Aha! Wow, it's almost as close as you can get to the Czech border, huh?! Thanks for explaining this....it looks absolutely beautiful from the pictures online that I have just seen.
Aha! Wow, it's almost as close as you can get to the Czech border, huh?! Thanks for explaining this....it looks absolutely beautiful from the pictures online that I have just seen.
Here is a great late war photo showing 2 Tank Destruction Badges in wear! The man seems to have a nice tan compared to the others! I believe these men to be Gebrigsjager. There is a badge below the 2 TDBs, which would make sense to be the GJ Edelweiss patch I would think.
These men seem to be training, seeing the ladder and what looks like some type of staging on the cliff.
Any opinions or comments would be great.....as well as some help with the translation on the reverse.
It says:
"[A]n der Italienfront 14.2.45
Aufgenommen 8.2.45"
...i.e.
"On the Italian Front 14/2/45
photographed on 8/2/45"
The surname in the signature is Hofbauer, not sure about the abbreviated bit (first name?) after it.
Looks like a mountain troops' Edelweiss patch to me as well. Not sure if it's simply a deep tan, though; it might be a severe sunburn, frostbite or even superficial burn wounds. (The very dark color and the either "shiny" or "spotted" appearance of his face look odd.)
Oh man, I couldnt even get "Italienfront" out of that writing.... you're good! Thank you, as always, for comments and translations. Much appreciated. And you are most likely correct about frostbite or burns.....as his hands really dont look as dark as his face. weird. Nice work on the surname too!
I agree, my first thought was that it may be burn injuries. Notice how the chaps left hand appears withered compared to the right and it looks like he's missing his little finger. The right hand appers to be swollen, especially the index finger on it as it is also on the left. This is consistent with burn wounds or possibly frostbite.
Regards, Ned.
'I do not think we can hope for any better thing now.
We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker of course, and the end cannot be far.
It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more. R. SCOTT.
Last Entry - For God's sake look after our people.'
In memory of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates and Edgar Evans. South Pole Expedition, 30th March 1912.
Nice ones , Bill! I tend to think the GJ man is suffering from severe sunburn to the face. I am a fellow 'white-boy' myself and have have similar burn patterns around the hairline due to the hair blocking the sun just enough no to burn the underlying skin tissue.Also his little finger is hidden behind the other fingers. IMO.
~Dean
yeah, hes definitely suffering some type of burn for sure. I also get the "white-boy burn" Dean, as I work outside. Its rough.
Ive just never seen staging put up on a cliff/mtn like that. Unless it is something else?
Here is a beautiful Marder III 38t tank destroyer w/ 7.62 gun.
Havent checked out the visor cap or armband yet. These SPGs were usually manned by a 4-man crew and held 30 pak rounds
Nice image.
The cap band and armband would be for an umpire during an exercise.
Cheers, Ade.
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A "not so often seen" photo. A panzerman with what i think are "Unteroffizier Schule" shoulderboards. He also wears the Panzer shooting Lanyard
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