Luftwaffe member of Hitler's Personal Aircraft SS LAH Unit ??

[byf]

This is an original large photo which can be found in my german collection. The luftwaffe obergefreiter wears an early flight blouse with leibstandarte ss Adolf Hitler cufftitle. I have never seen similar picture so I would be grateful for any information. Many thanks in advance! Adam

[jacquesf]

Wow, interesting . A first for me. Jacques

[Hundestaffel]

Simply a fantastik photo.

One possible explanation for this is that before transfer to the Luftwaffe, this fellow was a member of the LSSAH and carried over (i.e. "unofficially souvenired") his SS sleeveband from that unit to his new Luftwaffe unit - a sort of "Personal Traditions Ritual" - an unofficial, but not uncommon, practice which unquestionably occured in a number of cross-branch transfers (Interestingly, one of my very good collecting friends has a matching SS / Luftwaffe Wehrpass / Soldbuch set with the Wehrpass being issued to the soldier while he was in the LSSAH, Soldbuch issued later by the Luftwaffe upon his transfer to them. While a Luftwaffe member, this fellow was awarded the Anti-Partisan Badge in Bronze (entered in both the Wehrpass and Soldbuch), qualifying for the AP Badge after a number of low-level AP attack support missions).

Although I very well could be wrong, I don't think (for a multitude of reasons, including that this fellows tabs look to be red - Flak) were looking at a member of "Hitler's Personal LSSAH Aircraft" - just a proud ex-LSSAH man now serving with the Luftwaffe.

Just imagine the number of people who would immediately write off the tunic pictured as "pieced together fantasy crap", blah, blah, blah, if it walked into your local Gun Show or the shop of your favorite Militaria Dealer....


"Hundestaffel"

[Naval Enigma]

Fantastic! This tunic if found today would never be trusted.

The branch color looks dark, I wonder if he is signals? Does not look like flight yellow.

[JoeW]

Weren't flak units attached to the guard at the Fuhrer Hauptquartier? And also units on the Sonderzug? Check Hoffman's book.

[JWL]

Looks like you man didn't survived the war... Sadly I haven't saved the other side.

[Hundestaffel]

JoeW:

A quick look at Hoffman's book (1st Edition) mentions Hitler's Train ("Amerika" on page 64) as early on having two armored Anti-Aircraft Cars (2 cm guns) with a 26 man crew (unfortunately the unit manning the guns is not identified, insignia / uniform specifics not given).

P. 171 mentions that at the beginning of February 1942 a newly constructed tower for an Anit-Aircraft Battery (Reichs Chancellery) was manned by men of the No. 1 Flak Division.

P. 229 and 235 ("Wolfschanze") mentions the Fuhrer Flak Abteilung and the Fuhrer Luft Nachricten Abteilung, but (again) unfortunately no mention is made of the composition of these units, nor are any uniform details given.

At any rate, IMO (but I definitely could be wrong here) this fellow was a proud ex-LSSAH member still (unofficially) sporting the insignia of his old unit, and not affiliated with a Flak unit associated with any of Hitler's transport or residences.


"Hundestaffel"

[wessel]

I don't have it to hand, but I think there is a photo of a Luftwaffe Officer wearing a LAH cuff-title in Davis' 'Luftwaffe Uniforms' (Not sure if Vol 1 or Vol 2).

[Mike C]

I wonder if LW personnel attached to either the 1st SS Panzer Division (LAH) or 1st SS Panzer Corps (LAH) would have unofficially (or officially?) adopted the cufftitle. There were air liaison personnel more or less pernamently attached at each level - perhaps this individual was a signaller. In addition there was the Corps' "fliegerstaffel 1" with Storch aircraft - with aircraft marked with the skeleton key. The Bender and Taylor series (vol 2; pgs 76-77) has a picture of one of these aircraft and a W-SS NCO with aircrew (reconnaisance?) wings and pilots badge. Perhaps some of the air or ground crew came from the LW and retained their uniforms.

Random thoughts...

Mike

[Lasse L]

Very nice photo. I know of a photo of a lw officer wearing a wiking cuff. He was attached to the division as pilot of a storch connected to the HQ section, if my memory serves me right.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Well!

Very nice photo. I know of a photo of a lw officer wearing a wiking cuff. He was attached to the division as pilot of a storch connected to the HQ section, if my memory serves me right.

Everybody wanted to be in the SS, well until the END....