Gott Mit Uns

[starbank]

i am a writer trying to solve a bit of a mystery. Is the buckle worn by the american soldier in pictures #1 & #2 the Gott Mit Uns buckle in picture #3?

the buckle has a rather interesting history which i will be pleased to share with the forum, but first ask for your feedback to ensure objective responses.

[starbank]

gott mit uns photo 2

photo #2

[starbank]

photo 3

photo #3

[CWP]

It might be... the picture is too indistinct. It could be this Heer buckle, but it could also be a police buckle, or any of the similar looking Third Reich buckles.

[David North]

I agree with Chris.

Unfortunately, the first two images are just to hazy to positively identify the box buckle being worn and it could be one of many.

Regards,

David

[starbank]

Gott Mit Uns Hemingway

I am grateful to you both for the feedback. While you cannot say for sure that it is the Gott Mit Uns buckle, your responses do seem to indicate you believe it is likely a German WWII buckle. That is reassuring to my research.

The soldier in the picture is war correspondent Ernest Hemingway. He took the buckle and belt off a dead German soldier. Hemingway was attached to the 4th Army, 22nd Infantry Regiment, and acquired the belt and buckle either during the Allied push across France or during the Battle of Hurtgen Forrest. The uniform he is wearing would appear to be far too light-weight for Germany in November and lends credence to my speculation it was earlier in France.

if anyone would like to no more about this buckle, I invite you to visit my website PARADISE UNLIMITED
http://www.TKSanders.com

Click on the Gott MIT UNS section to go to the story, 'GOTT MIT UNS, the strange but true story of Ernest Hemingway's World War II Nazi belt buckle'. While I know a lot about this particular buckle, i most certainly am not an expert on buckles in general. So please let me know if you find any of my facts inaccurate and/or erroneous.

i hope you enjoy GOTT MIT UNS, the story.


TomSanders

[David North]

Tom

Although not my favourite author, knowing "Papa's" penchant for all thinks overtly masculine and martial, I am not at all surprised to see him wearing a trophy, German belt and buckle.

"...il faut d'abord durer..."

Regards,

David