Wh/wss/lw Soldiers Wearing Uniforms And Equipments Not Belonging To Their Corps

[derspiess63]

Hi all,
I'd like to start a thread to post pictures showing German soldiers wearing uniforms (complete or even parts of the uniform) and equipments not belonging to their corps.I'll start posting a picture taken on one of Rouen harbor's dwarves during the hectic crossing of the Seine which took place there between 21st and 27th August 1944.It shows a column of WSS soldiers,one of them is wearing a WH tunic and a WSS M43.
Hope you enjoy and that you'll post more!
Cheers
Manny

[derspiess63]

2

[Simon O.]

Or a member of the Heer wearing a W-SS cap?

On a similar vein, check out the weird and wonderful combos seen in this thread

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=124376

[derspiess63]

Or a member of the Heer wearing a W-SS cap?

On a similar vein, check out the weird and wonderful combos seen in this thread

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=124376

Very good point Simon, but please let me tell you why I'm rather sure that this bloke is a member of the WSS;as you surely know the crossing of the Seine at Rouen has been a very hectic one which could be considered a victory in its own right despite the tremendous losses of the last days due to allied bombings of the harbor.The crack corps,i.e. the WSS and paratroops,often claimed the priority for the crossing,which thing created all sort of sad incidents.In a number of cases some WSS threatened other units with their weapons to force their way through and be the first to cross the Seine.At least once, and this episody is reported by Generalleutnant Paul Mahlmann,commanding Officer of the 353 Infanterie-Division(see US Military Studies A-983 to A-987,readily available at the Library of Congress,if I remember well!),"a WSS NCO would have fired at point blank against soldier of the Heer stating that the "20th July" men could well stay there!".
These were "regretful episodes",as a German Officer will report later,occurred on the banks of the Seine,and in his book "Geschichte der 2 SS-Panzerdivision" Frantz-Josef Strauss speaks of the "filthy selfishness" of the WSS,whose preoccupation was to bulldoze everyone and to put everybody under their command!
With these premises I can reasonably sure that that guy was a member of the WSS....I doubt that a poor "landser" would have been welcome in that line of WSS waiting for the first available place on a rafter with British light bombers on their way from England and France bases....it's a picture taken in the last two days and while at the beginnning the weather favored the Germans things went in a different direction the day this picture had been taken,read no clouds or heavy rains to speak of !
Cheers
Manny

[Simon O.]

Those are good points Manny, either way he's not exactly by the rulebook.

I do love these kind of 'but that's not right?' photos. I'll dig up some of Heer soldiers wearing W-SS camo.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Very good point Simon, but please let me tell you why I'm rather sure that this bloke is a member of the WSS;as you surely know the crossing of the Seine at Rouen has been a very hectic one which could be considered a victory in its own right despite the tremendous losses of the last days due to allied bombings of the harbor.The crack corps,i.e. the WSS and paratroops,often claimed the priority for the crossing,which thing created all sort of sad incidents.In a number of cases some WSS threatened other units with their weapons to force their way through and be the first to cross the Seine.At least once, and this episody is reported by Generalleutnant Paul Mahlmann,commanding Officer of the 353 Infanterie-Division(see US Military Studies A-983 to A-987,readily available at the Library of Congress,if I remember well!),"a WSS NCO would have fired at point blank against soldier of the Heer stating that the "20th July" men could well stay there!".
These were "regretful episodes",as a German Officer will report later,occurred on the banks of the Seine,and in his book "Geschichte der 2 SS-Panzerdivision" Frantz-Josef Strauss speaks of the "filthy selfishness" of the WSS,whose preoccupation was to bulldoze everyone and to put everybody under their command!
With these premises I can reasonably sure that that guy was a member of the WSS....I doubt that a poor "landser" would have been welcome in that line of WSS waiting for the first available place on a rafter with British light bombers on their way from England and France bases....it's a picture taken in the last two days and while at the beginnning the weather favored the Germans things went in a different direction the day this picture had been taken,read no clouds or heavy rains to speak of !
Cheers
Manny

So basically... reading between the lines... if a army man tried to cross a bridge with an SS man... the SS amn would have shot him?

I agree, probably an SS man in a warn Army jacket, but the reasoning is baffling !

(Happy?)

[derspiess63]

So basically... reading between the lines... if a army man tried to cross a bridge with an SS man... the SS amn would have shot him?

I agree, probably an SS man in a warn Army jacket, but the reasoning is baffling !

(Happy?)

Yes,but Chris,be a real chum for a change and contribute with interesting pictures and comments,don't spoil threads which oughta be interesting and constructive;I know you understand and that you'll post more pictures for us to see!
Cheers
Manny

[derspiess63]

Those are good points Manny, either way he's not exactly by the rulebook.

I do love these kind of 'but that's not right?' photos. I'll dig up some of Heer soldiers wearing W-SS camo.

That sounds great, and since I love the Normandy and Italian campaign I'll post pictures of LW FD soldiers wearing WH uniforms....often complete ones...and I hope Jack Melvin will jump in too !
Manny

[Simon O.]

Here's one. Taken in Finland.

[derspiess63]

Here's one. Taken in Finland.

Great!Now I'll post a few more pictures;first one shows a member of a LW FD surrendering to Canadians troops in Italy wearing a WH uniforms and his single button LW M43.The other two show the crew of a Panther D command tank of 1.Abt./PzR.4,taken near Florence during the Summer of 1944;the tank commander has had an OR eagle sewn to the chest of its Tropical shirt, while the RTO/MGunner wears a LW tropical shirt!
Cheers
Manny

[derspiess63]

a

[derspiess63]

b

[Gesetz]

Here's one that was posted a way back by another forum member, can't recal who sorry! Hope they don't mind me posting it...?
It's clearly an HJ member wearing SS Shariana tunic with tropical cap and insigna, and a Volksturm armband! By far my favourite photo!

[derspiess63]

Here's one that was posted a way back by another forum member, can't recal who sorry! Hope they don't mind me posting it...?
It's clearly an HJ member wearing SS Shariana tunic with tropical cap and insigna, and a Volksturm armband! By far my favourite photo!

ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!Thanks for sharing that

[Gesetz]

Don't thank me! Thank the original owner...if only I could remember who it was! I had fun with photoshop a while back and coloured the image as well.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...5&page=1&pp=15