A nice shot of uniforms and awards

[Woolgar]

Anyone know the occasion? ... and who the Frau is

Thanks

Nick

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thanks. This could be the fall harvest ceremony held in the Sportpalast in Berlin, before it was destroyed, I think.

I believe that Goering gave the oration. I am not wholly certain.

[HPL2008]

Anyone know the occasion? ... and the Frau is

The original caption for this press photograph of 3 Oct. 1943 is:

"Die Befreier des Duce als Ehrengäste im Berliner Sportpalast

Der Grosskundgebung, die anlässlich des Erntedanktages 1943 im Berliner Sportpalast stattfand, wohnten auch die Männer bei, die unter Führung von Ritterkreuzträger SS-Sturmbannführer Skorzeny den Duce aus dem Berghotel am Gran Sasso aus den Händen seiner Feinde befreiten."

...i.e.:

"The Duce's rescuers as guests of honor in the Berlin Sportpalast

Among those attending the major rally that took place at the Berlin Sportpalast on the occasion of Thanksgiving 1943 were the men who, under the leadership of Knight's Cross Holder Otto Skorzeny, had rescued the Duce from his enemy's hands at the mountain hotel on the Gran Sasso."

(Source: German Federal Archives via Wikimedia, see: File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J07989, Berlin, Sportpalast, Waffen-SS-Angehörige.jpg - Wikimedia Commons )

Skorzeny himself, however, is not in this photograph. The SS men have been identified elsewhere as (from right to left):

SS - Obersturmführer Ulrich Menzel
SS - Untersturmführer Otto Schwerdt
SS - Unterscharführer Hans Holzer
SS - Untersturmführer Robert Warger
SS - Hauptscharführer Manns
SS - Unterscharführer Bernhard Cieslewitz

(Source: Thema anzeigen - Die Befreiung Mussolinis auf dem Gran Sasso - Panzer-Archiv )

Sorry; I don't know who the lady is. I don't think she actually has anything to do with this group, though.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Bravo, Andreas.

[harryamb2]

I always thought that Skorzeny was the only SS man there,every body else were fallschirmjager.

[HPL2008]

I always thought that Skorzeny was the only SS man there,every body else were fallschirmjager.

No; there were some 72 paras and 16 SS men. All of the latter, however (including Skorzeny himself) were in Luftwaffe uniform.