photocopied duplicate of Sailer’s Drittschift (third issue) Soldbuch, featuring all exterior and interior pages in full-colour and with essential entries added and legible, measuring 10 cm (w) x 14.5 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

6. A copy of “Waffen-SS (2)” from Osprey Publishing’s series on the history and uniforms of the Waffen-SS, featuring 48 paginated interior pages, notably displaying Sailer’s widely-reproduced studio portrait with edited-in awards on page 24, initially published in 2004 and available in print in 2009, measuring 18.5 cm (w) x 24.5 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

Footnote: Johann Sailer served with a tank hunter unit of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, earning numerous awards. However, research casts doubt on his claims to have been a recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Sailer claimed that he was awarded the distinction on 4 May 1945, although historians cite 6 May, with the latter indicating that, if true, it was bestowed by Sepp Dietrich, who had already been stripped of command by AH, rendering the award invalid. Furthermore, no records for any licit or illicit receipt of the Knight’s Cross by Sailer can be located. In addition, there are no records available to indicate that he was a recipient of the German Cross in Gold, as Sailer also claimed. The entries for the awards into his Soldbuch have appropriately been noted as improper.