What are these SS officers up to?

[Styx]

Okay! Received the photos today, and have taken a close up of the cuff titles. They're not great but it was the best I could get and hopefully you can work it out from the age bracket!


Additionally - Here's the back of the helmet picture I bought - might need your help on this one, HPL2008!



It appears to be dated 7th November 1940, and there are at least three pens writing different notes. Hopefully some clue as to the campaign? I've attached the same picture several times but rotated, so that all is legible. I'm also attaching a picture of some SS men which I never had looked at - do my eyes deceive me or is that a Standartenfuhrer in the middle?

Thanks!

Robbie

[Walkwolf]

Cracking image Robbie. That chap at the back is a bit "hello sailor" though isn't he?

It's the Rumba.........


Great photo !

[MrMosel]

Great job Ned!

Now that I look at it that's exactly what's happening. I've met only one SS man before. The other man I talked with was a Panzer crewman on the eastern front. Great look into the lives of these men and what was happening in Germany before the war! Great photo thanks for clarifying the weren't doing anything sinister. Those darned stereotypes..

[HPL2008]

Additionally - Here's the back of the helmet picture I bought - might need your help on this one, HPL2008! It appears to be dated 7th November 1940, and there are at least three pens writing different notes. Hopefully some clue as to the campaign? I've attached the same picture several times but rotated, so that all is legible.

Unfortunately, due to the damage to the reverse not all is legible.

• "Fröhliche Osterfeiertage / Ernst" = "Happy Easter Holiday / Ernst"
• "Auf dem / [...] keine / 'Osterhasen'" = "No 'Easter Bunnies' in the [...]" [Probably "Auf dem Bild" = "in the picture"]
• "Prag 7. III. 40 / am Üb[...]" = "Prague 7 March 40 / at the [...]" [Probably "Übungsplatz" = "drill ground" or "Übungsgelände" = "training ground"]

I'm also attaching a picture of some SS men which I never had looked at - do my eyes deceive me or is that a Standartenfuhrer in the middle?

No; he is of lower rank: Obersturmführer or Hauptsturmführer.

[Styx]

• "Fröhliche Osterfeiertage / Ernst" = "Happy Easter Holiday / Ernst"
• "Auf dem / [...] keine / 'Osterhasen'" = "No 'Easter Bunnies' in the [...]" [Probably "Auf dem Bild" = "in the picture"]
• "Prag 7. III. 40 / am Üb[...]" = "Prague 7 March 40 / at the [...]" [Probably "Übungsplatz" = "drill ground" or "Übungsgelände" = "training ground"]

No; he is of lower rank: Obersturmführer or Hauptsturmführer.

Still a lot of info there HPL! Thanks very much, I at least now know the correct date (and location) of the photo. And thanks for clarifying the rank; to my eyes it appeared vaguely as if he was wearing single oak leaf tabs.

Robbie