Just another quick update. I printed out the picture, framed it and presented it to my Omi. She absolutely loved it, and could not have been more happy! It's the first time she has seen her father "in living color" since WWII.
I also learned a little more information. My Omi insists that he was used by the SS. However, she stated that he had horrible knees, so instead of frontline duty, they used him at a post/ base/ HQ of some sort.
I also spoke to my Omi's brother, Edmund. He said that in the 1970s, someone tried to break into my Omi's house. The police were called, and they entered my Omi's home to make a police report. As the cops were taking statements, one of them noticed the photo of my Great Grandfather on the wall. He clearly resembles Hitler, AND at the time, his cap had Nazi insignia on it. The cops blew up on my Omi and her brother. They accused them of being Nazis and threatened to lock them up among other horrible threats.
As a result, my Omi's brother scratched out the insignia on the cap...
I hope you do not mind me bringing back an old thread... but I literally just saw an uncropped version of the photo of my Great Grandfather. I was only able to snap this poor quality cell phone photo quickly... I'll be able to get higher quality snaps shortly.
At the very least, this new photo reveals white piping, and rounded shoulder boards, not pointy shoulder boards... I'm wondering how much this new version of the original photo I posted changes what we perceive and assume was my great grandfather's involvement in World War II.
Hi Joe, rounded end military style shoulder straps were worn by the Waffen SS and the SD. Looks like there was something on the strap too?
The big problem with the photo is the period re-touching and the de-Nazification.
The open collar and blank tabs would lead me to say SD.
The other problem is a lot of these para-military volunteers in the East wore a real rag-tag of different uniforms.
Cheers, Ade.
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This is a picture of my Great Grandfather, Adolf... Hasse. (Everyone says he looks like Herr Hitler, and I cannot tell you how many jaws I've seen drop when I show this picture of him.)
He was a German living in Zhytomyr, Ukraine. According to my grandmother, when the SS rolled in, he was conscripted into their service.
This is the only picture I have of him. Can anyone comment on the type of hat he is wearing? Can it perhaps give a clue as to what he did during World War II?
in google i put in, zhytomyr ukraine ss ww2 and went into wikipedia and there was some info about volunteers from the ukraine ss units. but you prob have done this. if not theres links in that that might get some more of a idea about it. im not shore if this would work but if you have the original photo you could look over it with a magnifying glass to see if some images have been taken out.
@ Ade.....I was thinking SD also now that I have seen the shoulder boards ...but 2 questions, would the green piping show up looking white? If the hat was de-nazified, the collar tabs might have been as well?
Hi Josh, the photo has clearly been retouched. I don't think you can fully trust the "colours".
Cheers, Ade.
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Thanks for helping with this mystery. It's an awesome feeling knowing that you are all here to lend a helping hand.
Is Schuma still a possibility?
I know for a fact that back in the ~70s, some Poughkeepsie, NY police officers pressured my Omi and her brother to edit the photo. My Omi always says: "They made us black out the Hakenkreuz!" Could there have been a schuma swastika-inside-a-wreath emblem on his cap? I have only ever seen them on "overseas" style caps...
Re: My Great Grandfather, Adolf H...
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by GIZMO8Z
its just an opinion.
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