Gestapo Disc Number 8455

The U.S. National Archives is home to one of the few known surviving copies of S.H.A.E.F.manual E.D.S./G/l0, printed in late 1944. Titled "The German Police", and once marked "SECRET", it contains a photograph )f GESTAPO warrant disc number 8455.
This manual was prepared jointly by Military Intelligence Research Section (London Branch) and Evaluation and Dissemination Section, in consultation with the War Office.

Due to its extreme rarity, it is little known to most collectors of World War Two militaria, Even those who specialize in the German Police. It contains a wealth of information unvailable from any other source.

This manual shows what is probably the only "period" photograph of the Geheime Staatspolizei (GESTAPO) warrant disc. The disc was almost never photographed in Nazi Germany because of fear of counterfeiting.

GESTAPO disc number 8455 fell into the hands of British Intelligence (circumstances unknown) sometime before the publication of the manual in late 1944. It was photographed from both sides, shown with the carrying chain attached. Also pictured in the manual is both sides of a DIENSTAUSWEIS (I.D. Card), that always accompanied the disc.

Many years later, the same disc appeared in Jack Pia's book "SS Regalia", published by Ballantine in June, 1974. The photograph used in Pia's book was made some thirty years later than that used in the S.H.AE.F. manual, and shows considerable "wear and tear" to the disc, when compared to the earlier photo.

Circumstantial evidence points to the fact that disc number 8455 was "autopsied" by British Intelligence in order to produce "fake" disc number 8486, which was used to extricate Hans Bernd Gisevius from Germany after the plot to kill Hitler went awry in July, 1944.(See the book by Nigel West, "MI 6", and Hans Bernd Gisevius' book "To the Bitter End", for the full story.
Disc number 8455, now in the Author's collection, shows file cut marks in three locations, as well as discoloration from fire and/or acid. Most likely this was done in trying to ascertain the correct metallic composition for making the planchet blank for the false disc.

While the purpose of the duplication was commendable, (it almost certainly saved the life of Gisevius) it is still difficult for al collector to have charitable thoughts toward the unknown British "spook" who found it necessary to file cut this once pristine disc in "three" different places!

The disc remained in England until recently, when acquired by the Author, after much negotiation. It has been in two different British collections for the past thirty years.Before that time it was owned by an unnamed British veteran, who very well may have been the gentlemen who performed the "autopsy" in 1944.

This disc is very unique in the fact that it is the only known GESTAPO disc to be photographed by Allied Intelligence during the war.

Don Bible, "GESTAPO Disc Number 8455", DER GAULEITER, 1993