Photo study Waffen SS Freies Indien

[NickG]

Like the Heer Cossacks in 44/45 transferring to Waffen SS control and henceforth being supplied WSS kit, as it became that branch’s responsibility, the same happened to the Indien Legion volunteers as late war photographic images show,
which created a hodgepodge of interesting kit.

Note army pattern great coat and late SS pattern great coats which look like army heavy guard coats but are not...these blanket lined SS pattern great coats came with similar hand warmer chest pockets as army guard coats but not heavy weight and often with built in hoods and always simple cuffs, lacking the army French cuff sleeves as seen on all army (Heer) great coats.

[NickG]

Same group of men surrendering in 1945 while attempting to reach the Swiss border...one wearing a tropical Heer Kradmelders protective overcoat...
Note SS hand warmer chest pockets and what appears to be single button M43 caps..
perhaps SS pattern

[NickG]

SS buckle and again SS pattern great coats being worn. All with handwarmer pockets and
simple WSS pattern sleeves. (And Heer splinter zelt)

[NickG]

You don’t see SS sleeve eagles as they removed these....either denazified already
or they did not want to be associated with the Waffen SS...only wanting to wear their nationality shield...Note integral hood on M44 SS greatcoats

[NickG]

Here some well known images of Indian Waffen SS...

[NickG]

And some lesser know images which I found on the web. Some came from a publication I believe...
The NCO is from Calcutta and described as a member of a police unit (or SD...note blank patches)
But they were probably issued blank patches as they were not Aryan so SS collar tabs would not have been issued and their special tiger head collar tab patch just did not reach the troops on time to be issued...
hence hardly any photographic proof...
It is interesting that the German officer (he was in communications/nachrichten) in post 5
is also wearing a black tab (SD style) along with an Indian sleeve shield.

[NickG]

This image I found on Facebook claimed to be an Indian SS soldier captured in Berlin in 1945....
but I don’t think that any of them were there...
So more likely captured by Western allies who removed all of his SS insignia.
Note SS single button M43 cap cap with SS eagle ghost and SS collar tab ghosts clearly visible!

[NickG]

For those who might believe in this item...must be one of a kind....
Posted a long time ago by a WAF member who passed on...

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...dian+waffen+ss

[chrischa]

For those who might believe in this item...must be one of a kind....
Posted a long time ago by a WAF member who passed on...

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...dian+waffen+ss

I’m afraid I don’t believe in that being a genuine piece at all....

Most of these traitors were captured in North Africa and I think Heer uniform was common until the end. Nice gathering of images Nick.

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

i'm reposting wider versions of the original pictures posted by the late Bill.

"SS Indische Legion
SS Bandenjagdverbande 501

Dieser kukri (hast) Bolschewismus
verstorben in den Partisankampf
KichibeB"

Clearly a fantasy and very pompous inscription...

The SS Legion was created only in August 1944, and it did almost nothing until May 8, 1945...
Not counting that at the time, with the exception of Yougoslavia, SS units fighting the "Banden" were now fighting... Soviet and Allied forces.

The use of Cyrillic on one side, and "SS Indische Legion" on the other is just non-sense...
The inscription is a compilation of everything you can think of to "pimp" this kind of knive.

See You

Vince

[NickG]

Here's another interesting image. His name is Chopra and he survived the war and returned to India. Appears to be a blank SD style collar tab...
Unfortunately cropped like this...clearly SS...but no pips on the rank tab?

[NickG]

And another...Officer candidate...his name is Swami (Captain was his rank). The uniform is Army but LACKS an army breast eagle...

[D Davies]

And another...Officer candidate...his name is Swami (Captain was his rank). The uniform is Army but LACKS an army breast eagle...

Nick do you think the eagle was removed or did some of the Indian volunteers not wear them?.
Cheers
Dave

[NickG]

No they wore the eagle pretty much always and usually on tropical uniforms but also on continental on occasion...
unless its a transfer to SS control and he removed the chest eagle but I doubt that.
I think he removed it with the intention to replace it with a fancier officer quality bullion one since he is an officer candidate
and after training/graduation he became an officer.

[NickG]

Here for some reason another Assad Hind member wearing irregular clothing...a LW shirt...
His shoulderstrap is also interesting with that single pip...