SS Tropical Uniform

[lohengrin]

Hi guys,

I have a question about this tropical SS uniform. I know it is perhaps stupid, but why was he issued a tropical uniform? Did the Deutschland Div. fought in the tropical climates? What other WSS formations were issued such uniforms (With the exception of the SS-Polizei Division)? Also, can anyone date this photo?

Thanks,

Mark

[naxos]

That is an Italian sahariana tunic - the picture is probably taken in Italy.

Can you post a close-up of the cuff title?

[billbert]

Reichsfurher SS was in corsica...Billbert Also greece ..
I m sure if russia hadnt become a meat grinder and if the forces in afrika hadnt cumbled under lack of supply and overwelming forces they d have become involved in north afrika..Supplys at the ready but the war played out differnetly..JMHO Billbert

[lohengrin]

Thanks for the answers guys!!

Naxos: It is really hard to read it... I think the photo came from WSS-Deutschland collection...

Also the belt buckle seems strange... or maybe it is the angle...

[lohengrin]

Forgot to mention Naxos: The photo was taken in Germany.

[naxos]

The 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich" was stationed in southern France in May of 1944.

[Mike C]

The 1st (LAH), 16th (RFSS), 24th (Karstjaeger) and 29th W-SS Divisions served in Italy; the 4th (Polizei) in Greece. This picture could have been of a soldier posted from the 2d Division (DR) to a unit serving in Italy where he would have retained his cufftitle if his new unit had not yet been awarded one. There is a good picture of an officer (with APB and DF cufftitle) serving in the 24th Division in northern Italy.

Mike

[lohengrin]

Thanks Mike...

Great Info... Now, the WSS formations in southern Russia and the Adriatic,would they wear these "Saharina" tunics? Also, I am told that some SS troops were operating in northern Africa as members of an Einsatzkommando of the Sicherheitsdienst. I think it was in Tunis (Gordon Williamson & Thomas Mc Guirl's book on "German Military Cuffbands"). Would they wear these tunics? I just looked around a bit and it seems that they were introduced in 1943. Anyway, thanks very much for the info. It seems this guy was indeed transferred from the Deutschland Division to either the 1rst., 4th., 16th. or the 24th...

Mark

PS: Here is a photo of 4 guys in Saharina tunics from the SS-Polizei...

[Mike C]

Hi Mark,

Having owned a couple of light, summer tunics - my sense is that the W-SS personnel serving in southern Russia were not authorized to draw the tropical uniform but rather improvised through field tailoring of light weight uniforms (often using material from Soviet ground sheets) or by acquiring HBT tunics. I am not certain about the W-SS forces in Yugoslavia but I don't remember seeing any images of the 7th Prinz Eugen or 500 SS-FJ-Batallion wearing the sahariana uniform

If your soldier was posted to the 1st/4th/16th SS - he would have worn the cufftitles of those formations. More likely, he served with the 24th or (less likely) 29th Divisions...

It is hard to tell but could his cufftitle be Der Fuhrer? The reason I ask is that this initially an Austrian standarte - and I believe that several Austrians from the South Tyrol were posted to the 24th Division which operated in this general region.

Mike

[Bobwirtz]

There is also the well-known photograph of two Waffen-SS soldiers surrendering at the end of the war in Austria or Northern Italy. The one soldier up front is wearing a tropical shorts with tropical field cap along with his Continental gray-green wool tunic. The cuffband on the tunic is either Der Fuhrer or Das Reich and he is also wearing 5 badges including the Anti-Partisan Warfare Badge.

Bob

[Mike C]

Hi Bob,

That is the image I was referring to in post #7 above. This was actually one of a series of images that clearly showed his DF cufftitle. This officer was identified as serving with the 24th W-SS Division, predominately engaged in anti-partisan fighting in North-Eastern Italy.

Mike

[lohengrin]

Gentlemen,

Thanks very much for the info and great help. It is really hard to read the cufftitle... I am almost sure the first two letters are "DE" (Deutschland, Der Führer). Now, if he belonged to one of these formations, would not he had the small numbers 1 or 3 on the collar tab? Also, after these two regiments were absorbed into Das Reich, would not he be issued the DAS REICH cufftitle... Why is he still walking around in 1943 (or later) with Deutschland or Der Führer cufftitle?

I guess it is just a bit confusing for me...

Thanks Mark

[Mike C]

Hi Mark,

Many regiments (and even abteilungs) retained their cufftitles throughout the war; within Das Reich both the panzer grenadier regiments (Deutschland and DF) keep their cufftitles throughout while all other units worn the DR cufftitle. Numbered collartabs were pre-war and were not often seen during the period 1939-1945.

Mike

[C. Kleijn]

Other units where we can see tropical uniforms are "Handschar" and "Totenkopf", although not on such a scale as with the SS-Polizei-Division or RF-SS.

Unfortunately, I can't say anything about the wonderful picture which started this thread. Hard to say which cufftitle he is wearing. Might even be "Germania" (Latin version). Very interesting though!

Cees

[Horrido!]

How about one of you gents post the picture you speak about in post #7 and later. I can't remember this photo off hand, but would love to see it. Thanks all.

Alex