Branch piped visors

[C. Kleijn]

Who said that colour piped SS visor caps were rare? This is a photo from SS-Sanitäts-Abteilung 5 from the "Wiking" division, late 1944. Three visors are depicted on this very interesting photo. At least two of them seem to have coloured piping, most probably in medical blue. The cap of the officer in the middle I am not sure of, but the other two are very evident. It is interesting that those two caps are crushers as well.

I know of several other photos from "Wiking" members where the officers wear colour piped visor caps. My observations are that a lot more officers in the "Wiking" wore branch piped visors than officers in other units. Like the pink piped SS collar tabs for the Panzeruniform, or the red piped collar tabs for the StuG wrappers, they are mainly seen on photos of the "Wiking" division.

With all the best,

Cees

[Fred Fokkelman]

Cees, great picture... this proofs my point. The Waffen-SS wore more piped visor caps than many of us tend to believe.

[SJP]

I am of the opinion they were alot more common than some want to believe.There are plenty of good period photos showing other than white being used and late in the war.The problem is that they have been faked for over 40 years,the are seldom encountered and when they are they get viewed w/great skepticism.Cheers Steve

[Donald Abenheim]

Thanks for the nice image, useful for this unendliche Geschichte (i.e. never ending saga...), as it were. One notes that 1944 was rather long after the supposed date at which time this form of regalia was proscribed.

[John Pic]

Theres probabbly a few condemned "REPO" or repro caps sitting crushed in someones "REPO" or repro box that saw history as an original at one time.but were chastised by oh so wise super collectors or dealers at a show or on a website.

[phild]

John, you stole the thoughts right out of my head!

I would never pass on a color piped SS cap if every aspect suited my criteria for originality, just because it it "too rare to be possible". The SS did not which way was up in as much as their uniform regulations were mandated. Those guys, particualry the officers, were jerked around so much by all the petty Himmler directives, they were liabale to wear anything. We have all seen the Mollo documented directive of 1940 concerning the colored cap piping. Do we know that it was not recinded the next year? Do we know or even even believe that many of the officers knew or cared about the directive?
I don't.

[Donald Abenheim]

The elusive Waffenfarben

The colleague above makes a wise, insightful point. We need further research in the files of evidence where the directive was ignored and SS officers reproved, &c. for same. I have seen correspondence of this type for other aspects of life in the SS, to be sure. I made this point above that there is much of merit in Mollo, to be sure; but, in the second instance, the state of knowledge and the need to go more deeply into the files (which are now in greater variety and depth than in the early-1970s, i.e. Waffen SS files in Prague, &c.) cries out for a second look. Maybe there is nothing, but maybe there is something more, as well. One of our European colleagues who is close to the sources has to undertake the task.

[Fred Fokkelman]

Theres probabbly a few condemned "REPO" or repro caps sitting crushed in someones "REPO" or repro box that saw history as an original at one time.but were chastised by oh so wise super collectors or dealers at a show or on a website.

My thoughts too!