I was in US Army Special Forces for 14 years, and about 18 years back my sister called me and said she found a German belt buckle at a yard sale. (....hmmmm, OK, knowing my sister, could be anything) When she finally gave it to me, I had forgotten, but what a surprise...an SS buckle with an SF crest. For the uninitiated, SF maintained the 1st battalion of the 10th SF at Bad Tolz until 1991. At the former SS Junkerschule! Many a time I would hear stories from friends who were over at Tolz, tales of blocked tunnels and being invited to gatherings of WWII vets in the area. The guys who knew, would try to dig up souvenirs when there. I had a pal who was into reenacting, as I was, who became close friends with the local vets and told of being brought by them, all hush-hush, to a big party (1979). Turns out it was 20 April!
So, there had been somewhat of an affinity for SS regalia by some SF guys over the years...every so often you hear of some unit gettin' read the riot act for using nazi-ish banners or insignia. Rebellious spirits....Boys will be boys... I was pretty happy with the buckle. More likely than not it was made up in Tolz, or a de-nazified buckle was brought back and rendered into it's new form over here. A miniature of the SF crest, as worn on the beret flash, has been artfully crafted and applied to where the swas once sat. It was well used by it's former owner. I will never know who it was for my sister could not recall were in town she found it., Oh well. NEXT
I have this accessory strap, greatcoat, etc,. which has an SS stamp with some sort of waffenamt stamped on as well. Someone had crudely used an awl to puncture extra holes at the tip. What is the provenance of this? Is it real, or the work of hucksters in the 1960s-70s? I picked it up around 1980. Opinions? Thanks,
Mike
So, there had been somewhat of an affinity for SS regalia by some SF guys over the years...every so often you hear of some unit gettin' read the riot act for using nazi-ish banners or insignia. Rebellious spirits....Boys will be boys... I was pretty happy with the buckle. More likely than not it was made up in Tolz, or a de-nazified buckle was brought back and rendered into it's new form over here. A miniature of the SF crest, as worn on the beret flash, has been artfully crafted and applied to where the swas once sat. It was well used by it's former owner. I will never know who it was for my sister could not recall were in town she found it., Oh well. NEXT
I have this accessory strap, greatcoat, etc,. which has an SS stamp with some sort of waffenamt stamped on as well. Someone had crudely used an awl to puncture extra holes at the tip. What is the provenance of this? Is it real, or the work of hucksters in the 1960s-70s? I picked it up around 1980. Opinions? Thanks,
Mike
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