Strange insignia on SS cap

[Frank Heukemes]

Thank you all for your input and sorry Roy for not listening in the beginning. It might be an Edelweiss, although this would be quite strange.

The guy is my grand uncle Georg Joachim (brother of my mother´s mother), recipient of the CCC in gold and the DKiG. He died last year. My part of the family did not communicate with his part of the family for decades, so my knowledge about him is just childhood memories when I met him at several Christmas Eves. So all I know about his wartime record is out of the CCC book.
He was indeed very fond of climbing mountains such as the Kilimanscharo after the war, maybe he had developed this fondness for mountains before and wore that Edelweiss badge because of that. As far as I know he was in the Waffen SS straight away, no Gebirgsjäger record before that.

[MGN]

They also did just make the flower without the stem. So its possible it can be that also.

[R_Hessian]

Frank

Frank,
Here is another example of a strange insignia grouping, while not SS it shows an odd set up. I have sold all of my hat's but kept this one as my 5 year old likes to wear it when he plays "army", when he gets older it will be sold.

I also have found it difficult to find out about my Grandfather, his brothers and the war... very odd.

Robert

[Jeff V]

Hi Frank, I remember reading the memoirs of a german soldier(can't remember who) Anyway he said that he fixed an edelweiss to his pack because he liked it. It was not part of his unit or anything official. Might be the same way for this fellow.
jeff

[Terry K.]

Hi Frank,

Maybe he was a member of the SA Hochland unit before he was in the SS and was allowed to wear it as a semi traditions badge. Anyway, if was a CCC in gold holder, who would tell him no?
Yours,

[Jos L C]

Yes,I think it's a Edelweiss..

Probably worn as a traditions/unit badge..
They were also used by U-Boot members and a bomber unit for example.

Jos.

[Jens]

To me it looks like as an Edelweiss.



Jens

[Jens]

Just an observation (or more fuel for the fire!). He is wearing an Infantry Assault Badge, instead of the General Assault Badge normally given to SS personnel later in the war.


John

Hello John , what to you base that on!

To me its seems that it depended on the type of branch the soldier was in!

jens

[JEJ]

Thank you all for your input and sorry Roy for not listening in the beginning. It might be an Edelweiss, although this would be quite strange.

The guy is my grand uncle Georg Joachim (brother of my mother´s mother), recipient of the CCC in gold and the DKiG. He died last year. My part of the family did not communicate with his part of the family for decades, so my knowledge about him is just childhood memories when I met him at several Christmas Eves. So all I know about his wartime record is out of the CCC book.
He was indeed very fond of climbing mountains such as the Kilimanscharo after the war, maybe he had developed this fondness for mountains before and wore that Edelweiss badge because of that. As far as I know he was in the Waffen SS straight away, no Gebirgsjäger record before that.

Hi Frank,

it is an Edelweiss and my father had fixed it as an "Talisman" for good luck. He never was in the "Hochland" or something other. He was in the "Totenkopf" from begining til the end of WWII.

Greetings and thanks for interest
Juergen

[bnz. 42]

Hi Frank,

it is an Edelweiss and my father had fixed it as an "Talisman" for good luck. He never was in the "Hochland" or something other. He was in the "Totenkopf" from begining til the end of WWII.

Greetings and thanks for interest

Juergen, it sounds like it is your father on the picture. Is it?

[TWP]

Hi SS-guys,

Would any of you be able to point out to me what this strange insignia next to the skull is?
The pictured soldier is Georg Joachim 7./SS-Pz. Gren. Rgt. 6, pic taken most likely in 1945.

Hi Frank, is it possible to see the whole photo?
Thank you

[Daniele C]

that looks an edelweiss to me too and about the sleeve eagle,a friend of mine has got a ss sidecap with a sleeve eagle and totenkopf period placed instead of the normal cap eagle so no surprise to me

[billbert]

Isnt it possible that great Uncle was in one of the ss mountain units or attached to them at 1 point??Plus the ss mountain insignia for caps was a later in the war item..I m sure the metal one was often worn prior to the ss version..Billbert

[CWP]

What Jeff relates is true. In "The Forgotten Soldier" Guy Sajer relates that he affixed an Edelweiss to his pack because he liked it. He was in the Grossdeutschland division. Civilian versions of this insignia were available before, during and after the war.

[JEJ]

Juergen, it sounds like it is your father on the picture. Is it?

Thats right, Georg was my father. He died 3 years ago. I discovered a Pic of him in this forum. The Pic is from Nov 44, after the CCC in gold award. I remebered when I have asked him for this insignia on his cap. He answered, that was an Edelweiss without any meaning. Only a Talisman for good luck. It was right what Frank said about his enthusiasm for the alps and mountaineering.
Greetings
JEJ