Opinions on SS tropica totenkopf

[NickG]

Nope.

Nope? Well it was done...tropical eagles on camo uniforms...
See this untouched US vet bring-back
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ghlight=beaver

[bwanek1]

Nope? Well it was done...tropical eagles on camo uniforms...
See this untouched US vet bring-back
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ghlight=beaver

Yes, that tunic is one example which (assuming, for the sake of argument, the eagle is unquestionably period-applied, which has not been absolutely established), shows that in at least on instance, a tropical eagle was used on a uniform other than a tropical tunic. That is FAR from evidence that it was a regular practice and certainly does nothing to support your assertion that these eagles were intended for such use.

Tropical eagles were just that...tropical. There is no known period German reference which indicates that they had any other purpose/use than on tropical uniforms. Might some have been used on non-tropical uniforms at some point as a non-regulation substitute for the standard grey eagles when they were in short supply due to wartime shortages? Sure. However, such use would remain non-standard/non-regulation.

Look, it was wartime and all we are all aware of all sorts of strange things were done to support the war effort. However, these were exceptions to the rules, not intended and not common. Could that non-regulation skull have been applied to a non-regulation piece of cammo during wartime? Anything is possible, but the odds for that setup being authentic are so small as to render them effectively zero. By contrast, sellers looking to increase their profits have been pushing the abundant tropical insignia as "cammo" to make them sound sexier, as well as attaching unissued bring-backs to scraps of material of all sorts to make them look like "cut-offs" for decades. It is a HUGE leap of faith to believe this piece to be an ultra-rare example of a non-regulation piece, rather than a common seller's fantasy Frankenstein creation.

[NickG]

Tropical eagles were just that...tropical.

Look, it was wartime and all we are all aware of all sorts of strange things were done to support the war effort.

It is a HUGE leap of faith to believe this piece to be an ultra-rare example of a non-regulation piece, rather than a common seller's fantasy Frankenstein creation.

You are most likely right, but don't always discount everything. Having an open mind is not a bad thing with this hobby... but I see your point... waisting money is!