DUMB A-SS Question I Should Know

[DonC]

Was the black Algemeine-SS uniform worn during the war years or did all SS units convert to Feldgrau?

Don

[SSgentleman]

black uniform was for walking out / parade dress during early years. wearing of it was ceased when the war break out. however i do remember seeing in pictures, ASS black uniforms being worn during war years. also germanic ss foreign group do wear them too.

[Naval Enigma]

Was the black Algemeine-SS uniform worn during the war years or did all SS units convert to Feldgrau?

Don

My understanding is it was "retired" in 1941 and members were to turn in their old uniforms to help with the cloth shortage. There are pictures of the uniform in wear throughout the war so it wasn't strictly enforced.

The intention may have been to make the SS look more "military."

My understanding is the black uniform was to come back into use after the war.

Another recent thread http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=422244 has more black/feldgrau info.

[DonC]

Thank you, gentlemen.

dc

[Robin Lumsden]

Full-time salaried SS men wore grey during the war.

Part-time non-paid staff continued to wear black.

That's it in a nutshell.

[MauserKar98k]

I have to admit, that is a pretty witty thread title.

[Robin Lumsden]

I have to admit, that is a pretty witty thread title.

[DonC]

I DO try to entertain when I can! Thanks, guys, for your help - it's actually a question that I have wondered about for some time - there is such a paucity of photos of the black uniform in wear post-1939. I am glad there is some photographic evidence that shows them still in use!

Don

[juoneen]

They also wore brown for one year or so before black.

[Naval Enigma]

Full-time salaried SS men wore grey during the war.

Part-time non-paid staff continued to wear black.

That's it in a nutshell.

Thank you for that. Do you have any idea of within the culture of the SS which was the "cool" uniform?

[wewelsburg]

The brown "erdgrau" or earth grey was worn by TK camp personnell and VT other than teh LAH who had a special fieldgrey version early on I believe.

[HPL2008]

The brown "erdgrau" or earth grey was worn by TK camp personnell and VT other than teh LAH who had a special fieldgrey version early on I believe.

Actually, brown and erdgrau were two different colors:

erdgrau (earth grey) = worn by the SSVT
erdbraun (earth brown) = worn by the SSTV

...plus feldgrau (field grey) for the LSSAH before everything was consolidated into field grey for all of them.

[Johnny R]

There was a great story I heard from a US Vet where a town was surrendered in 1945 by a Burgermeister wearing the Black SS Uniform with dagger and visor etc. The US officer accepted the surrender and then told him the war was over and for him to change out of his F...ng Nazi Chimneysweep outfit before some one shot him."

[PMan]

Major Hochstetter

Let's not forget Major Hochstetter.

[DonC]

...who was a Standartenführer, by the by...

Don