Lot 8731

Description

Goblet of Honour for aerial strikes, known as the Thor Goblet, a high silver beaker on four ball feet, similar to the Goblet of Honour for victors in aerial combat, but with a depiction of the Norse god Thor swinging a hammer on the front. The pedestal with engraved cartouche “London 23./24.8.1915”, the base stamped “Chef des Feldflugwesen”. The mark of fineness “800” with crescent, crown and national eagle stamped in the base. Slightly misshapen with minor indentations. Height 195 mm, weight 360 g. The rarest decoration of the aviation/airship troops; approximately 20 examples are known to exist. Steering wheel of one of his airships in light metal, the six spokes with wooden handles, one of which is damaged. Diameter approx. 60 cm. Preliminary possession document for the award of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross dated 24 February 1944 as Kom. General of the XXXXI Pz. Korps. Telex regarding the award of the Oak Leaves with Swords to the Knight's Cross as Kom. General of the XXXXI Pz. Korps, dated 28 November 1944. Transcription regarding his promotion to General der Artillerie on 1 January 1944. Russian death certificate dated 17 November 1955 with the damaged German translation. Small photograph album from 1914/16, some of the photographs private. A string-bound booklet entitled “Köpfe des Ast-Kurses 1926 Königsbrück”. Approx. 75 loose photographs and prints from his service in the Prussian army, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht. Personal documents and letters to his wife and children. Newspaper clippings regarding the award of the Oak Leaves, the Swords and the capitulation of Berlin. His golden pocket watch by Movado, manual winding, 15 jewels, the fineness “585” and “14 K” inside the lid. Defective. On a 14 kt gold chain (tested). Silver box with baroque decor (the key missing), 12 Loth silver stamped in the base. Approx. 145 x 100 x 90 mm, weight 297 g. His personal silverware, comprising seven small, twelve medium and seven large spoons, as well as eleven forks and eleven knives with steel blades in the same design. The handles with monogram “W” on the underside, some struck with the maker's mark and jeweller “R. Berg” and fineness “800” with crescent and crown. Total weight 2340 g. Helmuth Otto Ludwig Weidling (1891–1955) joined the Field Artillery Regiment “von Peucker” (1st Silesian) No. 6 in 1911, promoted to Leutnant in 1912 and transferred to the Luftschiffer-Bataillon No. 1 in Berlin-Tegel in 1913. After training as an airship commander, he served as watch officer on various Zeppelins, rising to Commander of LZ 97 in 1916, Artilleriebeobachter and Batterieführer in 1917. Promoted to Oberleutnant in the provisional Reichsheer in 1919, Hauptmann in 1922, Major in 1932, Oberst and Commander of AR 56 in the Polish campaign in 1939, Commander of the XXXXth Panzerkorps in the French campaign in 1940, Generalmajor in 1942, Generalleutnant in 1943. Awarded the Knight's Cross on 15 January 1943. General der Artillerie on 1 January 1944, Oak Leaves on 22 February 1944, Swords on 28 November 1944. From 12 April 1945, he served as Commander of the LVIth Panzerkorps during the Battle of the Seelow Heights, thereafter as combat commander of Berlin. After the capitulation, he was interred in a Russian prisoner of war camp, where he died in 1955.

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