KM men attached to Volksgrenadier Divisions in the Rhineland, which uniforms wore?

[km-spain]

Hello all, I have just bought this nice helmet. Most of the few KM helmets known with this "Rhineland" camouflage squeme come from from 29th US Infantry División veterans and were captured in the Roer River battles in the Aachen sector.

My question is, did these men attached to the VGDs wear KM fieldgrey uniforms or regular Heer uniforms?

[km-spain]

Here a picture I have found on internet of a man, probably part of a VGD, captured near Aachen, wearing a M43 Heer feldbluse with the Schnellboot badge.

[km-spain]

And here a photo in my collection with a man wearing a Heer feldbluse M42 with Marine shoulder boards, collar patches and buttons. note that in the picture seems that the hip pockets are of slash type like in the KA fledbluse, but this is not a KM tunic, it has 6 buttons while KM model had only 5, and you can see clearly the front eyelets for the belt hooks that were omited in the KA tunics. Could be an optical effect in the picture or a modificated tunic?

Perhaps one of these men of the VGD?

[compressore]

In my opinion at this stage of the war they wore what was available.

If they were coming in field gray already, they kept what thy had...blue ones were given what was available.

[km-spain]

Probably as easy as that ...

[Ian Jewison]

I have a few Soldbuch's to KM members that transferred to Army in late 1944 and they were issued Army field grey kit.

However in the photo you posted he is Coastal Artillery and appears to be wearing the field grey uniform issued to coastal artillery as he has anchors on the buttons?

/Ian

[km-spain]

Ian thanks for your replay, very interesting. Any of them transfered to a VGD?

As I said in my previous post, this man is wearing a Heer M42 feldblose, 6 buttons and front eyelets for hooks, so not a configuration for a KA-KM feldbuse. This is the only picture, and never seen a tunic like this, that I have seen of this style of tunic in use by a KM man. If in the picture the hip pockets were visible I have no doubts that is a Heer tunic with KM insignias, but seems that these were removed, so could be a KA man wearing a modificated Heer tunic, or
a KM man transfered to Heer wearing a Heer tunic which had added the KM insignias.

[Ian Jewison]

A few of them ended up in Volks Grenadier units.....will dig them out.....one of the gentlemen I used to correspond with and he sent me photos of himself in both KM and Heer uniform.

/Ian

[Ian Jewison]

This thread has images of my Soldbuch and photos....also another Volks Gren. Soldbuch......additionally the first photo you show in this thread is also there!

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=766321

/Ian

[compressore]

Transfer

I have a few Soldbuch's to KM members that transferred to Army in late 1944 and they were issued Army field grey kit.

/Ian

Seems both were coming from "blue" units. Interesting the stroked entry in the first one.. Seems he was ordered to a technical course for machinist (SMA = Schffs Maschinen Ausbidlungsabteilung), but than transferred to the Heer..more urgent needs.....


Second Soldbuch served on Minensuchboot M10 2. Flottille (minesweepers) before the transfer.
Christian

[km-spain]

Ian thanks for the link, very interesting

As Christian pointed out these two men came from blue units, so is more probably that the received Heer uniforms

[Andy C.]

Informative thread for me Eduardo, nice addition Ian...

[raulrubio]

Helmet

Nice helmet, Eduardo. Are you working on a new book?