Ss-pioniersturmbann

[Robert H]

Allg. SS Pioneer Sturm Wiesbaden postcard.

[vady]

jawohl, ausgezeichnet; beautiful titles all. and so seldom seen....!

Bravo, Robert, and thanks to our Italian colleague for the remarkable piece. Thanks also to colleague Hritz for his treasures.

[DrCMH]

The SS was full of doctors, of course, and were concentrated in Sanitaetsabteilungen at various levels, here for the Abschnitt. Maybe someone has a nice image of this cuff title. Addendendum: this is from Bob Coleman's wonderful collection.

Another image or two for our member's files:

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Very nice. Thank you. How sad that over time certain personages participated here and then withdrew their material.

Peter Jenkins does find remarkable things. Thanks to Dr CMH for his stellar citizenship.

[DrCMH]

Dear Colleague, thanks for much for these wonderful images. Therein are contained more Allgemeine SS insignia of note and interest than one sees in two decades. Your skill at finding this wonderful material is extraordinary. It is a pity the uniforms did not survive, but pleasing that somehow the insignia made it....thanks again for joining us.

I think another point here is how much a certain man could move around in units. Also, it would be interesting to know from whatever personnel documents one can glean (or from the Dienstalterlisten) when he was in each unit here so pictured. One thing about the SS was its rapid growth and shifting table of organization. I think certain times people cut their nose to spite their face with assertions that uniforms are put together, when the reality is that people changed units frequently in the years 1933-1940, as this insignia so clearly attests. Some collectors rather oddly assume that the person then had a new uniform made or issued, with insignia applied as if by a saint---a very odd assumption. The reality of this thing shows itself in very small details. And look at the promotion dates of SS officers especially in the period of rapid expansion in the rank lists, as well. A contrast to the old Prussian army of yore or even to the 100,000 Mann Heer.

The above are very wise words, written over eight years ago, that all collectors of this regalia should reflect upon. Thank you, FB, for your efforts here.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The above are very wise words that all collectors of this regalia should reflect upon. Thank you, FB, for your efforts here.

Thanks. The struggle is less lonely with your help. I was more hopeful in 2008. Now I am rather pessimistic about the whole thing, really.

Happy old junk to all. Here are some images of mine.

The cap in the foreground is ex Pepera, and was in one of Wim's books.

[DrCMH]

Very nice images of exceptional items. Thank you.

[DrCMH]

Peter's outstanding silk top cap, of which now I am the current conservator, as it is displayed today:

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Very nice images of exceptional items. Thank you.

They are items likely to be in your collection one day.

[Charlie Farley]

I would love to get hold of a few f those cuffs.