Early Career
Knittel joined the Allgemeine SS on 15 April 1933. He believed this to be a suitable preparation for a professional military career while he was still in school. As this was a formality for new SS members he became a member of the Nazi Party on 1 May 1933. He was assigned to the 79. SS-Standarte in Ulm and with this unit he took part in the 1933 Nuremberg Rally.
Following the passing of his Abitur in March 1934 Knittel applied for a position in the Reichswehr but he was rejected. He then decided to pursue a career in what became the Waffen-SS and was transferred to the SS-Standarte Deutschland of the SS-Verfügungstruppe in Ellwangen in October 1934. He graduated from the SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz in 1938. He returned to SS-Regiment Deutschland and with this unit Knittel took part in the occupation of the Sudetenland after the Munich Agreement. He served with various SS units before becoming adjutant of SS Reserve Battalion Ellwangen in August 1939.
Read more about this topic: Gustav Knittel
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