Uniform Questions: Ex-Wehrmacht Polish 2nd Corps Soldier

[ostro]

Here's a thought. There is another photo of the same soldier, very obviously wearing a Polish uniform but with the same white shoulder boards here:
Stanislaw Szklarski and colleagues | Hall of Memory
His service record also says he was a waiter in 5 Division HQ... I'm assuming the Officers'Mess.
Stanislaw Szklarski MOD file 13c | Hall of Memory
Is it possible that this was some catering token to kitchen whites... they had to wear uniform but had the white shoulders as a sort of waiter's uniform? Just thinking out loud!

Regards, Mark

[A.J. Zawadzki]

Mark, that is a possibility worth considering. Hoping for more input from others. I'll post the photo from the site you linked to make it a permanent record here:



And to revisit the earlier discussion about the uniform type. The site you linked had a full photo showing buttons down the front that were not visible in the portrait photo posted in post #1. So the tunic is a 1940 austerity pattern as posted by Anom, not the war aid I suspected by virtue of unexposed bottons that it appeared to have in the cropped photo. Little by little the questions are being answered.



Lastly, the document that mentions his duty as a waiter also states that he was a German forced labourer, not an ex-Wehrmacht soldier.

Regards,
Tony

[StefanM]

Did 2PolCorp have its own "Army Catering Corps" like the British Army did as part of the Royal Army Services Corps?

I have seen the white epaulettes somewhere else but for the life of me can't recall where...memory fade.

[ostro]

Yes I noticed the forced labour thing when I read the document. The Wehrmacht idea was passed on third-hand. Sorry for the mislead.

A.F.A.I.K the Polish Army did not have a Catering Corps. They had mobile canteens and the such like, but I think the staff were selected within the Battalion/Division.
Regards, Mark

[StefanM]

No Polish insignia on the BD in the original photo so could the photo be PRC related in the UK?

[StefanM]

I found the below PRC photo online and in the center of the group one of the men also appears to have white epaulettes on his BD. Excuse the iPad screen grabs: