Teenage paratrooper / field div.

[Marc verstraete]

I wonder what this young teenage paratrooper/ fied div.was thinking?
The photo is, if my memory is good, taken in Normandy after D. Day.
Marc V.

[John Hodgin]

Rare and superb photo Marc! Very nice!
Best,
John

[ccmax]

The face of war.

He looks like a POW. Probably he was thinking if he was going to make it home. Striking photo. Have you seen the photos Robert Capa took of POW paratroopers?
Cesar.

[Marc verstraete]

This is an original photo printed in 1944 and I think it was taken in Normandy.
All the other photos I have from the same source where taken there. I have no more information about it. I will post some more pictures when I have time but they are not so impressive as this one.
Marc V.

[J.von Canon]

Beaten prisoner?

The photo suggests this prisoner was beaten severely.His puffed up face is characteristic of a pummeling.
There are a number of Normandy photos showing German p.o.w.'s in this shape,especially S.S.prisoners.
A number of soldiers on both sides have written that the "civilized"fighting between combattants in Italy and North Africa "went out the window"after Normandy.
The Canadians were notorious for this-and may be directly related to a number of them being killed in captivity by the 12th.S.S.

[Hauptmann]

Great photo! I agree that this photo is of a FJ prisoner. Lack of field gear, weapon, down trodden look, and, as was stated, someone beat the living snot out of him. Maybe he didn't surrender without a great fight first. Or perhaps he didn't surrender quick enough for his captors. Surely they didn't pounce him for information. If they did, perhaps they picked the wrong guy. It is doubtful that a young trooper like this would know a great detail about higher unit troop movements, locations, defenses, or any other useful intell. Then again, this late in the war, you never know.

[erichcraciun]

Here are four other Fallschirm POWS. I have no idea when or where they were taken prisoner.