Seeking information on flight of Obersturmfuehrer Wilhelm Weber

Dear Mr. Key,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the series Records Relating to Membership in the Schutzstaffeln (SS) of the NSDAP (Microfilm Publication A3343) in the National Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized (Record Group 242). The sub-series SS Officers (SSO) contains personnel dossiers for more than 61,000 SS officers with the rank of SS Untersturmführer (second lieutenant) and above. These constitute personnel files maintained by the SS-Personalhauptamt (SS Personnel Main Office), supplemented by the Berlin Document Center (BDC) with records from other collections. It is possible that you might find some relevant information about Wilhelm Weber. These records and the name index to the so-called biographical records of the Berlin Document Center have not been digitized. For more information about and access to these records, please contact the National Archives at College Park-Textual Reference (RDT2) at archives2reference@nara.gov. We suggest reviewing the Captured German Records section on NARA’s website.

We also located the series Various Schutzstaffel (SS), Einwandererzentralstelle, Waffen-SS, and SS-Oberabschnitte (Microfilm Publication T354) in Record Group 242 that may be useful for your research. These records have not been digitized, but the finding aid (German Guide 27) to T354 is available by searching the National Archives Microfilm Catalog for a specific microfilm publication number such asT354. On this page--Request and Order Reproductions--select the “Microfilm” tab, and then enter T354 in the search box. Once you have selected the publication you are interested in from the results list, you can click the "View Important Publication Details" link to open a PDF version of the guide. Please contact RDT2 for further assistance with these records.

In addition, we located the series Schutzstaffel (SS) Documents, 10/24/1946-6/20/1949; the series Correspondence, Memorandums, and Other Records Pertaining to U.S. Military Tribunal Cases No. 1, No. 4, No. 8, and No. 9, 1946-1948; and the series Records Relating to Gathering Evidence for the U.S. Military Tribunal Cases No. 1, No. 4, No. 8, and No. 9, 1946-1947 in the National Archives Collection of World War II War Crimes Documents (Record Group 238). These series may contain some information about Weber, his SS division, and/or his activities in 1945. Plus, we located the series List of Schutzstaffel (SS) Related Documents Used in Preparation for Subsequent Nuremberg Trials, 1946-1948 in Record Group 242 that may be of interest. These records have not been digitized. Please contact RDT2 with any questions you may have about them.

Next, we located 5 series related to the Waffen-SS in the Records of Headquarters, European Theater of Operations, United States Army (World War II) (Record Group 498) and 2 series related to the Waffen-SS in the Records of U.S. Occupation Headquarters, World War II (Record Group 260) that may be helpful for your research. Please email RDT2 for further information about these records.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

Since Weber was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, we suggest you review the 1986 book Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes, 1939-1945: die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile, Volume 1 by Walther-Peer Fellgiebel for  some relevant information about Weber.

Please note that German Army, Air Force, and Waffen-SS Paybooks (Soldbücher), Service Record Books (Wehrpässe), Basic Military Record Books (Wehstammbücher), and Health Books (Gesundheitsbücher) were returned to the Federal Republic of Germany by the Department of the Army through the US High Commissioner for Germany during 1953 and 1954.  For access to these records, please contact the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt), Postfach 51 06 57, D-13400 Berlin, Germany. The website is http://www.dd-wast.de/.

Finally, for more of German military information you may wish to contact the Bundesarchiv Abt. VI - Militärarchiv, Wiesentalstraße 10, 79115 Freiburg, Germany.

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your research!