I'm trying to figure out where this photo was taken. Most likely, it is somewhere in either Russia or in Italy, around 1943-1944. Thanks for any help or hints. -Eric
That chap in the middle is in some other pictures that have been posted on here. I remember his full face. Hopefully someone will remember where.
I'm quite sure it's the Wawel in Kraków. It's SS by the way. Think you might have cracked it Kate. Some minor differences on one of the walls but maybe had some work done since the war. http://static.myvimu.com/photo/89/41589_m.jpg
Dear Heimbrent, Owen, Drew, Thank you so much, that was fast!! I'm sure you're right. It's bad news for me, actually. I know it's SS, and the guy on the right is my grandfather. He never talked to us about the war, but this shows that he was in the thick of it. If anybody knows anything about which unit this might be, what they were doing in Krakow, and where else they were deployed, I'd be very grateful. -Eric
Hi Eric, Hopefully Heimbrent (Kate) will be able to help you further as she is the SS expert on this forum. I'm not sure how the German records system works but is it possible to get a copy of his service records? Do you have anymore pictures you could share? Regards Andy
Hi Andy, Thanks. My mother checked into getting his service record at some point, but she was told that unless he was an officer of a sufficiently high rank, it would be impossible. Given his educational background, it is highly unlikely he was officer rank, but I can't read the uniform symbols. Maybe somebody can tell his rank, too? This is the only other picture I have from him during the war. -Eric
Black collar patch will be SS-Mann or Schutze, ie a Private. http://www.deathcamps.org/reinhard/pic/ssranks.jpg
The band on his lower left arm will tell you the Division he was with-It looks like Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, but I can't make it out, which was 1 SS Div I think.
This is a view from the Wawel wall overlooking the river in Krakow http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=49852&stc=1&d=1304342190
After some searching around about uniforms, my tentative conclusion is that the cuff titles are likely "SS-Postschutz." Leibstandarte would be even scarier. The one thing he told us about the war was that he was a truck driver, and that was his civilian occupation in the Reichspost and later Bundespost as well. This would be consistent with the "SS-Kraftfahrstaffel" within the Postschutz. Ordnungspolizei - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Postschutz – Wikipedia
I think "SS-Postschutz." The problem is that I know he worked for the Reichspost, and I also know that he was around for the birth of my aunt in January of 1942. From what I understand, they were simply a domestic Reichspost unit until they became SS in the spring of 1942, only then were they deployed into the usurped areas. So everything checks out. Now, if I look at this extremely grainy picture with all this information in my head, small wonder that I can read what it says. I remain open to other possibilities. Another clue, though, is that the collar is dark. The Postschutz, I read somehwere, was wearing dark green collars, which would appear black in a b/w picture.
The band on his lower left arm will tell you the Division he was with-It looks like Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, but I can't make it out, which was 1 SS Div I think. Private (SS Mann), SS Panzer Grenadier Division Totenkopf. Timescale would be Spring 1943 before Kursk. Interestingly wearing anklets instead of marching boots. Can't be Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler as wrong style or Das Reich too long and one word. Collar badge, although indestinct is deaths head, not SS runes.
Private (SS Mann), SS Panzer Grenadier Division Totenkopf. Timescale would be Spring 1943 before Kursk. Interestingly wearing anklets instead of marching boots. Can't be Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler as wrong style or Das Reich too long and one word. Collar badge, although indestinct is deaths head, not SS runes. I think you are wrong both about the collar patch (runes) and the sleeve band - it is in italics, so it cannot be 3rd SS, more likely 1st. Why do you think it is Spring 1943?
I think you are wrong both about the collar patch (runes) and the sleeve band - it is in italics, so it cannot be 3rd SS, more likely 1st. Why do you think it is Spring 1943? Sorry, I read Krakov as Kharkov, so the rest is wrong. Although the collar patch is hazy it does look more like runes than deaths head. The original pic. shows the typical anklets issued from mid 1943ish, but the second I have not seen before. So, timewise should be Spring 1944. Only Das Reich remnants of battlegroup went through Krakov. Please look up illustrations of cuffbands, there's plenty on the Net. Adolf Hitler in Suterlin script, Das Reich, 3 letters, gap, 5 letters, only Totenkopf, 9 letters could fit the cuffbands in the photograph. Otherwise the SS unit is something different. PS I think you should consider 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen. The cufftitle and the length of the name. They with 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg in II SS Panzer Corps were lent to the Eastern front March 1944 until beginning of June '44. Tarnopol. Krakov is not a million miles away to the west.