Luftwaffe Photo With Panzer Collars ?

[SHEARING-CROSS]

Hi there , as a collector of british items i dont often get over to this side of the forum but i bought a pile of allied photos / documents to day and in with them was this german photo and i wounder if anyone could help with the ID of the unit please ? he has a luftwaffe cap and breast eagle but what i think is a PANZER crew cap and collar badge , any help will be great ,thanks ,Michael ( UK )

[PZIV]

I do not believe that is a tab from that of a Panzermann. The skull is (I think) embroidered on the tab and it is black and usually on both sides. I may be totally off, but I think that's right.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Michael, what a strange photo!

The uniform is very non regulation. The lad is a member of the HJ, as witnessed by his shoulder straps. I suspect he is a Luftwaffe Flak helper, due to the blouse and cap in Luftwaffe blue. The addition of the Luftwaffe breast eagle and cap eagle are not unknown. These kids wanted to be "real" soldiers and would sometimes try and wear that insignia. But the collar tabs and deathsheads to the cap and collar are really pushing it. These have no place in any uniform worn by the HJ Flak helpers or the Luftwaffe for that matter.. Notice how all the insignia is not really fastened onto the uniform very well? I bet this was just done for the photo. Maybe one to impress the girls? Like the mean and moody expression! The only other possible explanation could be a local unit affectation, but I somehow don't think this is it.

There is no Panzer relation to the pic. Only the SS wore deathsheads as cap badges (apart from two Heer Regts as tradition badges) The Luftwaffe cap eagle and deathshead worn together makes no sence. The single deathshead worn on the collar is again wrong. Pz units of the Heer and Luftwaffe wore them in pairs and not of this design (they were smaller).

Cheers, Ade.

[SHEARING-CROSS]

Hi there ,thanks so far lads , just to confirm the cap and collar badges are in metal , as for the ` blank ` collar backing i dont think there were two skulls and one has broken off or been removed as the original photo is very clear and i can not see any pin holes on the collar patch ,regards ,Michael.

[Al P]

Interesting photo. I would be leaning to a unit specific thing for a group of flak helpers. The getting the girls comment is interesting and just might be true as well.

Thanks for posting this.

Al

[Leroy]

None of the insignia seems to be sewn down!