Some photos that I would like identified!

[Monuir]

Some photos from a german world war 2 album belonging to a gebirgstruppen. I have some questions about them, that I hope someone can answer.

Attachment 393035
Is this 2 men next to the soldiers prisoners or patients at a hospital?



Attachment 393041

Attachment 393037

I think this is in Russia or Ukraine. But what kind of man is this? A kossak?



Attachment 393042
What country is this soldier from?



Attachment 393036
What rank does this man have?



Attachment 393043
What kind of tank is this?

[KradSpam]

The tank looks like a StuG III self propelled gun / assault gun. The man with the camels is Soviet I think.

[Wagriff]

The 2 men with the soldier are probably wounded comrades of his in hospital who he is visiting, would be my guess. The man with the dagger(Kindjal)in the 3rd pic is, indeed, a Cossack. The man in the visor hat looks to be a Sargent Major(with 2 shoulder board pips-cant tell which branch,as there is no color)

[Monuir]

Thanks for answers! I did not know that cossacks were fighting in the war. Were they on the Germans side? Is cossack photos rare?

[Wagriff]

Cossacks were fighting on Both the Russian and the German sides.

[tempelhof]

the double stripes on his sleeves would fit his position as "der Spiess".

as such, he would carry a leather pouch with rosters and other papers to fulfill his reporting duties and normally you'd see this thrust into the front of his tunic with the second button down from the collar undone to make room. i don't see that here, but looking at the bulge in his left lower pocket and the way the fabric of his tunic is stretched down above it, i'd bet that's where he is carrying it in this photograph as it did have some weight to it.

[Paul D]

The Spiess ( Spear ) was a Senior NCO of the Kompanie and fullfilled a role of the " Mother of the Kompanie " ensuring that admin and supply, discipline and other similar issues were looked after !! The two white tress on the sleeve were known as the Piston rings(Kolbenringe). Another visible sign of his office as already pointed out was the Meldetasche (Reporting Pouch )

[tempelhof]

in fact, as Wagriff has pointed out, he is a Sgt. Major. but we don't need to see his boards to know this. the double tress on his sleeves confirm this as well because the position was held by the Sgt. Major... something i should have mentioned.

[history-buff1944]

Not sure if answered but--two photos do show a Cossack and the one about foriegn soldiers are Soviet Soldiers in the role of HiWis. I have a few HiWi pix in the collection somewhere ;-)) Nice photos BTW. I have one photo that supposedly shows a Cossack in it but he looks too Muslim? to me to be a Russian Cossack. But then, what do I know about Cossacks? ;-))