Advice for a Budding Collector

[HPL2008]

With regard to the man on the right of the first photo, I had thought he may be an Obergefreiter?

Rank insignia for privates were revised in 1936.

The old system (in place when this photo was taken) was:

• Schütze etc. = no insignia
• Oberschütze etc. = 1 chevron
• Gefreiter = 2 chevrons
• Obergefreiter = 3 chevrons
• Stabsgefreiter = 2 chevrons + 1 pip

After the revision, it was:

• Schütze etc. = no insignia (as before)
• Oberschütze etc. = 1 pip
• Gefreiter = 1 chevron
• Obergefreiter = 2 chevrons
• Obergefreiter with more than 6 years time in service = 1 chevron + 1 pip
• Stabsgefreiter = 2 chevrons + 1 pip (as before)

Also, I just noticed a goof in my post # 17: The two men with one chevron are, of course, not ranked Gefreiter, but Oberschütze. (Unfortunately, I can't edit that post anymore.) The other ranks are correctly identified.

[Pauls1970]

Hi Achillies,
Check this link out for more details on Infanterie Regiment 41 Google Translate . I learned of the Lexicon, through the good members on this forum.
Regards
Paul
PS.
Once in the link, if you scroll down there is another link to several more 1939 photos & including a regimental photo.

[HPL2008]

With regard to the man on the right of the first photo, I had thought he may be an Obergefreiter? Anyway, more fool me, I have a few other negatives here. I wondered whether anyone could recognise the town with the bombed bridge?

It's Kaunas (Kowno) in Lithuania:

[KAU] Kaunas 1940-45 m. (TSRS okupacija ir antrasis pasaulinis karas) -

Miestai ir architektūra

Any information on the other photos would also be much appreciated!

The airman is a Gefreiter. The Soviet armored car appears to be a BA-10, but vehicles are not my area of expertise:

BA-10 - Wikipedia

[Achilles]

Dear HPL,

I already thought it was Kaunas! But it is remarkable that you should be able to find the exact same photographs on the forum you linked. I tried reverse image search on google but could not retrieve them. Presumably you had seen the pictures pass by before and memorised their location in that forum thread? At any rate, I am stunned!

Could you, or any of the other kind members of this forum, possibly tell me more about the soldier in the photographs attached? He is originally from Dresden and these photographs were taken between 6 and 18 April 1944. It seems as though he was accompanied to France by his girlfriend/ wife, who took most of these pictures.

[HPL2008]

I already thought it was Kaunas! But it is remarkable that you should be able to find the exact same photographs on the forum you linked. I tried reverse image search on google but could not retrieve them. Presumably you had seen the pictures pass by before and memorised their location in that forum thread? At any rate, I am stunned!

I wish I could claim my memory was that good, but I did use a reverse image search, namely that on Yandex.com, which is very efficient.

[HPL2008]

Could you, or any of the other kind members of this forum, possibly tell me more about the soldier in the photographs attached? He is originally from Dresden and these photographs were taken between 6 and 18 April 1944. It seems as though he was accompanied to France by his girlfriend/ wife, who took most of these pictures.

At the base of his shoulder boards are the twin Tresse loops identifying him as an officer candidate, which combined with his rank insignia means he is a Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel.

(I'd have to look up the shoulder board cyphers, but I'm on a business trip.)

In his buttonhole are the ribbons for the EK II and the Ostmedaille; the pinback awards on his left breast pocket are a DRL Sports Badge and a Wound Badge. There are also thread loops for another pinback award (perhaps an EK I or a combat badge) not worn in these photographs.