Totenkopf an WL-Caps??

[Palstek]

Hello,

Anyone who has an Idea, why "Totenkopf" to the Luftwaffe-Caps

sorry, for my english!

Thanks, for Info!
Regards Palstek

[LuckyStrike23]

one can only speculate - but mybe he was a member of "Allgemeine SS".

[wilhelm Saris]

In my opinion it was a show off, nothing more then that! It also could be he formerly did wear a death head, as part of his regular insignia.
But it was done also in other organizations: "the not allowed wearing of specific insignia". It was also done for example in the HY-organization in the earliest year after the 1933 re-organization. Most often as a result of being a former member of another organization as Wehrwolf.

[jacquesf]

There was a Kampgescwader KG54, flying Ju 88's that had a totenkopf as their units symbol. Uboat crews did the same to their schiftmutzen and headgear. Jacques

[jacquesf]

However I just noticed he is wearing a Luft ground assault badge and no collar tabs, so maybe a member of a Hermann Goering stug crew? I think this is a more accurate possibility than my KG proposal. Jacques

[Simon O.]

i'd go for armour or panzerjäger related. Strange the collar tabs ar missing

[jacquesf]

i'd go for armour or panzerjäger related. Strange the collar tabs ar missing

Simon, later in the war, on the HEER side at least (as far as I know) there was an order that the wear of the sculls was to be abandoned. Maybe someone more informed can provide more detailed info. Jacques

[W Petz]

In my opinion..he was probably a member of a Luftwaffe Feld Division unit as a more elite Hermann Goering Panzer NCO would not easily get away with not wearing his white collar tabs and would proudly wear them.

Bill

However I just noticed he is wearing a Luft ground assault badge and no collar tabs, so maybe a member of a Hermann Goering stug crew? I think this is a more accurate possibility than my KG proposal. Jacques

[CCN]

That's a great photo.

[erichcraciun]

I would go with a Lw. Felddivision member (hence the lack of collar tabs) whose Regiment or Batl used the Totenkopf as a unit symbol.

Erich

[MarcRikmenspoel]

He's probably in a LW Feld Division (taken over by the Heer in late 1943, becoming Feld Divisionen (L)). These were supposed to each have a batterie of 4 Stug. in the Panzerjäger Abt. It has been recorded in photographs that some of these LW assault gun crewmen wore Totenkopf collar patches. It isn't a stretch to believe this guy found another way to display his status as an armor crewman.