Welcome to the forum, Sturmkurt - lovely tunic, but it is for an Oberst der Artillerie, not a reservist officer. Was Santmann promoted?
Don
There is NO WAY to look at a Heer officer's tunic and tell if the wearer was a reserve officer or not. The gray reserve underlay was dropped around 1940 (one can look up the exact year, I'm too lazy) and after that all of the insignia as the same for regular and reserve officers.
Just as a point of interest, my casual review of RK awardee lists show that Reserve officer's were awarded these in about the same numbers as regular officers....at least in proportion to their numbers. The bottom line is that the Germans did not make a distinctionin assignments between reserve and regular status....I'm not saying that this distinction is implied in this thread but only pointing out that many of the most decorated and most key combat unit leader assiginments were held by reserve officers.
In the photo he is wearing reserve boards with the underlay visible, I cannot make out the rank? I would guess this is prewar, looks like OBlt. or Hptm?. To me it looks like Hauptmann with a number?
If he was a Major in 42, full Oberst would be expected by 45'. He is not in the Ranglisten but is in the Schiebert DKiG book. I suspect there is a file on him in NARA that would have all that good info we love.
There is NO WAY to look at a Heer officer's tunic and tell if the wearer was a reserve officer or not. The gray reserve underlay was dropped around 1940 (one can look up the exact year, I'm too lazy) and after that all of the insignia as the same for regular and reserve officers.
Just as a point of interest, my casual review of RK awardee lists show that Reserve officer's were awarded these in about the same numbers as regular officers....at least in proportion to their numbers. The bottom line is that the Germans did not make a distinctionin assignments between reserve and regular status....I'm not saying that this distinction is implied in this thread but only pointing out that many of the most decorated and most key combat unit leader assiginments were held by reserve officers.
R
In the book Soldat by Sigfried Knappe, he described that during the preparation of the invasion of Poland and France a lot of "reservist" joined his unit. After the campaign ( Poland and France) were over the Reservist were "happy to go back to civiliant life". After the invasion of Russia due man power shortage reserve officers were not allowed to go back. So after June 22 1941 the pre war difference between active duty and reservist was obliterated. I am not sure about seniority issues?
I highly recomend his book
Comment