FJ Officer with odd pin on M41 trop hat.

[John Hodgin]

I hope you do Cesar! Good luck
Hope all is well,
John

[jacques]

Hi
As I previously said, this guy is pictured in "Die WeiBen Spiegel" vom Regiment zum Fallschirmpanzerkorps". In that book there are 2 pics showing him with that cap along with HG troops in italia near Rome. One as Leutnant, and one as Oberleutnant. He was RKträger, but unknow. May be someone her can name him ?
jacques

[Bill petz]

Hi Willi,

Definitely an SS Totenkopf insignia but I don't know how anyone can discern what period it came from...too fuzzy for me to determine. I have several different photos with different types of totenkopfs on the side of caps..tropical and continental M43 caps! One photo is of a Sturmgeschutz guy with totenkopf on his M43 but not on his collar tabs. I also have some photos of Hermann Goering Panzer wearing totenkopfs on their caps. It wasn't common but sometimes the rules were bent. I'm not sure if it was standard practice for members of KG54 to wear SS Panzer or normal Panzer skulls on their headgear but it would make sense since it was a symbol of their squadron. Bill

[Willi Z.]

Hi Bill and all,

Thanks for the opinions. The KG54 connection makes perfect sense to me....since the officer is not a FJ. When I bought the photo I, as John did too , was focused on the FJs in formation. Now I guess we will see bad Luft M41 trops with emblems attached appearing on the market .

Willi

[Bill petz]

Hi Willi

Unfortunately you may be right on the application of skulls or other types of unit insignia on caps. There are some folks who have less morals in the field of collecting which is obvious anytime you tune into ebay!!! If they also tap into forums like this then ideas can florish...just one of the many hazards of collecting as you well know!!! Bill

[NickG]

Hi
As I previously said, this guy is pictured in "Die WeiBen Spiegel" vom Regiment zum Fallschirmpanzerkorps". In that book there are 2 pics showing him with that cap along with HG troops in italia near Rome. One as Leutnant, and one as Oberleutnant. He was RKträger, but unknow. May be someone her can name him ?
jacques

Picking back up this old thread on the SS skulls!
Here the images! I agree not necessarily flieger staffel related!
Hermann Goering Division Panzer Regiment in Italy!

The RK trager a Panzer Ace in HG Division? Name?

[Ludwig]

Hi
I've observed such a death head on a tropical LW RKträger pic.If I remember it was in a book on the HG div in Italia.
jacques

I have made a similar observation, but with a Gebirgsjäger (RKT). I wrote to him and he explained, but I have forgotten what he told me...

[John Hodgin]

I'm not sure if it was standard practice for members of KG54 to wear SS Panzer or normal Panzer skulls on their headgear but it would make sense since it was a symbol of their squadron. Bill

Agree Bill, and it was indeed done. Have a friend with a veteran brought back field made M41 cap with functional flaps, and a single Edelweiss button on the front from KG 51.

A member here had a field made M41 with a hand stitched penguin within a shield on the left side of the cap, believe this was the unit symbol of a Stuka squadron.
John

[John Hodgin]

Penguin detail. Thanks to the owner!

[Larry F.]

Very cool John. Please thank the owner for allowing you to post this!

[Shaun Winkler]

A couple of those Para’s in Willis photograph are smiling I wonder if they found it amusing that a non jump qualified officer was marching them especially if he was a pilot .

[Jean-Loup]

A very nice picture, perfect for propaganda purposes.

JL

[FS154]

I think the officer sitting at the table is Hauptmann Gerd Mischke.

He was awarded the Knights Cross on 18.5.1943, then chief of I./Fallschirm-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 2 in Afrika

[Bryant U.]

A couple of those Para’s in Willis photograph are smiling I wonder if they found it amusing that a non jump qualified officer was marching them especially if he was a pilot .

I was thinking the same thing Shaun. Looks like good training. It's hard to beat the practicality carrying combat loads for distance.

-Bryant

[Rick White]

On our next update we will be offering a photo album of a FJ officer who served in 7./Fallschirm Sturm Pionier Komp (Kampfgruppe Burckhardt) in Africa. There are many photos of this unit wearing SS TK's on their caps while in El Alamein prior to their capture. It appears it was an insignia of this unit but up to what level, it is not clear. Very interesting images, very eye-opening when I first saw them!

Rick

P.S. The Komp Cdr. was Helmut WAGNER (RK Winner - Kreta) who was also a pilot and can be seen in the album wearing pilot's badge, RK and no FJ badge...the photo looks kind of like him...he was KIA on June 7, 1944 in Normandy