Sniper Badge-Hand Embroidered

[Basil]

IMO, it seems a bit odd to snap a 'press photo' showing the faces of snipers. It would be a ready-made wanted poster for opposition forces.

Why?

[Antonio Scapini]

IMO, it seems a bit odd to snap a 'press photo' showing the faces of snipers. It would be a ready-made wanted poster for opposition forces.

This thread seems create something tricky and strange in collector's minds...

Scott are you really serious?!? I hope not.

Allied and russians can see on german newspapers everyday faces of great aces and soldiers from LW - KM - Heer and W-SS. Who care of these 3 unknown soldiers from unknown units?!?!?

I can only imagine the High Command of allied-russian Army print ("dead or alive") posters of these 3 men with the writing: "We don't know in which unit they are, we don't know who they are, but we absolutely need them if not TR will win the war!".
All this when Rudel was flying over their heads, Otto Carius was destroying some hundreds of tanks and Helmut Dörner was Killing some thousands of enemy soldiers... But these were no bad guys, all the allied-russian attention was surely focused on snipers!

[Simon O.]

It is a picture about a badge guys not about the Stalingrad battle! I think at least 100 persons in all the TR saw it printed in a newspaper! Why make a fake picture for a badge?
I hope you are only jocking guys...

Please show us some other doubtful propaganda pictures while Himmler is awarding some soldiers and explain with solid proofs why are not believable.

If we follow your logic everithing is questionable and the Bundesarchive is a possible factory of forgeries.

Ok, I will start asking in all the forum for each single piece or doc if there are solid rock provenance. If not it will be doubtful. I think no one single piece will survive.

Oh, I realized my whole collection is doubtful (like all of yours without any doubt) tomorrow I'll start selling it.

I think you misunderstand. I am not for one second suggesting the photo is either staged or the the german archives go in for forgeries.

We do know very well that photos were used which have either incorrect descriptions or deliberately purport to show something different. Thats why its called propaganda.

[Chris Boonzaier]

We do know very well that photos were used which have either incorrect descriptions or deliberately purport to show something different. Thats why its called propaganda.

Indeed... but what would happen if all the other snipers saw this and said "Hey... where is my badge....."

And the army would have to say..... "Wellll aaaaactually... we did not bother to get them made...."

It comes back to the question.... why on earth would they not have placed the order for the badges when it was approved?

[Antonio Scapini]

Chris, probably the guys have not yet realized the sniper badge is a simple piece of cloth with a simple embroidery.
Completion time with a sewing machine: maybe 30 seconds.

[Simon O.]

Indeed... but what would happen if all the other snipers saw this and said "Hey... where is my badge....."

And the army would have to say..... "Wellll aaaaactually... we did not bother to get them made...."

It comes back to the question.... why on earth would they not have placed the order for the badges when it was approved?

I'm simply commenting on the photo, i have no opinion of any worth regarding the badges manufacture. But you illustrate the value of using such a propaganda piece to help motivate and recruit new snipers.
Existing snipers who had qualified could easily have their award granted on paper with the actual badge to follow on once the current situation allowed.

Himmler could just as well be presenting gifts for frontservice as any decoration.

[Scott C.]

This thread seems create something tricky and strange in collector's minds...

Scott are you really serious?!? I hope not.

Allied and russians can see on german newspapers everyday faces of great aces and soldiers from LW - KM - Heer and W-SS. Who care of these 3 unknown soldiers from unknown units?!?!?

I completely agree. However, several posts in this thread mention possible reluctance to wear the sniper badge in the field due to repercussions if taken prisoner. At the rate units were being captured/overrun in the last months of the war, finding the three in that photo might not be overly difficult for a determined foe.

It's a great photo, and could well be documenting the award of the sniper badge as the description states. My comment was simply tied to the previous remarks about fear of capture as a sniper.

[Antonio Scapini]

...Himmler could just as well be presenting gifts for frontservice as any decoration.

Why Simon?!?!?
Is not possible he is simply giving them a sniper badge? As he did for other awards?
Why we have to make conjectures about a picture like this?

Himmler is awarding some snipers? Ok, why the award ceremony should be a fake ceremony? Why the sniper badges should be another gift? Why the snipers should not be snipers?!? What sense would have all this staging?

Simply to not say: yes, all this make no sense and probably this picture is just a picture of Himmler awarding 3 badges as historical notes report.


IMO in this thread there are a lot of very absurd and tricky hypotesis.

I'm thinking to change hobby as in all these years I understand nothing about TR militaria!

[Ludwig]

Now it´s safe to hand out the badges!...

[Scott C.]

[Antonio Scapini]

Now it´s safe to hand out the badges!...

[jacquesf]

This thread is now bordering on the absurd. J

[Ludwig]

This thread is now bordering on the absurd. J

The border has been crossed a long time ago! IMO.

[Chris Boonzaier]

For me there are 4 possible positions on this

1) Approved, made, awarded

2) Approved, made, sparsely awarded due to supply problems

3) Approved, Made, never got to the soldiers

4) Approved, never made......

I think 4) is highly unlikely... and if someone believes 4)... with what knowledge do they back this up?

I think the answe lays somewhere between 1) and 3)......

[Ludwig]

# 2 most likely IMO.