SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Theodor Eicke participated inwards World War I equally a paymaster. He afterwards joined the "Zollgrenzschutz":, which were engaged inwards the defence forcefulness of Germany’s eastern borders against Polish attacks next the Great War. Subsequent to this service amongst the latter formations, Eicke joined the "Schützpolizei" together with afterwards a "Detective Bureau".
Eicke had joined the "Polizei" inwards 1927 together with presently thereafter came into contact amongst the Allgemeine-SS. He became a fellow member and, compared to his beau officers, was promoted quickly. Together amongst his comrades inwards the Allgemeine-SS, equally good equally amongst the police, NCOs together with enlisted men discharged from the Reichswehr, he prepare "Hilfspolizei" squads (auxiliary constabulary units formed inwards early on 1933). These were organized to fighting Hitler’s opponents together with also to guard them after they had been arrested. Once the novel authorities had obtained power, Eicke formed so-called "SS-Hundertschaften", from which the afterwards "Totenkopfverbände" ("T.-Sturmbanne" together with "T.-Standarten") evolved. These men guarded the Oranienburg Concentration Camp most Berlin, equally good equally the army camp at Dachau, due north of München. The prisoners inwards these camps … communists, social-democrats, members of the "Reichsbanner", equally good equally other opponents of Hitler … were oftentimes subjected to cruel treatment.
It should live noted that when Eicke took over the ascendance of all concentration army camp personnel, equally good equally all SS-Totenkopfverbände, he attempted to develop these men along regular army lines, or at to the lowest degree inwards a vogue like to the grooming received past times the SS-Verfügungstruppe units. When the Reichswehr refused to number Eicke’s men amongst low-cal infantry weapons, inwards contrast to the SS-Verfügungstruppe, Eicke procured such weapons on his own, drawing upon the caches of arms hidden past times SA-troopers. Eicke also played a exercise inwards the crushing of the "Röhm Putsch", and, equally a result of laws passed after thirty June 1934, his units officially became component of the SS nether the supreme ascendance of Himmler. Up until that time, they had been straight subordinated to the supreme ascendance of the SA.
At whatever rate, past times 1938/39, Eicke’s troops had all received roughly basic military machine grooming together with had been issued amongst low-cal infantry weapons such equally rifles, carbines, pistols, WWI machine-guns, together with roughly mortars. When the Second World War broke out, Eicke formed a segmentation from the Totenkopf units, reinforced past times reserves from the Allgemeine-SS, Army reservists together with the police. The Division was partially motorized, had been constituted at Dachau (the Waffen-SS grooming base), together with had undergone total military machine grooming at Obermünsingen, Württemberg, during the wintertime of 1939/40.
On sixth Feb 1943, Eicke was on an inspection flying inwards a Fiessler-Storch when his plane was shot downwardly past times the Soviets together with crashed behind their lines. Several attempts were made past times reinforced onset squads to recover the remains of their commander. They lastly succeeded, after losing several men. Eicke was given an elaborate funeral at ane of the cemeteries of the Division most Orelka, Russia. In a vogue reminiscent of the funeral rites performed past times the ancient Germans upon the expiry of their tribesmen or kings, Theodor Eicke, or "Papa Eicke", equally his troops called him, was seat to rest.
Later, when German linguistic communication forces had withdraw, officers from the divisional staff, together amongst a few selected men, exhumed Eicke’s corpse together with brought it dorsum past times truck to Kiev. His remains were non to autumn into enemy hands! Officials from the legal department of the military machine authorities investigated this incident together with the officers responsible are said to accept been reprimanded.
Eicke had joined the "Polizei" inwards 1927 together with presently thereafter came into contact amongst the Allgemeine-SS. He became a fellow member and, compared to his beau officers, was promoted quickly. Together amongst his comrades inwards the Allgemeine-SS, equally good equally amongst the police, NCOs together with enlisted men discharged from the Reichswehr, he prepare "Hilfspolizei" squads (auxiliary constabulary units formed inwards early on 1933). These were organized to fighting Hitler’s opponents together with also to guard them after they had been arrested. Once the novel authorities had obtained power, Eicke formed so-called "SS-Hundertschaften", from which the afterwards "Totenkopfverbände" ("T.-Sturmbanne" together with "T.-Standarten") evolved. These men guarded the Oranienburg Concentration Camp most Berlin, equally good equally the army camp at Dachau, due north of München. The prisoners inwards these camps … communists, social-democrats, members of the "Reichsbanner", equally good equally other opponents of Hitler … were oftentimes subjected to cruel treatment.
It should live noted that when Eicke took over the ascendance of all concentration army camp personnel, equally good equally all SS-Totenkopfverbände, he attempted to develop these men along regular army lines, or at to the lowest degree inwards a vogue like to the grooming received past times the SS-Verfügungstruppe units. When the Reichswehr refused to number Eicke’s men amongst low-cal infantry weapons, inwards contrast to the SS-Verfügungstruppe, Eicke procured such weapons on his own, drawing upon the caches of arms hidden past times SA-troopers. Eicke also played a exercise inwards the crushing of the "Röhm Putsch", and, equally a result of laws passed after thirty June 1934, his units officially became component of the SS nether the supreme ascendance of Himmler. Up until that time, they had been straight subordinated to the supreme ascendance of the SA.
At whatever rate, past times 1938/39, Eicke’s troops had all received roughly basic military machine grooming together with had been issued amongst low-cal infantry weapons such equally rifles, carbines, pistols, WWI machine-guns, together with roughly mortars. When the Second World War broke out, Eicke formed a segmentation from the Totenkopf units, reinforced past times reserves from the Allgemeine-SS, Army reservists together with the police. The Division was partially motorized, had been constituted at Dachau (the Waffen-SS grooming base), together with had undergone total military machine grooming at Obermünsingen, Württemberg, during the wintertime of 1939/40.
On sixth Feb 1943, Eicke was on an inspection flying inwards a Fiessler-Storch when his plane was shot downwardly past times the Soviets together with crashed behind their lines. Several attempts were made past times reinforced onset squads to recover the remains of their commander. They lastly succeeded, after losing several men. Eicke was given an elaborate funeral at ane of the cemeteries of the Division most Orelka, Russia. In a vogue reminiscent of the funeral rites performed past times the ancient Germans upon the expiry of their tribesmen or kings, Theodor Eicke, or "Papa Eicke", equally his troops called him, was seat to rest.
Later, when German linguistic communication forces had withdraw, officers from the divisional staff, together amongst a few selected men, exhumed Eicke’s corpse together with brought it dorsum past times truck to Kiev. His remains were non to autumn into enemy hands! Officials from the legal department of the military machine authorities investigated this incident together with the officers responsible are said to accept been reprimanded.
Source :
http://www.historicalwarmilitariaforum.com/topic/6937-ritterkreuztr%C3%A4ger-photos-in-color-thread/?page=2
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/29942/Eicke-Theodor.htm