Tunic and Personal Effects Attributed to Estonian-SS Waffen-Standartenführer Alfons Rebane

This outstanding and historic grouping was once handled by famous European Auctioneer Andreas Thies. The it has since changed hands and is offered for sale now. The current owner, a very dedicated fan and historian of the Estonian Legion, has decided to keep the two boys’ uniforms and other effects, leaving Rebane’s core items intact with the grouping. These items consist of, importantly, both preliminary documents for Rebane’s Ritter Kreuz and Eichenlaub awards respectively. Rebane was one of two Waffen-SS foreign volunteers in Third Reich history to ever receive the Oakleaves to the Knight’s Cross, making him an especially historic individual. Of particular note, the prelim document to the oakleaves is dated 9 May 1945…(as we know, Burgdorf was no longer around to sign it by then!) This was because the administrative machine necessary to officially process such an award had broken down by the time Rebane earned it.  There are other award documents, as well as Rebane’s pre-war, wartime and post-war photo album, showing him in a wide variety of settings, including wearing his Wehrmacht uniform (pre-SS service); and as a civilian after his postwar service in the British MI6. He was a brave and exceptional individual, with a reputation for always looking out for the safety of his men.

The uniform jacket itself; it is a typical late war Italian Gabardine tailored piece (Strohmeyer–Nuremberg Tailor), bearing the tailor brand nametag with the inscription to Alfons Rebane, plus sew-in monograms along the inner collar edge “A.R.” (the “A” being heavily unraveled).  The badging is typical SS-Ostubaf rank, boards and bullion sleeve eagle; with the addition of the Estonian sleeve shield. The rank tab is hand applied with a double width of left twist black thread; the Estonian SS tab is missing from the right collar, with only the threads remaining, showing the same hand stitching. There is not a positively identifiable photograph showing Rebane wearing this tunic, therefore the analysis of the components is the only thing that can be weighted. I have examined this tunic top to bottom, under all conditions, and find nothing forensically that is out of the scope of wartime production, materials, usage, etc. Moreover, there is no sign of the inner pocket being removed or modified and re-stitched to accommodate the tailor’s brand (Strohmeyer, Nurnberg) nametag. Equally, the SS style shoulderboards show no disturbance to the stitching, including the interior sleeve linings, etc. The loops on the left front of the uniform are arranged in the same manner as Rebane’s photographs. The sleeve eagle is classic, and like all the other insignia, has the undisturbed patina of having been a part of this tunic for a very long time. The tunic is dated 28 November 1944, well within the time frame that Rebane and his unit were in Germany refitting after the exodus from Estonia in the face of the overwhelming Soviet advance. All the research and time that has gone into this grouping thus far has led me to conclude that the valuation of the grouping must take into consideration there is no photographic ‘smoking gun’ showing definitively it is Rebane’s jacket, therefore, I price the tunic more at a normal SS-Ostubaf tunic price, with the mild premium of quite potentially being Rebane’s. Overall a beautiful grouping form an historic and dedicate servant figure of not a particular organization as the SS or the S.O.E., but as a warrior in the cause against the main threat at the time: Bolshevik Communism. COA with stated observations and caveats accompanies. For more reading, view this outstanding treatise of Rebane at this link Alfons Rebane – Wikipedia