Trick question: what do we have here?

[NickG]

True ! Like I already stated that scrap material unrelated to the branch was used
to construct the underside of shoulderstraps.
I have a LW Feldwebel strap set with underside in RAD brown too...

but what is the guy in post#14 you guys think? Any guesses on his branch?
(again Beaver had it wrong in his book... the shoulderstraps misleading him as being SS...)

The strap is obviously not typical German construction based on the tongue, which to me is also a clue
on the branch!!
Any more guesses?

[chrischa]

I would guess he's a driver or similar as he's armed with a pistol but not an nco.

Is he organisation todt or transport Speer?

Clearly he has a mismatch of uniform.

[NickG]

I would guess he's a driver or similar as he's armed with a pistol but not an nco.

Is he organisation todt or transport Speer?

Clearly he has a mismatch of uniform.

Bingo! Yes! OT.

He is Org Todt, but decided to embellish his uniform a little bit..It's clearly and OT pattern brown M40 tunic with added stuff...but not wearing an OT armband for some reason...
Maybe he was a tank driver (hence the minimal gear) and chose to wear a black Pz cap? and pick3ed up some unrelated non-OT insignia while getting armed forces weapons/driving training?

OT usually did not wear shoulderstraps but their security detail did. The unit was called "OT=Shutzkommando"and was fully armed, motorized and was responsible for jobsite security.
They wore Waffen SS like shoulderstraps in black with white piping, and this explains the brown backing. Also the strange tongue construction could be explained as foreign made...
OT operated mostly outside of the Reich...(Atlantic Wall etc...)

[NickG]

More examples! They even operated "tankettes" usually beute vehicles of little combat value...pr obsolete German ones like Pzkw I or II
Credit goes to as tagged!

[NickG]

More examples of OT Schutzkommando! the only branch of OT that wore such black SS-like shoulderstraps. (regular OT men had no shoulder insignia at all)
Based on the brown underside color and odd construction (foreign made strap? Atlantic Wall? ) I have a feeling its OT security, which is rare,
and can easily be confused with Waffen SS infantry... hence putting this thread here..in case you run across similar ones but described as SS infantry...

[billmunny]

thanks, Nick!

Love this thread!

[chrischa]

Thanks for the fun Nick!

Great to make it clear. I knew the OT operated in 'war zones' but I didn't know they had (obsolete) panzers.

Cheers,
Chris.

[Thorsten B.]

Indeed - a great thread!

[ValhallaMilitaria]

Great thread-many thanks to Nick for starting it.

[NickG]

Thanks guys! Here another set of examples

The period image is a Spaniard in OT Schutzkommando. He most likely was recruited through the OT Dienststelle in France.

The Flemish OT security uniform belongs to a forum member from Belgium, credit goes to as tagged.
Note what looks like SS shoulderstraps but brown backed...here very thick white edge piping...also foreign made?
(mostly foreign Freiwilligen were involved!)

[Erik]

Thanks your effort Nick! Learned something new today. WAF at it's best!

Erik