Unusually dressed panzermen

[johnny_ola2000]

http://edelweissandtheeasternfront.t...e/118188848758

Trooper in the middle seems to have no eagle and collar patches on his wrapper, trooper on the right has litzen on his black panzer wrapper and both are wearing W-SS pea-dot pattern camo trousers...

[Simon O.]

Perhaps not panzer either, note the IAB and is that a LW belt buckle? Has me thinking of the summer of 44 and that these guys are perhaps rückkämpfer

[panzermeyer]

looks like the guy to the left is wearing an
ss panzerwrap without insignia!

[johnny_ola2000]

Surrendering?

They somehow resemble the troops surrendering on the Czech/ German border in May 1945. That could explain the strange mix of LW, Heer and SS items
Perhaps they just picked up what they could find since they were heading for the POW camp anyway. They are still carrying weapons, but the photo could have been taken while they were on their way to the disarming area.

[pauke]

photo

The image reminds me of a friend who was in the 11. PD at the end. He said there was always a problem with supplies and his black uniform was so shabby he tossed his jacket and obtained a LW camo jacket and applied his rank as an Uffz. but he could only scrounge a pair of private purchase medical Uffz. straps which he still had when I met him in the 1970's. Was I ever disappointed to see those straps instead of some off of a wrapper.

[johnny_ola2000]

Thanks for the story, pauke,
collecting must be exciting when you can pick up items from the veterans who actually wore them :-)