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The Führer and Other Gifts
By
Jim Pool
(Lt.Col., Ret.)
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Special thanks to Jim
Pool for providing the article below. Mr. Pool is a
well known collector, historian, & author with focus
on the topic of WWII German rations items . He has
contributed several articles to this site & we are
always excited when we receive a new one as they are
always full of great information and images.
If you enjoy reading this article, then we highly
recommend you pick up his new book,
Rations of the German Wehrmacht in World War II.
It is definitely a "must have" for those of us
interested in things like this.
Introduction
For Christmas this year I received the 1958 classic
movie “A Time to Love and a Time to Die”. Set in
1944 the movie is about a young German soldier Hans
Graeber who we meet fighting as an infantryman on
the Eastern Front. Early in the movie, his Company
Commander informs him that his 2 week furlough to
German has been approved. The remainder of the movie
focuses on the events that occur during his furlough
in wartime Germany. Enroute to Germany by train, a
German officer distributes a food package at one of
the stops. The officer explains that the package
should be given to their families as a symbol on how
well things are going at the front. Of course this
was one of the Führer Gifts which were initiated to
recognize the sacrifices of the soldiers and
citizens supporting the war effort.
There were two distinct categories of gifts; the
Führergeschenk and Führer-Paket. Chronologically the
Führer-Paket was initiated first and was authorized
from October, 1942 to March, 1943. The
Führergeschenk was authorized beginning 15 October,
1943 and rescinded on 1 September, 1944. I'll
comment on the gifts in reverse order since very
little information was available on the
Führer-Paket.
Führergeschenk
This gift was authorized by O.K.W.,
22.9.43-6447/43-W Allg (IIb). It authorized the
issuance of the Führergeschenk starting 15 October,
1943. It was authorized for personnel on normal
leave, wounded, ill or recalled to Germany on
emergency leave. The gift was rescinded on 1
September, 1944 by O.K.W., 25.8.44-5150/44-AWA/W
Allg (IIb).
Wehrmacht and Waffen SS personnel had to serve in
the following areas to be eligible for the gift: The
east front (eastward from the Reich, The General
Government and the Bialystok district), from
Finland, Italy including Albania and the Italian
Aegean Islands, Greece including Crete and the
Aegean Islands, Serbia, Croatia and Norway. Naval
crews in the following areas were eligible: The
Eastern Baltic, in Norwegian waters, in the Black
Sea, and in the Mediterranean. Members of certain
units of the Navy and Air Force serving in the West
were also eligible. It is assumed that personnel in
North Africa, Italy, and the Western Front (after
June 6, 1944) were also eligible for the gift.
Members of the following organizations were eligible
for the gift: Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS,
Foreign Volunteers of the Army and Waffen-SS,
Police, Customs, RAD, OT, NSKK Gruppe Todt, Railway
(so called Blue Railroadmen), civilian crews of
warships, construction workers for the Air Force,
NSKK Motorgruppe Air Force, Schutzmannschaft
Battalions, and the Red Cross. Both men and women
were eligible for the gift.
The gifts were a controlled item and their abuse
carried stiff penalties. When a person was entitled
to receive the gift an entry was made in his
Soldbuch, Einsatzbuch or other identity document.
This entry would generally match up with a leave
date. Another entry was made in the identity
document when the gift was received. Our research
indicates that the gift could only be given out
once. However some references state that an order
dated October, 1943 allowed the gift to be given
more than once.
The gift program was under the control of the
Reichkommissars of the Ukraine, Gauleiter Koch, via
the various organizations of the
Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt (NSV), or the
National Socialist People's Welfare. Distribution
points for the gifts were established at railroad
stations in the following towns or cities: Zdolbunow,
Gretschany, Przemysl, Kowel, Brest, Memel, Pogegen,
Tilsit (moved to Pogegen), Eydtkau, Bialystok (moved
to Wolkowysk), and Königsberg. Provisions were made
for personnel who could not get to one of the
authorized distribution centers.
The Führergeschenk consists of a Food Parcel (Lebensmittelpaket)
containing: 5 kg Flour, 2 kg of other food stuffs, 1
kg Sugar, 1.5 kg Marmalade or 1 kg of Jam and 0.5 kg
Honey and 0.5 kg Butter or other Fats. In lieu of
the Food Parcel a recipient could be given a Special
Ration card (Sonderlebensmittelkarte) and funds in
the amount of 10 RM necessary for the purchase of
items.
Führer-Paket
Very little is known about this gift.
Heeresmitteilung 1942 p.582, Nr 1055, 30.11.42
authorized the gift after 30.9.42. A reference in
one of the regulations on the Führergeschenk gives
the dates for the Führer-Paket as October, 1942 to
March, 1943. It is assumed that the regulations
governing the Führer-Paket were similar to those for
the Führergeschenk. The special ration card was
named the Führer-Paket für Osturlauber (Leader
package for eastern vacationers) and consisted of
the following items: 2.5 kg Flour, 1 kg Sugar, 1.5
kg Dry cereal products, starch or legumes, 1 kg
Butter, and 1 kg Meat or meat products. Since the
food products for the the Führergeschenk and
Führer-Paket were not provided by the military it’s
likely that they were commercial off the shelf
items. The individual items were probably placed in
a card stock box or paper sack for ease of handling.
Other Gifts
There are several items found in collections today
that are assumed to be part of the Führergeschenk or
Führer-Paket. They are clearly identified as a gift
from the Führer, but are not referenced in any of
the pertinent regulations we have. The authors have
elected to call them Lebensmittelpakets, because
they are clearly made to hold food items. However
the containers are not large enough to hold the
amount of food specified by regulation for the
Führergeschenk and Führer-Paket.. Its likely that
these were special gifts given out for special
occasions or circumstances. More than likely these
gifts were distributed via the various organizations
of the Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt (NSV)
or by the German Red Cross. From surviving
photographs and items in collections, its evident
that the German Red Cross was heavily involved in
preparing gift packages for German soldiers. Of
course individuals, companies, and towns also
recognized the sacrifices of the military by
preparing food and clothing etc. packages for
soldiers.
Dr. Lothar Zeidler
was a young infantryman on the Eastern front from
1943-45 and provided these recollections about the
Führer gifts. "You got the Führer-Paket as you
returned on leave to Germany from Russia, at a
border crossing point. A Political Leader presented
the gift after the mandatory speech. The gift
consisted of a cardboard box with flour, other
grains, sugar, and butter, but no sweets. When I was
wounded in early 1944, I was given a whole homemade
box, with cans of Portuguese (!) sardines. It was
handed out at the hospital in Winniza, as part of
the Verwundeten rations".
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