Gebirgsjäger Fallschimjägers!!!

[sander vw]

Hello everybody, I never saw this before but these are GJ fallschirmj******228;gers, still whering there moutain cap and no helmets to see. Does someone have more information of this? The photo it self is original and in my collection now.

Thanks for looking!
(I've have taken some pieces out of the pic and made them bigger so you can see the bergm******252;tze and edelweiss patches.)

[sander vw]

...

[Fallschirmjaeger]

Just Gj

I suppose they where that a little some jumped in norway in 1940 but the ones in crete only came in on the planes and landed on the airfield im shure only.So these are just mountain troops going on a JU52 to a destination and still wear there montain gear as always with life preservers aswell on ,and on a luftwaffe plane of course thats all i can say sorry,nice picture though.

[sander vw]

Hi, I never said this was Crete, could be everywhere IMO, Italy, Greece, Afrika...

anyway, thank you

[Eric Queen]

What you have pictured there are Geb.Jg. personnel preparing to be airlifted to Crete during Operation Merkur. They are not jump trained Geb.Jg.per se. Although there were Geb.Jg. volunteers who were trained, and actually did jump, in May/June of 1940. 3 composite companies (from I./137, III./137 and I./136) and 6./136 in tact. Here is a photo of men from 6./136 (under Lt.Siefen) prior to leaving for Tromsoe Island.

[sander vw]

Thank you for the usefull information. Looks like I have bought something rare.
I see on your picture they have a Luftwaffe jumpsmoke, quite strange

Thank you very much

[Eric Queen]

One of the officers from GJR 137.

[sander vw]

sweeet! Thank you very much

[Eric Queen]

Thank you for the usefull information. Looks like I have bought something rare.
I see on your picture they have a Luftwaffe jumpsmoke, quite strange

Thank you very much

Actually, it makes perfect sense for them to be using Lw.equipment. By this time (May 1940) "army" paratroopers had been obsolete for nearly a year and a half. You will find on rare occasions men from II./FJR1 still using their old army equipment (helmet/smock) during Fall Gelb, but that was by far the exception and not the rule. These men (jump trained Geb.Jg.) were never "army" paratroopers (of the FIK) and never would have been issued army equipment. What I do find interesting though, is that the man in the back row, second from the left, has been issued one of the old M36 (double zipper) jump smocks.

[sander vw]

It would be much simpler if GJ's wore a smoke with a Edelweiss on, becouse they are still army people and not LW. Army FJ's became LW FJ's, GJ's not....

Thanks for al the info

[sander vw]

Just an other thing then, what about the parachutes they are whering on my photo, seem al lot bigger than those on your photo (=normal parachutes).

[Eric Queen]

I see the life vests but I don't see the parachutes.

[Eric Queen]

It would be much simpler if GJ's wore a smoke with a Edelweiss on, becouse they are still army people and not LW. Army FJ's became LW FJ's, GJ's not....

Thanks for al the info

True. Still army personnel, but they were issued Lw.equipment from the Wittstock QM. Here is the same officer in his helmet and smock.

[sander vw]

I see, nice

[Fallschirmjaeger]

Sander i never said it was crete of those photos just mentioned the place.And them guys in the photo are just going to be transported to a friendly airfield most likely unless it is crete and have life jackets on and are going to storm off there planes.And having mountain troop smocks not worth it i think as they would hardly use them and not needed for just going on plane trips,only jumping out which some did in norway in 1940,others elsewhere no clue?.