Hitler's Drugged Soldiers

[olboy]

Looks more like the horrors of combat etched on his face. The "thousand yard stare" as it has been put.

I have a few combat soldier estates consisting of both pre-war and war time photos - even a few studio portraits taken years apart. Sometimes there is a noticeable change. You can see the experiences from the Front etched on their faces compared to the pre-war photos.

I agree but I see it a lot today too as 'ice' is prevalent more and more. And I was too susceptible to the odd amphetamine when I was young so I know that stare.
Horrible stuff too

[TWS]

Just because I mentioned it, here's one example that was easy to pull off display and shoot a couple quick photos.

Georg Stein was in Luftwaffe light Flak battalion 76 (motorized). His unit was directly attached to the Heer's 2nd Panzer Division for Barbarossa, so no doubt he saw a lot of front-line combat, very likely involving direct fire against ground targets too - his awards also testify to all this. I have read many accounts on how both Army or Luftwaffe light Flak were decisive in repelling mass wave assaults by the Red Army troops through using their 20 cm Flak cannons in direct fire support of ground combat. Must have been a stomach churning experience facing thousands of "Rotarmisten" screaming "Urrah!" while charging your unit positions.

Anyway, I believe I can see his experiences reflected in his face when comparing his prewar photos with those after a year and a half fighting on the Ost Front (as an Unteroffizier in the Fliegerbluse).

[HPL2008]

Allow me to chime in with a similar series (again, my grandfather). From his rank and decorations, the first photo can be dated to 1938 or 1939 and the last to the time period from December 1943 to June 1944:

[real steel]

Allow me to chime in with a similar series (again, my grandfather). From his rank and decorations, the first photo can be dated to 1938 or 1939 and the last to the time period from December 1943 to June 1944:

Almost like "A boy to a man" in a few short years
D.

[rbminis]

My father, in what I believe is chronological order of the photos taken.
Ralph.

[TabsTabs1964]

Andreas and Ralph, of course you can be proud of your elders. Thanks for sharing

[Watchdog]

And another more recent occurrence of the same effect (that is the 1000 yard stare not drug abuse I should say!);



What surprises me is that the use of methaphetamine is not more widely known amongst a group such as ours.

During the TR it was very prevalent but it was used by most forces in cases of extremity such as survival and special ops but it is not uncommon in "wartime" use by modern military forces albeit in strictly limited applications.

Very real lessons were learned from the German experiences but make no mistake the principal is still alive as is the willingness to employ the method.

Regards

Mark