Josef grew up in a middle class suburb in Hannover & in 1931 became a Police Officer in the city. Being a stout nationalist in his youth, he witnessed & became involved in numerous clashes with communist factions, both in Hannover & while visiting with relatives in Berlin. In 1933, Josef began to notice a positive change in the way Germans felt about themselves and their country. He applied for & was accepted into the ranks of the “Adolf Hitler Standarte. On 9.Nov. 1934 he took his oath of service in front of the Feldherrenhalle with the Leibstandarte SS “Adolf Hitler”.

SS-Mann Hahne was posted to SS Main District East & after being promoted to SS-Sturmmann in 1935, he applied for officer training, was accepted & began training in Jüterbog, Braunschweig, & Dachau from Oct. 1935 through 31. Jan. 1937. After completing the platoon leader course at Dachau, he was posted to 10. Kompanie LSSAH. In March, he was promoted to Untersturmführer and given command of a Zug.

1938 brought Josef, “Sepp” as he was referred to by close friends, to participate in the occupation of the Sudetenland. Starting in the fall of 1939 & through the first half of 1940. Sepp saw extensive combat in Poland, Amsterdam, Belgium, and France. In Mai of 1941, Sepp was awarded the EK2 while fighting a determined Greek Army. In June, Sepp was promoted to Obersturmführer.

In Sept. of 1941, Sepp found himself fighting his old enemies, the Communists, during Operation Barbarossa. It is during the epic battles in the east that Obersturmführer Hahne distinguished himself as a resourceful and tenacious commander, earning the EK1 for his actions in Rostov. Sepp was wounded by shell fragments in Marz 1942 & after recuperating, he was

transferred to 1.Komp. Aufklärungsabteilung 1.

During the retaking of Kharkov in 1943, Sepp earned the Deutsche Kreuz in Geld. In Mai Sepp was promoted to Hauptsturmführer before being transferred to the division Stab of the newly created Hitlerjugend division. A year later he returned to the LSSAH and given command of 2 Bataillion of Pz. Gren. Rgt. 2.

Sepp remained with 2. Btl. until the end of the war. He & the remnants of his Btl. surrendered to Patton’s Army in Austria in May 1945.