In search of the tell tale tatoo 1946

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 03-16-2009, 04:34 AM

In the process of doing a presentation on aspects of the European past, I found this image of the faded glory of the SS in 1946 as made eternal by a Life Magazine person along with the US forces constabulary. It seems hard to imagine that the chap might have a black uniform intact in the Kleiderschrank, either. Sic transit gloria mundi.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 03-16-2009 04:34 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Robert H** · 03-17-2009, 02:41 AM

That photo is not a camp photo, looks like a regular farmers family from somehwere in Bavaria to me. Ja, the americans where interested in the SS soldiers alot and tried to catch them when ever they could. Now their relics are highly sought after from both German and American collectors.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 03-17-2009, 02:56 AM

Robert is quite right. This image is from a series on the US Constabulary force (i.e. the military echelon of the occupation) in the US zone. The images are from the Google-Life magazine archives and are very interesting. The major fear was a Werwolf-dead ender organization of die hard that would mount a Nazi insurgency, something that (despite recent assertions to the contrary) never happened in any significant way.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 03-17-2009, 03:20 AM

Here is another image of a search of a reputed ex Nazi peasant leader. These images appear to have been taken in Franken and the Bavarian forest, an area known to colleague Robert.

Once again, I do not have the sense that this man had three or more black and grey SS uniforms on the premises, either.

If you look in the Life magazine archives, there are many images of the US forces in the US zone of the years 1945-7 or so, and it gives you a sense in what circumstances regalia did or did not survive.

There are also photo essays on the black market of note, too.

**Friedrich-Berthold** · 03-17-2009, 05:25 AM

from the same reportage, these items were seized....

but no black SS senior leader's cap or Himmler presentation dagger.

Maybe the sword, though....

Maxrobot · 05-07-2009, 02:51 AM

Back in the 70's my dad knew a guy who was Swiss but had joined the Luftwaffe during the war. He was a Fallschirmjager and during the battle for Berlin caught a round that went in the underside of his right arm ( I saw the scar) so he was sent to a hospital in a flaktower/bunker. When he was released the hospital gave him an old Afrika Corps jacket with no insignia. When he reported to surrender, the Allies saw the coat with no insignia and the tattoo of his blood type under his arm and threw him into a detention camp with SS men!
Peter Gombert later had a high position with Swissair.