Description
This is one of the rarest items i’ve ever been able to offer: an original map by the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps. This was given to widows and/or mothers of fallen Dutch/Germanic SS members of the SS-Standarte Westland that was a part of the 5th SS-Panzergrenadier -Division Wiking, and who had died during the battles of the Wiking Division in the Tscherkassy pocket in 1944.
More info on the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/III_(Germanic)_SS_Panzer_Corps
The III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps (III. (germanisches) SS-Panzerkorps) was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. The corps was formed in April, 1943 as a headquarters for the SS Division Wiking and SS Division Nordland. The corps was placed under the control of former Wiking commander SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner. After training, the corps took part in operations against Yugoslav partisans. The corps was then sent to a quiet sector in Army Group North, now made up of the Nordland Division and the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Netherlands.
The (germanische) (lit. Germanic) part of its designation was granted as it was composed primarily of foreign volunteer formations.
From 24 january 1944 till 16 february 1944 the battle of Tscherkassy was fought. More info on the battle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Korsun%E2%80%93Cherkassy
During this battle Dutch SS volunteer van der Hout died. On 11 April 1944 there was a gathering in the city theater of Utrecht, where NSB leader Mussert, SS-Obergruppenführer Rauter and Reichskomissar Seys-Inquart, personally handed out a handfull of the here here offered SS maps containing a “Sparkassenbuch”, to the widows and mothers of the fallen dutch SS members, on behalf of their children. The maps were given to the widows and were proof that the III SS (Germ) Panzerkorps had opened a bankaccount and deposited 30000,- Reichsmark. The here for sale map was to the daughter (named Kalinka, Erika van der Hout) of fallen Dutch SS member van der Hout. In the back of the map is a Rheinisches Landestheater Arnhem theatre programm booklet and a postcard of Heldenfriedhof Nikolskoje (near Leningrad) were many fallen dutch SS volunteers were buried. On the site of the Volksbund can be found that a dutchman named Cornelis Nicolaas von der Hout (born 21 may 1917, died 1 march 1943(?)) rests in Block 6 Row 19 Grave 1815. Im 99,99% certain that this was the father of Kalinka Erika van der Hout. The deathdate 1943 must be 1944, with the 1943 date probably being a typing mistake on the Volksbund website. More research into the name van der Hout is definately possible by means of e.g. the Dutch SS newspapers and SS-Vormingsbladen. I have not done this research and leave this to the next collector or museum.
Link to the Volksbund: https://www.volksbund.de/erinnern-gedenken/graebersuche-online/detail/cb4bb70d0031bf1bb011acc44f1cf252
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There exists also video and photographic evidence of the 11 April 1944 gathering in Utrecht in the city theater. Please see the hereby added accompanying picture (only digitally here added to illustrate the handing out of the maps). It clearly shows the map in the hands of the women. The here offered map is one of these actual shown ones!!!
Of the utmost rarity!!!! Im not aware of any other examples.
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Edit: source of the picture: https://www.oorlogsbronnen.nl/bron/https%3A%2F%2Fbeeldbankwo2.nl%2Fnl%2Fbeelden%2Fdetail%2Fdf90722e-0259-11e7-904b-d89d6717b464%2Fmedia%2F4364794d-62d4-8447-4da8-97fefbd65ac2 The digital picture is of course not for sale.
