Questions regarding Waffen-SS photograph

[D_Dutch]

Hello all,

This is one of my favorite photographs which is in my possession, however, there are a couple of things I do not understand about it and I hope that someone is able to answer my questions I have about the photograph.

1. All of these young persons, except one, belonged to SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 3 "Deutschland", however, only one of them is wearing a cufftitle and another one is wearing the "D" on his shoulder boards. Why are the others not wearing insignia like cufftitles?

2. Almost all of them are wearing Waffen-SS uniforms but three of them are wearing something else. What are they wearing?

With kind regards,

Koen.

[Gran Sasso]

1. All of these young persons, except one, belonged to SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 3 "Deutschland", however, only one of them is wearing a cufftitle and another one is wearing the "D" on his shoulder boards. Why are the others not wearing insignia like cufftitles?

The others might be "fresh" recruts, just in for training.

2. Almost all of them are wearing Waffen-SS uniforms but three of them are wearing something else. What are they wearing?

Thew are wearing the typical HBT work uniforms, for the sometimes hard training at the barraks, so the wool uniforms would not get destroyed.

[woodie]

Cuff titles worn by the Waffen SS or Heer were considered a special honour. The history of the Grossdeutschland Division by Helmuth Spaeter describes an instance in which the motorcycle company of the Infantry Regiment "Grossdeutschland" was held to account for losing a position; they were forbidden from wearing their cuff titles until they had earned the privilege back by success in a later battle.
When Waffen SS divisions failed to perform satisfactorily near Vienna in April 1945, Adolf Hitler ordered the units involved to remove their cuff titles as a punishment. SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich was enraged, and reportedly sent his own back to Berlin in a night vase (chamber pot).
Soldiers in training were usually presented the cuff title only on completion of that training, and the award of the title was seen as a rite of passage. This rite is described in the controversial book The Forgotten Soldier.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuff_title

[Gran Sasso]

When Waffen SS divisions failed to perform satisfactorily near Vienna in April 1945, Adolf Hitler ordered the units involved to remove their cuff titles as a punishment. SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich was enraged, and reportedly sent his own back to Berlin in a night vase (chamber pot).

Thats a well known fairytale

[D_Dutch]

Hello,

Thanks for the fast replies! I wonder how many of them ever worn a cufftitle since most of them were dead two months later.

With kind regards,

Koen.

[chrischa]

Koen, that is a fantastic photo. I love it.

Chris.

[D_Dutch]

Koen, that is a fantastic photo. I love it.

Chris.

Thanks! I love it too. Best part is that I have the names of each soldier on the photo and thanks to the help of the Deutsche Dienststelle I also got their dates of birth, where they were born and to which unit they all belonged to. Only one of them obtained a somewhat higher rank, in the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler.

With kind regards,

Koen.


Edit: The photo has great quality and detail but for some reason I could not get the photograph any larger.