Cloth Iron Cross and War Badge - Submariners

[VerKuilen Ager]

While dredging through a large batch of U.S. Signal Corps photos I ran across this picture from 1944.



Here's the original Army caption:

"Newport News, Va. : U.S. Army Signal Corps, Hampton Roads Port of Embarkation, August 8, 1944. German submarine crew is shown on Pier 5 during debarkation of Prisoners of War. They had been captured by British Destroyers in the Mediterranean, May 1944. Second from left is Oberfeldwebel Fritz Weller, ranking noncommissioned officer."



Beyond the cloth IC, there are at least two versions of the overalls, mixed application of the national eagle, etc. And, if that's a cloth submarine badge on one fellow, it's interesting that it's not worn by everyone. Maybe the others simply didn't wear it or wore metal badges and had them "liberated" or swapped them off for cigarettes by the time they got this far in their travels.

[Dez H]

Interesting picture, some thoughts come to mind here. The cloth EK appears to be ether for a black panzer rapper or field grey Wehrmacht uniform and hasn’t been cut out at all. There was a big debate months ago about white cloth DK’s and the affects black and white pictures have on colours, perhaps one of these people can comment on if this is a black patch, which it sure looks like to me or feldgreu.
Also what is the badge the chap is wearing to the right? Dosen’t look like a U-boat badge to me.

[atcase]

Hi to all,
very interesting picture, any chance of a close up of the cap eagles these do not look K/M at first glance.

Ashley

[Rick Research]

That's because, I think, the "home made" caps are too small-- like bakers' skullcaps (if they even wear those any more ) and so the wings are drawn way up.

Interesting to see that these sailors are dressed this way on ARRIVING, since if they were LEAVING I'd have assumed the usual sort of POW Camp "improvised" stuff we see.

[VerKuilen Ager]

Hi to all,
very interesting picture, any chance of a close up of the cap eagles these do not look K/M at first glance.

Ashley

The photo resolution isn't good enough to do much with, but here's a closer look at the caps.

[atcase]

Thanks VerKuilen,
mmmmmmmm hard to say,at first i thought that these eagles were probaly not K/M but even with Ricks comment it is hard to tell.

Ashley

[Rick Research]

The cockades appear to be hand painted on (no 2 match) nor do the eagles-- snipped out of scrap metal by hand like the "L" petty officer collar edging so often seen?