picture study of LW pilot in an interesting uniform

[NickG]

Interesting picture of a LW (Croatian?) Pilot in a private purchase leather jacket with baggy tropical pants. He is a candidate officer (warrant officer) based on his NCO shoulderboards, officer's cap cords and officer's pattern belt.
What makes this image even more interesting is the sleeve shield!
Foreign volunteers in the Luftwaffe usually wore their nationality shields on the RIGHT sleeve and the Kroat staffel usually wore a winged national shield.

HOWEVER here we see a Waffen SS style black bordered Croatian shield worn on the LEFT sleeve, so I have 2 theories:
-He is a Kroation national and liked the Waffen SS pattern patch because the black border matches his black (open neck) flight jacket (???)..Perhaps?
-He is a reconaisance pilot of a light observation plane (like a Fischler Storch)and in that capacity attached to a Waffen SS unit like Prinz Eugen or Handschar as their "eyes in the sky" during anti partisan operations. So he is not Kroatian at all, but was "awarded" this SS design Kroatian patch for anti partisan operations. This Kroatian shield unofficially became a "badge of honor" for anti partisan operations and as such worn by many Germans, indicating past "einsatzstaffel" service in the war against irregulars (bandenkampf). Basically used as a campaign sleeve shield award, like a Krim shield, but it was not an official practice... !

Based on the appearance of the civilians in the background and the mixed tropical and continental uniforms this could certainly be a picture taken somewhere in the Balkans, so my theory is not too far fetched!
Thoughts on this theory?
Nick

PS: To clarify, I am not the owner of this picture...It was posted on the web from Russia (or the Ukraine, I can't distinguish between the two...) but a fellow WAF member Sandro informed me that the owner of this image is Francois Saez who got it from E-bay so credit goes to him!!!

[hs132]

Hello, a very interesting photo. I might add that I think the leather jacket he is wearing is a cut down shortened full lenght coat. I have only seen one other photo that suggests a pilot wearing a cut down coat. Best, Bill Bourque

[NickG]

Hello, a very interesting photo. I might add that I think the leather jacket he is wearing is a cut down shortened full lenght coat. I have only seen one other photo that suggests a pilot wearing a cut down coat. Best, Bill Bourque

It does appear that way even though it lacks the French cuffs and it has a tighter tailored look... so if it was cut down from a double breasted overcoat it was also heavely modified... Note that it has a "V" shaped leather renforced breast area (barely visible above the pilot's badge) which was not standard for military issue leather over coats... I know this because I used to own a LW leather over- coat, (luft LBA tag in it) double breasted and cut down just like this and those are heavier looking (roomier) coats and always in LW gray...but this could still be one, but most likely cut down from a civilian model (in black)... Who knows?

[Scott C.]

Neat photo. The NCO in the background seems to be losing his right epaulet!

[Jos L C]

IMO it is just a Ustacha pilot using the patch as a unit emblem ..

Jos.

[NickG]

I disagree Jos, as the Croatian Ustasha airforce had its own distinct uniform which looked somewhat similar to Luftwaffe but it wasn't...They did of course wear LW pilot's flight gear as a lot of the equipent was German supplied along with the aircraft, but not their uniforms!

Croats also wore Luftwaffe uniforms when in LW service. like the staffel that was sent to Russia and fought as a "German" unit (just like the Spanish Squadron Azul).
They had a different type "winged" arm patch which was also repeated as a breast badge... See here;
It was worn on the RIGHT sleeve!

[John T]

In my opinion the pilot is surely an ethnic Croatian in one of the LW units --bomber or fighter-- comprised of Croatians. He has personalized his leather jacket (which indeed may be a cut down full length overcoat) with the addition of an SS wool sleeve shield...this of course was done non-regulation.

[NickG]

OK that's settled! Thanks John. My theory was probably a little too exotic and far fetched but because its an SS pattern shield I was just wondering...as those were also used as unofficial "campaign shields" occasionally but by ground forces predominently (in action against partisans).
He definitely chose a neat combination to wear, tropical pants, leather jacket, continental cap!
Here's the nationality shield that he chose for his "uniform", a Waffen SS pattern Kroat shield.

[NZMark]

Out of my depth on the details, but I think it's a superb photo.
Mark.

[John Huff]

Out of my depth on the details, but I think it's a superb photo.
Mark.

ditto here!

[PaulR]

Those guys in the top photo look like newly captured POWs. Look at their somber facial expressions. Also, check out the left shoulderstrap on the Feldwebel in the background. It looks like the base was ripped out of the shoulder seam.

[jacquesf]

Paul, interesting observation. looks plausible to me. Jacques

Those guys in the top photo look like newly captured POWs. Look at their somber facial expressions. Also, check out the left shoulderstrap on the Feldwebel in the background. It looks like the base was ripped out of the shoulder seam.

[NickG]

Those guys in the top photo look like newly captured POWs. Look at their somber facial expressions. Also, check out the left shoulderstrap on the Feldwebel in the background. It looks like the base was ripped out of the shoulder seam.

I don't think so because one pilot is holding a map, another smoking a cigarette and more importantly all of them are wearing their belts it appears...so I assume with holstered side arms (that are not visible)...
A fellow WAF member PM'd me and stated that he knows the owner of this unique image and he may chime in, as it has writing on the back I am now finding out... I got it from a Russian (or Ukranian) site posting, but apparently it was an E-Bay sell (which was copied by others it appears... so now floating on the web...). The owner is now credited in the beginning of this thread !

[PaulR]

I look forward to learning more about what is really going on here.

IMHO, I would not find it completely out of place for a freshly captured POW to be carrying documents or smoking a butt. Perhaps, being turned in by the local civilians to the police? All speculation of course.

Regardless, it is a very interesting photo.

[hs132]

Hello, if they are POWs they certainly were not captured from a downed aircraft as they aren't wearing flight boots. Bill