Photo with Uniform Question

[Thälmannpionier]

Hello!

I recently bought this Photo from the E-Stand and would really like to know what kind of Uniform these 3 Gents are wearing.(Afrika SS ??)

also the one Police Men in the middle Background looks like he has a very dark skin..almost like a black men.

Any Infos are very welcome

Regards
Andreas

[Thälmannpionier]

1

[Thälmannpionier]

2

[Gary Wood]

they are wearing tropical ss uniforms, could you highlight the guy wearing this uniform far right please?
cheers
Gary

[Gary Wood]

also the one Police Men in the middle Background looks like he has a very dark skin..almost like a black men.

Yes he does somewhat like this guy below
cheers
Gary

[Thälmannpionier]

they are wearing tropical ss uniforms, could you highlight the guy wearing this uniform far right please?
cheers
Gary

Hello Gary

Thanks for the Info

here we go..men from far right

[Thälmannpionier]

one more

[Gary Wood]

I am not that up on police uniforms so maybe some one else might have more info but maybethey are feldgendarmerie as they are not wearing police shoulder straps although they are wearing what look like police combat tunics, pleated top pockets un-pleated lower pockets
cheers
Gary

[RD Rygaard]

Andreas:


I can DEFINATELY tell you this photo was taken in corsica in 1943. Its from police SS div. This is an extra photo from an album I own.There were 4 copies of this pic loose w/ the album.I would think this dark man is of moorish descent (note his arabic skin tone & asiatic eyes) very prevelent in Greece & southern Italy.Hope this is of some help! Below please find a scan of the same. Regards Rich



PS: Funny how these photos circulate around the globe!






QUOTE=Thälmannpionier]Hello!

I recently bought this Photo from the E-Stand and would really like to know what kind of Uniform these 3 Gents are wearing.(Afrika SS ??)

also the one Police Men in the middle Background looks like he has a very dark skin..almost like a black men.

Any Infos are very welcome

Regards
Andreas[/QUOTE]

[Basil]

The extended red sensitivity of black and white film at this time often darkened the skin of people who had very red skins, making them look somewhat 'blacker' than they actually were. The effect is somewhat similar to what would happen if you put a light blue filter on your lens with modern b & w film. This can make a blond/fair skinned individual, whose skin has turned very red in the sun, appear to be almost Mediterranean.

[frank savage]

Reichsführer SS

Hallo 'RD Rygaard' and everybody!

If the pics are takes in corsica, the men in tropical uniform belonged to the 'Reichsführer SS batallion', that was there in the summer of 1943.
here's some info:

Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS was originally formed within Himmler's Headquarters Staff [Kommandostab RFSS] on 15 May 1941 at the SS Barracks at Oranienburg.

In February 1943 Hitler ordered that this escort battaillon, having proved itself in battle, be upgraded to the status of an assault brigade or Sturmbrigade thus Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS was established. It was stationed on the island of Corsica in the summer of 1943.

On 2 October 1943 Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS was used to establish the 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer SS. Just prior to this in September 1943 the Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS was reformed with 4 Companies and a separate Feldpostnummer.

Then in June 1944 it appears that the reformed Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS was exchanged with the II. Bataillon of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 35 of the 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer SS.

The 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer SS continued to fight in Italy until February 1945 and then to Hunagry in February and March 1945 and then the Steiermark in April and May 1945. The fate of the Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS is not clear...

cheers

[Bobwirtz]

I'd concur with Frank here... they're a mix of Waffen-SS from the RFSS Brigade and police units. There are some nice photos of the 4. SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier-Division wearing these Sahariana uniforms in Greece but that was in 1944. The couldn't be them because the policemen around them would all be wearing SS insignia and not police. The 4. SS-Polizei-Division started out wearing the SS styled sleeve eagle and then slowly transformed all of their police insignia to SS by 1943.

Really nice picture showing variety of uniforms, caps and insignia...

Bob

[Thälmannpionier]

WOW!!

It's amazing how much you all can read out of one photo.

Thank you very much everybody for your help.
It is much appreciated!

..and Im happy about this photo

Regards
Andreas

[Donald Abenheim]

Organisationsbuch d. NSDAP

Hallo 'RD Rygaard' and everybody!

If the pics are takes in corsica, the men in tropical uniform belonged to the 'Reichsführer SS batallion', that was there in the summer of 1943.
here's some info:

Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS was originally formed within Himmler's Headquarters Staff [Kommandostab RFSS] on 15 May 1941 at the SS Barracks at Oranienburg.

In February 1943 Hitler ordered that this escort battaillon, having proved itself in battle, be upgraded to the status of an assault brigade or Sturmbrigade thus Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS was established. It was stationed on the island of Corsica in the summer of 1943.

On 2 October 1943 Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS was used to establish the 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer SS. Just prior to this in September 1943 the Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS was reformed with 4 Companies and a separate Feldpostnummer.

Then in June 1944 it appears that the reformed Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS was exchanged with the II. Bataillon of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 35 of the 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer SS.

The 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer SS continued to fight in Italy until February 1945 and then to Hunagry in February and March 1945 and then the Steiermark in April and May 1945. The fate of the Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS is not clear...

cheers

Consult the pages of the Organisationsbuch d. NSDAP 5th ed. of 1938 for mention of the antecedent organization , a Sturmbann z. besonderen Verfuegung d. RFSS ca. 1938. Is this the same cadre that, much later, formed this later unit?

[RD Rygaard]

Very good point frank! I just assumed it was police because the album has a pic of one of the men in the album w/ a SS police cufftitle.I should have know about RFSS as my grandfather was in this div & was captured in Italy...lol I really should read up more ....Id be happy to post more from this grouping if it would be of help? Warmest regards Rich

Hallo 'RD Rygaard' and everybody!

If the pics are takes in corsica, the men in tropical uniform belonged to the 'Reichsführer SS batallion', that was there in the summer of 1943.
here's some info:

Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS was originally formed within Himmler's Headquarters Staff [Kommandostab RFSS] on 15 May 1941 at the SS Barracks at Oranienburg.

In February 1943 Hitler ordered that this escort battaillon, having proved itself in battle, be upgraded to the status of an assault brigade or Sturmbrigade thus Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS was established. It was stationed on the island of Corsica in the summer of 1943.

On 2 October 1943 Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS was used to establish the 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer SS. Just prior to this in September 1943 the Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS was reformed with 4 Companies and a separate Feldpostnummer.

Then in June 1944 it appears that the reformed Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS was exchanged with the II. Bataillon of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 35 of the 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer SS.

The 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer SS continued to fight in Italy until February 1945 and then to Hunagry in February and March 1945 and then the Steiermark in April and May 1945. The fate of the Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer SS is not clear...

cheers