The Himmler's SS by Robert Ferguson

carried out by Abschnitte commanders.
    5. Other NCOs were promoted by the commanders of the various SS Standarten.
    6. Nominations for appointment as SS-Mann, Sturmmann and Rottenführer were made by delegated officers of the Standarten concerned.
    Technical, administrative and medical personnel were bound by the same regulations as regards promotion and appointment but, in addition, had to be approved by the SS Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungshauptamt or the Reichsarzt SS und Polizei, whichever was appropriate.
    It is noteworthy that, during the early days of the SS, it was not uncommon for some officers to enter the organisation at a high rank, or to skip ranks. For example, ‘Sepp’ Dietrich enrolled in the SS as a Standartenführer with membership no. 1177 on 18 November 1929, while Julius Schreck, with membership no. 5, skipped from Sturmführer straight to Standartenführer, missing out all ranks in between, on 30 January 1933. Others had a meteoric rise through the ranks, a good example being Karl Wolff, who was promoted in the following way:
Sturmführer
18 February 1932
Sturmhauptführer
30 January 1933
Sturmbannführer
9 November 1933
Obersturmbannführer
30 January 1934
Standartenführer
20 April 1934
Oberführer
4 July 1934
    The SS maintained a thorough system of personnel records, based on cards filled out in triplicate in respect of each member. The cards were reddish-brown in colour and contained a host of personal details including date and place of birth, physical measurements, marriage particulars, names and ages of children, SS and NSDAP membership numbers, promotions, decorations and history of RAD and military service. All fixed information was entered in ink and variable information in pencil. Every Sturm maintained a file holding the original cards made out for each officer and man assigned to it. Duplicate cards, which had broad red diagonal stripes on the reverse, were kept at the HQ of the Standarte to which the Sturm belonged. The third set of cards, with dark-green stripes on the back, were filed at the SS Personalhauptamt if they related to officers or at the SS Hauptamt if they referred to NCOs and lower ranks. It was the responsibility of all personnel to ensure that they reported timeously any information relevant to the updating of their records.
    Several times a year, the SS Personalhauptamt produced a Seniority List covering all officers in all branches of the SS. As the SS grew so did the List, and by the end of 1944 it comprised several volumes. Known as the Dienstaltersliste der Schutzstaffel der NSDAP , it was printed by the government publishers in Berlin and was intended for administrative use only within the offices of the SS. Being classified, it was not for personal issue or distribution to non-SS bodies. Above all, it was not to be made available to the general public. The Dienstaltersliste went into great detail about each officer listed. Not only did it state his full name and date of birth, it also gave his SS rank, position of seniority, NSDAP and SS membership numbers, current posting, decorations, and any governmental, military, political or police rank held. It even mentioned if he was on long-term sick leave. In relation to Heinrich Himmler, for example, the 1944 List read as follows:
    1. Overall seniority no: 1.
    2. Heinrich Himmler. Holder of the Golden Party Badge and Blood Order. Reichsminister. Reichsleiter. Reichskommissar. City Councillor. Member of Parliament.
    3. Holder of the SS Sword of Honour and the SS death’s head ring.
    4. Reichsführer-SS and Chief of the German Police.
    5. NSDAP membership no: 14,303.
    6. SS membership no: 168.
    7. Date of birth: 7 October 1900.
    8. Appointed to present position: 6 January 1929.

    The SS Officers Seniority List, produced in several volumes between 1934 and 1944.
    Further down the first page of the List, the following details were recorded in respect of a member of German royalty, Josias