G Window Sticker

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Jdring
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Location: South of Oxford, UK. 87' 230GE SWB Manual, 89' 230GE SWB Auto, 2012 G350Bluetec LWB
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All,

I have an older sticker/pennant in my front window of my 460.  I half assumed it was a County banner, but someone just said they think it is the emblem of the 2nd Nazi Panzer Division !!  Go figure.

Anyone know, got similar or can explain?

 

tyrekicker
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Re: G Window Sticker

I think it means your like the rest of us driving a 'Rommel wagon' 

 

He wasn't a nazi by the way ! :)

bigblock
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Re: G Window Sticker

Unfortunatly it's the emblem of the 4th Regiment ' Der Fuhrer ' of the 2nd SS Panzer Division ' Das Reich '

They carried out several atrocities during WWII including the massacre of 642 French civilians at Oradour-sur-Glane.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oradour-sur-Glane_massacre

Probably not something you would knowingly want to display on your windscreen ??

Jdring
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Re: G Window Sticker

The Autogass guy was pretty accurate then.  That is the atrocity he also explained as among the worst examples of SS war crime at the time.  It looks certain the the shield actually represents the Der Fuhrer Regiment (hence the DF on the top left), within the Das Reich Waffen SS Division.  Actually the 4th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment in the Das Reich 2nd Panzer Division.  A Division was about 19,000 strong, and the Der Fuhrer Regiment about 3,000.

https://www.oradour.info/appendix/dasorder.htm

Its bloody history is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2nd_SS_Panzer_Division_Das_Reich 

In May 1940, the Der Führer Regiment was detached from the SS-VT Division and relocated near the Dutch border, with the remainder of the division behind the line in Münster, awaiting the order to invade the Netherlands.[5] Der Führer Regiment and LSSAH participated in the ground invasion of the Netherlands which began on 10 May.

Coincidentally, previous owner was Dutch, but its clearly been on the car for much longer and may have been on one or more before that.  

the Regiment had it's own hardships...

...in the Soviet Winter Counter-Offensive: for example, the Der Führer Regiment was down to 35 men out of the 2,000

But it was indeed the Commander of this regiment that ordered the massacre:

... Adolf Diekmann, commander of the I Battalion, 4th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment (Der Führer) that committed the massacre, claimed that it was a just retaliation due to partisan activity in nearby Tulle. (It was the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion(Commander Adolf Diekmann) in the Regiment that undertook that massacre)

There is a German Wiki page for the overall Regiment:

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment_4_%E2%80%9EDer_F%C3%BChrer%E2%80%9C 

And here, you begin to see the connection with Graz !!  The translation is:

..."The later regiment was set up after the annexation of Austria to the German Reich in March 1938 as the 3rd SS standard "Der Führer" of the SS-Verfügungstruppe under the command of SS-Standartenführer Georg Keppler. The Staff of the Standard and the I. Sturmbann were stationed in Vienna, the II Sturmbann in Graz and the III. Sturmbann in Klagenfurt. Because of this came many soldiers of the "Urformation" of the regiment from Austria"

So many of the  original unit were from Austria, though later staffed by conscripts into the SS, including from the Alsace, after being decimated in the Eastern Front, and moved to the western front and defended against the Allied invasion around Falaise.  Then to Hungary, where they retreated into Austria again and surrendered to American forces in 1945, after fighting their way across the River Elbe and away from the closing Soviets.

See here from 45:45  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbVu45u6uQg 

There is also a book about the unit - 'Comrades to the End' which confirms the DF initials top left.   

https://www.google.com/search?q=4th+SS+Panzergrenadier+Regiment+%22Der+Fuhrer%22&rlz=1C1GCEV_en&oq=4th+SS+Panzergrenadier+Regiment+%22Der+Fuhrer%22&aqs=chrome..69i57j0.1676j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

The summary is: 

"Der Fuhrer" was formed in 1938 and fought throughout the war as a component of Division "Das Reich." Being among the most successful and decorated regiments of the Waffen-SS, this complete history was written with the full assistance of four highly decorated regimental commanders. In addition to Otto Weidinger, portions of the text were contributed by Georg Keppler (Knight's Cross), Sylvester Stadler (Swords to the Knight's Cross) and Otto Kumm (Swords to the Knights Cross). From its creation from primarily Austrian recruits through the Western Campaign, to the bitter battles in Russia where it was almost completely destroyed, the authors explain the engagements of this famous unit in full detail. Later it fought in Normandy and finally in Austria at the end of the war as one of the last fully battle ready units of the Waffen-SS. This classic study is now available for the first time in a complete English edition. With a preface by famed Waffen-SS commander Paul Hausser, the detailed text is illustrated by more than twenty regimental maps in addition to photographs.

But I still can't find the flag recorded, unless its in that book.

Bottom right is the runic symbol used for the 2nd Panzer Division, Das Reich. The horizontal WolfsAngel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfsangel

So the White shield with the black diagonal stripe seems to just link the two.  But I can't find anything online the shows it so far.  Maybe a war photo might have it.

https://www.pinterest.com/caseyjohn646/waffen-ss-unit-insignias/ 

Anyway, I think I am going to remove, and preserve it elsewhere!  

 

Theo
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Re: G Window Sticker

Are we talking about “der Führer” of “das Reich” which was supposed to last 1,000 years?  I strongly advise to add “+ 40 years” to the sticker, otherwise one might conclude that you expect the imminent collapse of your chassis followed by the loss of sections of the car (despite heroic efforts).  Could be difficult to pass MOT if this suspicion is advertised on the windscreen.