Estonian SS Officer collar tab set

[D Davies]

Thanks for posting better pics William i can't wait for it to arrive.Looking close at the reverse picture there is signs of wear on the piping and the lose of the white stich lines in places makes me beleve this tab has seen use.
Thanks again
Cheers
Dave.

[sam1chlt]

Nice find William!

[all1knew]

This set came back with a M35 DD SS camo as well. Naturally, and geographically speaking, Estonia is far away from where the US soldiers were, but I believe most of the Estonian SS Officer's made it back to the US forces to surrender and escaped the Russians. Yes, IMO the tab absolutely saw use.

William Kramer

[all1knew]

2

[D Davies]

Great images William especially the colour photo.
Cheers
Dave.

[Alfred.R]

[QUOTE=all1knew;6408677 but I believe most of the Estonian SS Officer's made it back to the US forces to surrender and escaped the Russians. [/QUOTE]

you are wrong here after the Oppeln kessel in low silesia in spring 1945 20 Waffen Grenadier Division has fight the way to Tschechoslovakia and surrender to russians most officers shot and soldiers sent to siberia.

[swordscollector]

Either way it's a beautiful tab! Congratulations William.

[all1knew]

you are wrong here after the Oppeln kessel in low silesia in spring 1945 20 Waffen Grenadier Division has fight the way to Tschechoslovakia and surrender to russians most officers shot and soldiers sent to siberia.

interesting, you should add this to here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Wa...st_Estonian%29

"In April, the remnants of the division were moved south to the area around Goldberg. After the Prague Offensive, the division attempted to break out to the west, in order to surrender to the western Allies.[13] The Czech partisans resumed their hostilities on the surrendered Estonian troops regardless of their intentions. In what veterans of the Estonian Division who had laid their weapons down in May 1945 recall as the Czech Hell, the partisans chased, tortured and humiliated the Waffen SS men and murdered more than 500 Estonian POWs.[11][17][18] Some of the Estonians who had reached the western allies were handed back to the Soviets.[13]


In the spring of 1946, out of the ranks of those who had surrendered to the Western allies in the previous year, a total of nine companies were formed. The most notable was the "4221 Guard Company", formed from some 300 veterans, with a mission to guard the external perimeter of the Nuremberg International Tribunal courthouse and the various depots and residences of US officers and prosecutors connected with the trial. The men were also entrusted with guarding the accused Nazi war criminals held in prison during the trial, up until the day of execution.[13][19]"



William Kramer

[all1knew]

you are wrong here after the Oppeln kessel in low silesia in spring 1945 20 Waffen Grenadier Division has fight the way to Tschechoslovakia and surrender to russians most officers shot and soldiers sent to siberia.

from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfons_Rebane

" Despite being encircled several times, Rebane was amongst a small group of Estonian soldiers who in the final days of the war evaded capture by the Soviets and managed to reach the western Allies to surrender."

so it appears some did reach the Western allies, I wonder if any of them had their collar tabs removed and taken as war trophies by souvenir hungry GI's?

William Kramer

[Alfred.R]

interesting, you should add this to here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_Wa...st_Estonian%29

"In April, the remnants of the division were moved south to the area around Goldberg. After the Prague Offensive, the division attempted to break out to the west, in order to surrender to the western Allies.[13] The Czech partisans resumed their hostilities on the surrendered Estonian troops regardless of their intentions. In what veterans of the Estonian Division who had laid their weapons down in May 1945 recall as the Czech Hell, the partisans chased, tortured and humiliated the Waffen SS men and murdered more than 500 Estonian POWs.[11][17][18] Some of the Estonians who had reached the western allies were handed back to the Soviets.[13]


In the spring of 1946, out of the ranks of those who had surrendered to the Western allies in the previous year, a total of nine companies were formed. The most notable was the "4221 Guard Company", formed from some 300 veterans, with a mission to guard the external perimeter of the Nuremberg International Tribunal courthouse and the various depots and residences of US officers and prosecutors connected with the trial. The men were also entrusted with guarding the accused Nazi war criminals held in prison during the trial, up until the day of execution.[13][19]"



William Kramer

[Askold]

What a wonderful and rare tab! Thank you for sharing the photos.

[espenlaub]

you are wrong here after the Oppeln kessel in low silesia in spring 1945 20 Waffen Grenadier Division has fight the way to Tschechoslovakia and surrender to russians most officers shot and soldiers sent to siberia.

There a hundreds of the Estonians who served in US army after they was relased from US POW camps, even they guard the Nurnberg tribunal

[Rene Chavez]

There is a book about one of these Estonians that served in the US Army and fought in the Korean or Vietnam war I just can't remember the name of the soldier or book.

Rene Chavez
www.foreignvolunteerlegion.com

[all1knew]

Thanks for posting better pics William i can't wait for it to arrive.Looking close at the reverse picture there is signs of wear on the piping and the lose of the white stich lines in places makes me beleve this tab has seen use.
Thanks again
Cheers
Dave.

glad to see the tab you begged me to sell you you ended up on a dealer's website, that's class!

William Kramer

[D Davies]

I had my reasons william but would rather not discuss them.