SS & Police photo possibly with possibly Hitler, Himmler & Dietrich? Opinions

[sismithin]

Hi All
This is a photo I have had for a while now, it appears to capture some high ranking police officers next to an open top state Mercedes and some SS officers….
To the left is who looks like Dietrich??
Possibly Himmler in leather coat back to camera.
Hitler possibly in front of 'Himmler' shaking the hand of the unidentified officer type guy facing the camera.
The police are obviously planning something and seem to be centred around the officials to the left.

I'd love to hear any opinions.

PS I just discovered my scanner is broken so I took photos instead sorry.

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This photo also came in the set of two.
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[Tom B]

IMO None of them are shown in this photo. Tom

[Ian Hulley]

Certainly not Josef Dietrich on those photos.

Ian

[chrischa]

IMO None of them are shown in this photo. Tom

Yeah, I agree with Tom.

Still an interesting photo though.

[sismithin]

Certainly not Josef Dietrich on those photos.

Ian

Yes of course he hasn't got any collar tabs - does look similar though.
There is certainly something interesting going on? I'm thinking it's possibly pre war c.1938?

[BrianK]

No big names that I can see - unless I need glasses.

[MarcRikmenspoel]

The very first photo appears to be Fritz Schmedes, who was a battalion commander in the SS-Polizei-Artillerie Regiment when it first formed. He rose to command the regiment, and then the entire SS-Polizei Division (by then known as the 4. SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier Division).

If my ID is correct, this is probably some ceremony for the official creation of the SS-Polizei-Artillerie Regiment during 1940.

[Br. James]

I'm afraid I must concur with our colleagues here...and Otto Dietrich isn't among these pictured, either.

A nice photo though!

Br. James

[sismithin]

The very first photo appears to be Fritz Schmedes, who was a battalion commander in the SS-Polizei-Artillerie Regiment when it first formed. He rose to command the regiment, and then the entire SS-Polizei Division (by then known as the 4. SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier Division).

If my ID is correct, this is probably some ceremony for the official creation of the SS-Polizei-Artillerie Regiment during 1940.

Excellent knowledge and great suggestion, I've done some research into him, are you thinking the guy to the right with the sword?
I'd love to know where other photos from the set are... Shame they got separated.

I'm afraid I must concur with our colleagues here...and Otto Dietrich isn't among these pictured, either.

A nice photo though!

Br. James

Thanks James , yes I do find it interesting, detail is much better than in photos unfortunaty. I was going along the lines of Joseph Dietrich, however no insignia so unlikely but imo very similar but clearly not as discussed.

[MarcRikmenspoel]

No, I think it is Schmedes looking at the camera, wearing glasses.

[Br. James]

"I'd love to know where other photos from the set are... Shame they got separated."

Yes, it's always a shame, historically speaking, when an album gets broken up. Albums normally tell a story -- often a personal story -- but when albums fall into the hands of family members or others who may inherit the set of photos, those people usually have no affinity for the subject or connection to the story the album tells, so they wind up either burying the album in a box up in the attic or putting it up for sale if they believe there is some monetary value between those old covers. When albums go up for sale, they often attract interest from collectors (like us), who see one or two photos that illustrate a collection in some way, and money is offered for that one precious photo...but having no interest in the album as a whole, or if the album is being offered at a high price ("high" being relative to the interests of the customer), the album's owner may decide to break it up in order to avoid losing the money being offered now, and since the entire content of the album is of no interest to its current owner, there is no perceived 'loss' in breaking up its contents.

So, after a long and wordy paragraph, this is where we are now...and I do agree that it's a shame that the album got separated!

Br. James