SS Tunic and Smock - 1944

[Lorenz]

Hello mike!
Congrats!
very nice and rappresentative set!
By lorenz

Thank you for the comments on the set. It is minty but again exactly (perhaps) what a young grenadier would receive on joining the division. The smock was certainly not cheap and could only be acquired through partial trade/cash - but it was an opportunity too good to pass by. The same goes for the oakleaf HBT smocks - rare beyond words and I let one slip by. Sigh....

The tunic has all insignia original to it but is virtually mint. I can trace the provenance back about 30 years and know where it was before then...

As for the 12th SS - very hard, but not completely impossible, to find material from them.

Mike

[pete]

"You have to remember that the 12th and the Canucks had some serious bad blood going on between them by this point, and prisoners were not being taken on both sides.."

I can remember getting into it with the moderator and owner of a well known commonwealth forum about that I couldnt remember the name of. I made refrence to a new book in the late 90s which was supposed to come out which was dealing with allied war crimes which was mentioned in Canadian military magazine, esprit des corps as an add. I dont think the book was ever released due to controversy in the UK but that doesnt mean i made all that up- which he eluded to. He was adoment that this never ever happened. A couple of sons and grandsons of cdn Vets from D day had different stories to say but all were in context and respectful. People are awfully naive if they think every human is not capable of the worst when you add the filter of mixed emotions, rage. We cant look at history through our own filter or we loose the true context. While I thank our veterans for what they did nobody can really understand the whole truth unless they were there.

[Doug Kenwright]

Hi Pete..yes it is interesting that in the context of collecting you run up against facts that don't quite fit the 'truisms' we have come to understand since the war.It is quite remarkable that in some places (as evidenced by Mark Bando..) the American airborne were more than willing to collect the souvenirs of a vanquished enemy, whereas the Canadians, fighting the SS for a much longer period of time, took very little.

One can only take from this that familiarity does indeed breed contempt, where nothing the enemy has is of any value to you whatsoever..

Apart from insignia taken for identification, there just did not seem to be any great interest in taking cloth insignia from the HJ-SS..

[Mike C]

A modest image of the autumn side of the smock - shows a very late war pattern juxtaposed with an earlier blurred edge camo segment.

Mike

[Scott A. Hess]

Mike I want one just like yours! The condition, vibrant colors, and pattern! Just hope I can find one !

[besslein]

A modest image of the autumn side of the smock - shows a very late war pattern juxtaposed with an earlier blurred edge camo segment.

Mike

yes its realy late war pattern,here my early one

[The Sorrow]

Interesting story Doug and btw nice smock Mike

[wagnerr]

Please. Can anybody put here backside photo of tunic (i wanna use this as texture in game)

More blured edge summer side