Last ones guys.
Last ones guys.
Looking for the photo albums of Leutnant Emil Freitag, 3. / G.R. 377
It sounds possible, yeah.
Looking for the photo albums of Leutnant Emil Freitag, 3. / G.R. 377
Thats one of the better looking monument/displays I think Ive seen to be honest! The bombed out building photo is neat too. Chris, thank you VERY much for sending the pics to my email.....I am going to go check it right now. You now me, Im the worst at checking my email! Thanks again. I cant believe you are getting another one! Lucky. Hopefully I'll be able to get one some day! haha
I got a new Luftwaffe Photo. I thought they were DLV, and still think at least 1 of them are.....but I just cant figure out the Specialty Arm Badges. It looks like "SS runes"....but obviously I know they arent. I'm guessing maybe some type of Luftwaffe Schule badge?? Any opinions??
(theres a similar proficiency badge in Brian L. Davis' book "Badges + Insignia" on plate 48, but its not the same)
The other interesting thing Ive noticed...is that the man in white cap, is wearing what looks to be a k98 Army Bayonet
Polizei Portrait (LAPO?)
The funny thing about these 2 photos are that I bought them 4 months ago!! They somehow got sent to Saudi Arabia, and finally got to my house today!
Another very nice photograph, congrats!
They are all early Luftwaffe, apparently photographed during the transitional phase when that branch of Germany's armed forces had just come out of hiding and shed its DLV disguise. Note that these Gefreiter-ranked men have yet to adopt their military rank chevrons.
The man you are thinking of as being with the DLV is probably the crouching one with the stuffed animal-thingy and the DLV-style cap badges; but he, too is with the fledgling Luftwaffe. If you look closely, you can just make out the breast eagle under his cross strap. Also note that he has no DLV sleeve eagle on his upper left arm.
The badge illustrated in the Davis title is also pictured in the Angolia/Schlicht work on the Luftwaffe. Alas, it is listed as unidentified in both works. For those who don't own those two titles: It has the same symbol (= twin lightning bolts; not SS runes) as the one seen in this photograph, but is more oval and has no border. Probably just a variation on the one seen in the photograph.
From its manner of wear, its general appearance and the symbolism, it is fairly safe to assume that it is some kind of trade/skill/specialty badge having something to do with signals/communications/radio operation.
The presence of this badge on such an early photograph is interesting.
My personal theory is that this was a short-lived badge only used during the Luftwaffe's earliest days and that it was either:
a) a (still-undocumented) badge of the DLV worn as a carryover
or
b) one of the Luftwaffe's earliest trade badges; short-lived and soon discontinued and replaced by another pattern. Maybe this is the first-model badge for Air Signals Personnel or Teletype Personnel? Or maybe this was the "replacement" for the DLV's Bordfunkerabzeichen "wings"?
(Like I said; just my personal theory!)
It is most definatley an interesting badge and unless my eyes are playing tricks on me it would appear that the bottom of the (for a better word) lightning bolts come to a point I have looked up trade badges and and other Luftwaffe insignia and have yet to find an example to compare it to .
Regards Mark K
HPL, it sure was the man crouching that I assumed was DLV because of the cap insig/eagle variant. However, now that you have put the photo into perspective I can see where I went wrong. I think you are absolutely correct when suggesting that the trade badge is related to Signals/similar and most likely a short lived (or first) style signals trade badge. The 2 examples in the reference books that are labeled "Un-Identified" are still the only examples I can find anywhere that somewhat resemble this arm badge.
My question would be, What year do you think this photo represents judging by uniforms alone? After 1940 since there is breast eagle in wear?
Also, I found it interesting that they wore Chest straps or "Sam-Brown" belt type straps. Would this be something worn only to benefit there signals trades or certain types of work?.... Or was it common to see in early wear based on personal preference?
Thanks for your help and suggestions too BTW!
MARK- I think you are seeing correctly. The examples in the book also have the lightning bolt style like HPL described, so I would assume that this is the same case. Good eyes too, because the detail is a bit fuzzy on the photo, and I couldnt tell at first to be honest.
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