Waffen SS Sanitäter

[Fritz]

Hello,
I am starting this thread for a member that asked me to show a larger view on a picture I have posted before. The picture shows a Waffen SS Sanitäter during the operations in the west in 1940. If you have pictures or information to share please use this thread.

This picture originates from the period book "Waffen-SS im Westen".

[Fritz]

2

[Fritz]

3

[Fritz]

4

[Fritz]

Here is another picture, this one originates from a ss recruiting booklet. It was apparently taken in russia in 41. I once heard that it wasn't common for german medics in russia to wear any type of red cross mark.

[Kreager]

off topic but Pic#4 is an awesome photo.

[Admiraal]

I once heard that it wasn't common for german medics in russia to wear any type of red cross mark.

Thats true, because the Russians didn't care if someone carried a red-cross band, to them a soldier was a soldier.

[Jan B]

Hello Sir

Thanks for starting this new thread!

Hard to say if the MG-ammunition boxes bear hand-painted red crosses but it was definatly done. And if not painted, I'm sure they contain medical kit. Great picture!


It was indeed rather uncommon to wear any medical/neutrality sign on the eastern front. It is a fact that the russians didn't sign/recognised the Geneva-convention.

Especially after the germans got in defense. A red cross was a perfect (practice)target for the russians!

Therefore armbands, flags,etc...were the longer the less used, let alone medical painted helmets and ID vests, like on other fronts.


Thanks again

Cheers

Jan

[Jan B]

Although no SS,

"Low profile" was of the highest importance...

(not sure to who this picture belongs, but I found it on the net years ago. Supposed to have been taken on the eastern front).

[Fritz]

Here is another vehicle of a medic unit, this one is of "Das Reich" during the early stages of the campaign against the USSR. It seems as if there are the remains of a unit that became victim of an air strike to the right, apparently a soviet unit.

I have also heard many times from veterans that the red cross didn't mean that much. I have however never heard that a british unit (that excludes commonwealth units) has attacked a vehicle or person marked with a red cross. And I have asked the veterans for that directly. US troops, canadians etc. they all have reportedly attacked red cross marked vehicles and so on. I am not saying that this was the rule but reportedly it happened, especially the USAAF didn't pay that much attention to red crosses I was told. So it was not a "soviet thing" it seems.

The dead medic looks like a 44 france KIA to me, the uniform and boots would fit that time frame and the picture style reminds me of these taken by the US signal corps. That's just a guess of course.

The other picture with the truck is very impressive.

Cheers


Fritz

[Bobwirtz]

The USAAF and RAF were shooting up EVERYTHING on the roads in Northern France during the Invasion. The Germans quickly painted out the red cross and white circles and camouflaged their ambulances and hospitals. Thousands of French refugees fleeing the Invasion area were also shot up by fighter-bombers of the USAAF and RAF.

Here's a nice Waffen-SS medical doctor's tunic that survived the war. It's a classic SS M1937 styled tunic in light-weight material --- Berlin tailor's label --- silver bullion sleeve eagle and caduseus ciphers on the shoulder boards.




Bob

[Matthew S.]

Question: why do none of the men in picture #4 appear to be wearing collar tabs?

[Bobwirtz]

If the photo is from the Battle of France the SS were ordered to remove their collar tabs for security reasons... also that is the same time when the numbers came off of the runic tabs.

Bob