Hello! Can anyone indentify which SS regiment these men served with? One photo is clearer than the other. Cuff title difficult to figure out too. Any suggestions?
The first photo shows an SS-Sturmmann of SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 1 'Oberbayern'. On the second photo I can't make out the cuff title properly but it isn't Gotz von Berlichingen. Seen close up you can see that there is no L where you would see one for GvB, plus he has a number on his runic collar tab (which I can't make out) and these were discontinued just prior to the 1940 Western Campaign.
The first photo shows an SS-Sturmmann of SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 1 'Oberbayern'. On the second photo I can't make out the cuff title properly but it isn't Gotz von Berlichingen. Seen close up you can see that there is no L where you would see one for GvB, plus he has a number on his runic collar tab (which I can't make out) and these were discontinued just prior to the 1940 Western Campaign. Wouldn't the collar patch be a deathshead instead of the SS runes if it were a Totenkopf regiment? What about numbers on collar patches, how common was that and what units had it?
Wouldn't the collar patch be a deathshead instead of the SS runes if it were a Totenkopf regiment? What about numbers on collar patches, how common was that and what units had it? Totenkopf certainly did have a deathshead collar patch but that shoulder board is I believe Totenkopf standarte 1 `oberbayern` no expert but it has been described as such in the past this is confusing! Numbered collar patches were I believe regimental with a number 1 indicating "Deutschland",a number 2 indicating "Germania" whilst a 3 indicated "Der Führer" and like it has been said before these did not progress beyond 1940.Pre-War collar patches had I believe a silver cord twist? around the edges.Like I said no expert simply an opinion.
Hey everyone...thanks for responding to these pictures. Some very intersting info. Here are two extra scans. The original pic was small, so this seems to be as good as I can manage
Could the cuff be "SS-Schule Braunschweig"? Thanks Verrieres for the information - I am aware that it was the 3.SS-Division who wore the deathshead but I'm not sure about the Totenkopf regiments. Does anyone know what insignia they wore after they became SS-Inf.rgts?
Could the cuff be "SS-Schule Braunschweig"? Thanks Verrieres for the information - I am aware that it was the 3.SS-Division who wore the deathshead but I'm not sure about the Totenkopf regiments. Does anyone know what insignia they wore after they became SS-Inf.rgts? I'd agree with your assessment of the cuff title. As for the Totenkopf collar tab's, yes they did wear the deathshead but I am sure that there would of been a few instances of soldiers wearing the runic tab for what ever reason. Maybe this particular soldier had only just been transferred in from another SS unit and had only had time to change his eppaulettes before he was photographed, or vice versa having just been transferred out and had yet to change his eppaulettes (probably not the case but just using that as an example). In Charles Trang's 'Totenkopf' there are a few pictures of TK troops wearing the runic tab (Pg 78 for example shows a soldier from Oberbayern with the runic tabs) After all the runic tab was meant to be worn on the right side with a rank tab on the left but I have seen photos of soldiers wearing two runic tabs - certainly an exception to the rule, but it did happen. And foreign recruits to the later SS divisions were not meant to wear the SS Runes on the right tab, wearing the respective units collar tab instead (Handschar, Estonian etc) but there are numerous photos of such soldiers wearing the SS bolts.
And just to muddy the water some more - as the 2nd photo shows possibly the SS-Schule Braunschweig cuff title I would say that the runic collar tab does NOT show a number after all, but the letter 'B' which was worn by Staff members of the SS-Fuhrerschule Braunschweig. ('T' was worn by Staff members of SS-Fuhrerschule Tolz).
I've found a photo of the cuff title, but where can I see one of the collar tab with the letter "B" ?
The following illustrations & photo are taken from Uniforms Of The SS vol 3 by Andrew Mollo (ISBN: 1-872004-51-2)
