is this Sepp Dietrich?

[entasis]

In this photo Hitler is shown on the left with his head slightly lowered. However, to his left is that Sepp Dietrich?

First up is the whole photo followed by closeup.

Tony

[entasis]

closeup

here's a closeup.

Tony

[PanzerFlo]

Yes, this is Sepp Dietrich.

[Seiler]

Thats Sepp.Is he wearing an Army Eagle on his visor??
Seiler

[entasis]

thx

thank you all for your confirmation on the Sepp Dietrich photo.

I don't know if the eagle is WH but doubt it. Likely it's SS but since the photo is blurry, it's hard to tell.

Tony

[besslein]

looks like wh adler to me as well

[Stahlhelm]

Sometimes it's really amazing that it can be so easy to identify someone from such a blurry picture like that. However, I do totally agree that it is Sepp, without a doubt. I guess there's just the right amount of necessary information to verify it. Or, maybe we just have "SEPP"--Super Exceptional Photo Perception...

Chris

[Huntzman]

Yes, that is Sepp and yes it is an Army eagle on his hat. There are a number of photos showing him wearing this type of eagle.

Which brings to mind the question: If this hat was offered on the E-Stand, how many would reject it

Andrew

[Stahlhelm]

EXCELLENT point, Andrew! I was actually thinking the same thing. The father of a woman I work with was in WWII and has such an army-eagled SS-visor which he said he took right off an SS-officer's head. I have no reason to doubt the man and the hat I've seen, but I also don't think it would be accepted by most collectors. I've already had a number of dealers who have indicated that they would seriously doubt any SS-visor with an army eagle, despite such photos to prove that they did, in fact, do that. However, if I do buy the visor I mentioned, I guess I'll just have to be satisfied with what I know about it, from my own inspection of the visor, and what I truly know of the man who brought it back.

Chris

[Huntzman]

Chris

I know there is a famous saying within the collecting community "Buy the piece, not the story". And while I generally agree with that, I also understand that there are exceptions to every rule.

I collect predominantly police insignia. I have collected civilian police insignia for over 20 years and retired from law enforcement. I will be the first one to say, there are uniform regulations, and there are what cops do. Just because the letter of the regs specifies one thing, doesn't mean that cops didn't do their own thing.

I would believe that this can also be applied to most other endeavors. I guess the bottom line is there can be text book, and there can be exceptions. If your satisfied with the item, thats all that matters.

Andrew

[F L Clemens]

The location in the photo is the former Hauptkadettenanstalt at Berlin-Lichterfelde. One of the four barracks buildings is in the background. Hitler is there to inspect the Leibstandarte. There are more famous photos of him reviewing the troops - I never saw this shot before.

I was at the barracks exactly two weeks ago to take some "Now" pictures to match with the "Then" pictures I have collected. Coincidentally, I was visiting the son of an Army vet shortly before that and mentioned that I would be visiting "my old barracks" in Lichterfelde (I was stationed there in the 1980's). Turned out that this guy's wife was born before the war in the barracks as the daughter of ..... Panzermeyer!

Anyway, I am planning to publish a history of the barracks. If you'd be willing to let me use your photo, please PM me or email me at panzerbaer@aol.com to discuss. Thanks, Frederick

[Stahlhelm]

Chris

I know there is a famous saying within the collecting community "Buy the piece, not the story". And while I generally agree with that, I also understand that there are exceptions to every rule.

I collect predominantly police insignia. I have collected civilian police insignia for over 20 years and retired from law enforcement. I will be the first one to say, there are uniform regulations, and there are what cops do. Just because the letter of the regs specifies one thing, doesn't mean that cops didn't do their own thing.

I would believe that this can also be applied to most other endeavors. I guess the bottom line is there can be text book, and there can be exceptions. If your satisfied with the item, thats all that matters.

Andrew

Andrew,

I agree with you 100%. Sometimes, when the story comes from just the right person who you REALLY know well, that is pretty much all it takes to make it true. Although some things may certainly be more the exception than the rule, they can still certainly be true as the exception, nonetheless. In the end, what you really know and believe makes all the difference, even though no one else may ever believe it. I've so far seen so many exceptions in period photographs that I'm almost convinced anything is possible.

Chris

[max history]

Josef Dietrich is well known for wearing non-regulation insignia.
Max.