SS-OBERSTURMBANNFUHRER PAUL ZAPP'S SERVICE TUNIC

Paul Johannes Zapp, born 18th April 1904 in Hersfeld died 4th February 1999 in Bad Arolsen.
SS number 107180, joined the NSDAP 1st May 1937.
Pre-war ZAPP was private secretary to the Tubingen Indologist Wilhelm Hauer. Reich manager of the neo-pagan "German Faith Movement".
Under Hauer's influence Zapp left the church and joined the SS-SD in 1934. He owed his employment in the SD to his acquaintance with "Werner Best", one of the leading ideologues and organisers of the SS-SD.
In 1936 he moved to the Berlin SD main office. 1937-8 Zapp acted as an instructor at the SD school in Bernau near Berlin, and was busy with ideological training of SD personnel until the beginning of the war.

With the beginning of hostilities against the Soviet Union,Zapp took over command of Einsatzkommando 11a, within Einsatzgruppe D led by the infamous SS Gruppenfuhrer Otto Ohlendorf. Zapp served in Southern Ukraine, Crimea and into the Caucasus.
And from June 1941-July 1942 was responsible for the mass murder of many thousands of Ukrainian civililians.
After his service in the East he was assigned to the RSHA SD Southeast. 1942-1945 I.d.S ,( Chief Inspector) Dresden Security police (Gestapo).

Zapp was tried for Mass Murder in January 1970 an was accused of the murder of 13000 Jews in Russia and was sentenced to life inprisonment.

Tunic is a textbook SS pattern, open neck, four button front (all buttons SS marked) two breast pockets with pleats and buttoned flaps, and two lower slash pockets with buttoned flaps. Sleeves have turn back cuffs. Insignia consists of matching sew-in Obersturmbannfuhrer's (toxic green)piped shoulderboards. blank right hand collar patch. With left hand collar patch showing four rank pips and one bar. left sleeve displays Officers bullion arm eagle, Officers piped SD diamond, and blank (departmental) cufftitle. Tunic is in fair used condition with some storage staining, and some minor damage to one cuff (see images) and a couple of tiny moth nips. Which really does'nt detract from the rarity of this tunic..

Code: 51007