Waffenfarben der Waffen-SS: Hell-Lachsrosa

[PaulW]

No the color is Salmon Pink. It is a light pink. Used for SS geologists. I have a pair of m44 boards from the late Mike Beaver that are this color. I will try to post picture in the next few days next to a panzer pair. They really just look like a faded washed out pink...I was going to use the pair as panzer myself until Mike told me what they were.

I agree with galizien41, I've owned light 'Salmon' pink pairs before. I don't have any now, but have pictures on file and I'll post when I can. I suspect they have been passed off as Panzer on occasions!

Regards, Paul

[Diane]

I have a pair of original LW em straps with salmon pink waffenfarbe and have long wondered about them.

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[PaulW]

I have a pair of original LW em straps with salmon pink waffenfarbe and have long wondered about them.

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They sound interesting. Perhaps a faded pink rather than Salmon pink? In that case it could be Engineer Corps, or Panzer/ Anti-Tank (HG units after April 1943 etc).

Regards, Paul

[Diane]

No absolutely not Paul. The LW straps in question on the element and show very little fading for their age.

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[PaulW]

Salmon Pink boards

"No absolutely not Paul. The LW straps in question on the element and show very little fading for their age." They do sound like a mystery Diane!

Back on the subject of Waffen SS Salmon Pink Waffenfarbe:-

Adding a picture of what I would call Salmon Pink (on the left, next to a Pink pair). These images were from the late Michael Butler's collection (UK collector who acquired the Andrew Mollo collection - that goes way back.....), auctioned by his family around 2010 by Hermann Historica.

As I recall Salmon Pink is a very light colour, but with a definite Pink hue. The SS Geologist section must have been a very small section of the SS, can't help thinking someone found a sack of these after the war and they've been circulating since, occasionally masquerading as Panzer.

[PaulW]

Another thought, I seem to recall reading somewhere (years ago!) that light-pink was also used for transport very late in the war, possibly superseding light blue, or possibly differentiating transport from supply (light-blue).

Is anyone able to check in a reference book? I sold some of mine as I don't concentrate on the Waffen SS anymore.

It would make more sense, as Military Geologists must have been few and far between, if we are talking about transport troops using a light-pink that would explain why there are more of them than I would expect. When I was collecting SS boards seriously in the 90's I remember them being relatively common (and not greatly desirable).

I don't like to use Wikipedia as a source, but this page jogged my memory:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corps_colours_(Waffen-SS)

Regards, Paul

[militaria.no]

This is very interesting!

If we look at the pink shades in Waffenfarben der Waffen-SS (they are not sharp but they do give an indication: dark vs. light pink) the straps pictured by PaulW (his pair pictured to the left) look more hell-lachsrosa than my pair which started this thread as I expected them to be for a SS wehrgeologen-einheiten and not kz.

But now I see – within the “frames of pink” – they are closer to hellbraun for kz than hell-lachsrosa

I guess different makers had different ways to mix colours and this is the reason why we find so many different shades of colours.

[PaulW]

This is very interesting!

If we look at the pink shades in Waffenfarben der Waffen-SS (they are not sharp but they do give an indication: dark vs. light pink) the straps pictured by PaulW (his pair pictured to the left) look more hell-lachsrosa than my pair which started this thread as I expected them to be for a SS wehrgeologen-einheiten and not kz.

But now I see – within the “frames of pink” – they are closer to hellbraun for kz than hell-lachsrosa

I guess different makers had different ways to mix colours and this is the reason why we find so many different shades of colours.

Hi Militaria.no. These boards are not mine, they are pictures of the late Michael Butler's collection, though they might well have been mine once as I sold him at least one pair!

I agree about shade variations, possibly (minor) dye batch variations, but also dirt and sun-fading from period service, and storage/ display over the last 70+ years must be a significant factor. Some people keep their insignia in darkened drawers etc (as I do), others have them on display or on mannequins (some with exposure to natural light), possibly for decades, as they move around various collections.

For example I have a number of pairs of Luftwaffe boards, e.g Signals with their brown piping, some are dull brown, some with a slightly reddish tinge (see picture). If they were SS, people would talk about that for hours, days, months, years......

Regards, Paul

[Diane]

Here's a picture of my LW straps with the Salmon pink piping.



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[Diane]

Trying for a better picture of the piping. It's definitely not a normal shade of pink nor is it Orange.



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[galizien41]

Here is a photo of my boards. Next to an infantry white and pink panzer.

[galizien41]

pair of m44