Uniform study period image

[NickG]

Interesting image (around the time all hostilities ended) showing a Canadian Medic being inspected at the gate of a former German run POW camp which held Polish female POW's.
The caption (from the Canadian Nat'l Archives) reads as follows:
A Polish servicewoman in German uniform checking the identity card of Driver William Massey at the main gate of a German prisoner-of-war camp for female personnel of the Polish Army, located north of Haren, Germany, 7 May 1945.


Note the leather reenforced Guard coat / Watch Coat (wachtmantel)
Any examples out there? Looks like its got a hood even!

[GD/LW]

Are you sure this is a WWII photo ??? It looks more like a re-enactors of the '90's...
Jan

[chrisson007]

Are you sure this is a WWII photo ??? It looks more like a re-enactors of the '90's...
Jan

Also my opinion. This is not wartime.

[djpool]

I checked the archives and its wwii. heres the info:

Description trouvée dans les archives


<!-- Title --> Titre

A Polish servicewoman in German uniform checking the identity card of Driver William Massey at the main gate of a German prisoner-of-war camp for female personnel of the Polish Army, located north of Haren, Germany, 7 May 1945.

En ligne (1)
<!-- Version imprimable
--> Envoi par courriel



<!-- Arrangement Structure --> Structure du classement

Afficher la structure du classement

<!-- Date(s) --> Date(s)

May 7, 1945


<!-- Place of publication --> Lieu

Haren, Germany (vicinity)


<!-- Place of creation --> Lieu de création

Sans lieu, inconnu ou indéterminé


<!-- Extent --> Étendue

1 photograph ; 5 x 4 in.
Négatif - Film - N/B - film de sécurité


<!-- Conditions of Access --> Conditions d'accès

Documents iconographiques (photo)
90: Ouvert
Nil


Documents iconographiques (photo)
Négatif de copie PA-158895
90: Ouvert

<!-- Reference numbers --> No pièce (créateur)
53530

Autre no d'acquisition
1967-052 NPC



<!-- Terms of use --> Modalités d'utilisation

Credit: Lieut. Barney J. Gloster / Canada. Dept. of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-158895
Restrictions on use: Nil
Copyright: Expired


<!-- Additional name(s) --> Nom(s) additionnel(s)

Photographe : Gloster, Barney J.
Photographe : Gloster, Lieut. Barney J.


<!-- Additional information --> Information additionnelle

Titre de collection
Army


<!-- Subject heading --> Vedette-matière

1. Military - Personnel - Security - 1945/05/07.
2. Massey, William.
3. Germany - Haren - Environs.
4. Army.


<!-- Source --> Source

Gouvernement


<!-- Other system control number --> No de contrôle d'autres systèmes

DAPDCAP46128


<!-- MIKAN no. --> No MIKAN

3223740



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[Johnny R]

Why on earth would she be wearing a helmet and beyond that a heavy winter coat in May and not have a British or Soviet uniform if she was Free Forces? ? I have seen a lot of photos especially in ECPAD that I do not believe are real. I find this one hard to believe.

[werner]

Why on earth would she be wearing a helmet and beyond that a heavy winter coat in May and not have a British or Soviet uniform if she was Free Forces? ? I have seen a lot of photos especially in ECPAD that I do not believe are real. I find this one hard to believe.

And if you take a look of the right seat, i don't think the jeep were equiped with so smooth cover on their seats.

[Johnny R]

And if you take a look of the right seat, i don't think the jeep were equiped with so smooth cover on their seats.

Not saying this is fake but I imagine the ultimate thrill for reenactors is probably to get a fake photo in the archives

[phild]

And if you take a look of the right seat, i don't think the jeep were equiped with so smooth cover on their seats.

To play the other side: No vehicle restorer or reenactor would cover jeep seats in such fabric much less not match them! This is however very typical what war time soldiers did.

I also look at little details like the nature of the dust,dirt and grime bulit up on some of the jeep parts recessed areas....it looks pretty convincing to me.

[Johnny R]

The seats were terrible as was the ride, they put anything they could find on them for padding. I think the weird thing is the Woman and the helmet. It does not make sense unless it was staged period for the photo. She is pretty chubby in the cheeks for a POW, I do nto really understand the title "Polish Service Woman" meaning a female POW or active duty free forces?

[anmarlodz]

Those womens were POW's from Warsaw Uprising in 1944 ( don not mistake with Warsaw ghetto Jewish uprising in 1943 ) and these womens never had ( as most of soldier of Polish Home Army - the biggest and best organized uderworld army of occupied Europe ) a uniform . They have been taken to POW's in their civilian cloths in which they were fighting during Warsaw Uprising ( by the way we have this year a 65 universary of Warsaw uprising ).
So they simply were using what left in camps to distinguishe them from civilians.
I have seen such guarding overcoats for sale - at least 4 or 5 at german ebay, few here in Poland and in Czech republic.

[Johnny R]

The coat is real etc. no problem there but the helmet still makes no sense. I think they jammed a padded chair with the legs cut off between the two seats.

[werner]

The seats were terrible as was the ride, they put anything they could find on them for padding. I think the weird thing is the Woman and the helmet. It does not make sense unless it was staged period for the photo. She is pretty chubby in the cheeks for a POW, I do nto really understand the title "Polish Service Woman" meaning a female POW or active duty free forces?

I learned something today.
Thanks guys.

[Rose Heppler]

I agree with the padded chair. If you look at the back you can see how it tapers to a point, unlike the seats. Interesting photo

[Johnny R]

My father was in the War and said there were stories about peoples organ's Kidneys etc. tearing loose on the inside from the rough ride of the Jeep. Probably not true but enough to demonstrate the conditions

[NickG]

Not wanting to drift from the topic of the leather reenforced guard coat,
but the image is a real ww2 period image by Lt. Barney Gloster, a Canadian war photographer. The added center "seat" in the jeep is not really intended for a 3rd person riding in the front because it would not allow to shift the gears, but this "bridge" created between the driver and passenger seats was done so that the driver could "bunk down" in his jeep (take a nap while laying flat on this "bench". That's all. (I was a military truck driver stationed in Germany and know all about such unofficial modifications).
A modern reenactor btw would not do that, further proof that the image is period and not a reenactor shot. Still does not answer the question why the Polish gal is wearing a German helmet... Maybe it was done to give her some authority while at her post (at the POW camp main gate entrance) to check entry passes...

This is what I wanted to discuss (WHITE arrow)...any examples out there?