It's been so many years since I drove my folks' 240Ds in the '70s and early '80s....... I think it was normal to push the foot feed in a little and hold it in while cranking it. I just don't recall.

What I clearly remember was the extreme cold instructions on my '83 300SD - thusly; glow it twice, and simultaneously slowly flooring it twice, then hold the foot feed on the floor while cranking, then slowly letting your foot up off the foot feed as the engine sputters to life in the extreme cold temperature of winter.