Norwegian Div. Wiking picture with Der Fuhrer insignia

[Bax]

Hi,

Not often I have something this historical to post, but I got this picture from the E- stand which I find very interesting.

The first Norwegian volunteers to Div. Wiking travelled to Germany in early 1941. The first two contingents (about 250 persons) where all sent to Der Fuhrer regiment and trained there (even though they had signed up for Wiking). They where given Der Fuhrer insignia, tabs, cuff titles ect. Pictures of Norweginas using the SS3 tab exist.

After the initial training period they where transferred (back) to Div. Wiking and the below picture is taken in May 1941 of Vidkun Quisling (Norwegian NS party leader) and a Norwegian officer in the area of Heuberg where Div. Wiking was set up and prepared for the upcoming battle in Russia. He is clearly seeing using the Der Fuhrer cuff title. He was assigned to the staff of Rgt. Germania in Div. Wiking. Quisling is dressed in NS Party uniform.

This is the reason we sometimes find Der Fuhrer insignia in Norway. Der Fuhrer was not a unit Norwegians, in general, served in.

This Norwegian officer was part of the early volunteers to join Wiking and he was one of the people we see being trained in Der Fuhrer. Before the war he held the rank of a Norwegian army captain. He also served in Den Norske Legion. He got EKII.

Hope you find it interesting.

Rgds
Pål

[Felix]

Its an interesting story and it is true what you say about finding Der Fuhrer items in Norway

Nice photo!

[jimt]

df

In the picture posted "is the cufftitle made in the gothic pattern or the block pattern?"
jimtoncar

[Bax]

In the picture posted "is the cufftitle made in the gothic pattern or the block pattern?"
jimtoncar

Hi Jim,

I have tried to make a picture that might help seeing the letters better.

Rgds
Pål

[Felix]

It certainly looks like a latin script Der Fuhrer cuff. Looks very close to a few other embroidered bullion block letter Der Fuhrer I have seen.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Nice

Nice picture

[maxmin todt]

Norwegian SS- Unterstürmfuhrer?

Hi

Interesting pic.

Yes the Norwegian who sign for W-SS in january 1941 (approx 200 men) went first to Graz and did train in Heuberg (stuttgart) for some months befor they join Wiking.
But I dont think many of the men had SS- Unterstürmfuhrer rank at this time...in may. The only man I know is Olaf Lindvig (he was a norwegian officer before ho join the W-SS)


mvh maxmilian

[Bax]

Hi Maxmilian,

I beleive there wehre several Norwegians that joined Waffen SS that started with a officer rank based on their rank from the prewar Norwegian army. Not many of them got to lead troops and therefore you will see most of them in staff positions. The ones leding troops I beleive, with exeptions, was the ones trained and educated within waffen ss and had showed the necesary qualifications in battle. Quite a few kept their prewar officer rank in Den Norske Legion and in the Norwegian Skibattalion. Both men (Quist and Halle) leading these units had been preawar officers and was given officers rank by the germans as well. These units can't be directly compared to Wiking, but we do find norwegians that started out as officers in Wiking as well.

I have verified the picture with several historians and the one is identifed. He held an officer rank in the norwegian army before the war and started out as an officer in a staff position (most likely as the germans did not beleive the qualifisations for leding troops was present). The germans was looking for people that would enlist to waffen ss and keeping relations was important. Instead of rejecting these prewar officers, often with NS connections, was not necesary as they could fill staff positions. Some was of course sent home as they just did not fit in.

Rgds
Pål

[NickG]

Does the visor cap have some kind of military manouvers colored ID cap band?
Looks wrinkled even...
Its definitely not black what you would expect with SS visors...

[LDR]

it does look like its got a band over it, wonder what it is?

[Mike Bollow]

There's a Norwiegen SS veteran "Der Fuhrer" cuff-title and ID disk set onthe e-stand right now!

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=304295

[maxmin todt]

Hi Pål!

I guess your right. Thanks for your info.


mvh maxmillian

[Palmenmuster]

I agree with Pål, rare picture. As stated, fact is that a lot of Freivilligen Norwegians went to Germany in 1941, got their basics in Der Fuhrer and serwed in Wiking. Not many left or items with provenance.

Best regards, Tom

[wewelsburg]

i love

love those ns uniforms,and the black allgemeine ones too,very cool ,especially Quislings.

[Tor]

2. /E SS Der Führer - With many Norwegians

This photos is from 2./E SS Der Führer. The man who gave me this photo is the same man who I got the "Der Führer" cuff-title and the SS-VT DF dog tag from. According to him, a lot of the persons on this photo are Norwegians. He couldn't remember how many, but in his "zug" there were only Norwegians. The NCO's and officers were all Germans or Austrians.

The photo is taken during the summer of 1941, prior to Barbarossa.