Looking for info/help on German WW2 uniform insignia

**Greenhorn** · 12-26-2011, 04:22 AM

SeaMac

Great story.

Looking forward to hearing some more on this one. First trach? Impressive!

Please do share more, SeaMac

Green

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 12-26-2011 04:22 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**SeaMac** · 12-26-2011, 05:49 AM

First successfull Trach. in the field as far as I can tell, and have been told. It was attempted before but not successfully.
Kinda interesting one article goes on to say how "Kinman" the medic..was just recently briefed on the proceedure of tracheotemy before it happened.
This kid was only 19 yrs. old and doing this under fire.
I really get a kick out of one article that shows a diagram of a trach. operation. Underneath the pic it says: Standard surgery: Scalpel,forceps,retractors, and tracheal tube are used; Kinman had a jackknife and fountain pen cap

I have some more pics of the "scrapbook" downloading now. If they turn out somewhat readable i will post them up.
I might have to just write out a few articles. But that is gona be very time consuming.

**SeaMac** · 12-26-2011, 06:15 AM

See how this works.. Many duplicate clippings and articles from magazines like readers digest,time,stars and stripes, and local newspapers..

Looking for info/help on German WW2 uniform insignia

**tud jones** · 12-26-2011, 06:20 AM

Don't want to be guilty of thread creep but I believe that tracheotomy procedures go way back Tracheostomy History and that they were performed in the American Civil War, WWI etc so perhaps there is some mistake in back story relating to the "first successful tracheotomy in the field". Years ago, I took a mountaineering first aid class and I seem to remember the suggestion of using the barrel of a pen for the procedure. Here is an explanation: How to Perform an Emergency Tracheotomy

edit...I must have been writing this just before you posted the newspaper articles. Interesting to read contemporary accounts of the story.

**SeaMac** · 12-26-2011, 06:32 AM

by tud jones

Don't want to be guilty of thread creep but I believe that tracheotomy procedures go way back Tracheostomy History and that they were performed in the American Civil War, WWI etc so perhaps there is some mistake in back story relating to the "first successful tracheotomy in the field". Years ago, I took a mountaineering first aid class and I seem to remember the suggestion of using the barrel of a pen for the procedure. Here is an explanation: How to Perform an Emergency Tracheotomy

Thanks for that info as well. Maybe first "successfull" in the field trach. for the u.s. or military?...I kinda remember one of the articles saying it was a first ,and that it was attempted before but without success. Ill have to try and find.
In any event i should not have made the claim "This was the First Tracheotomy" as it is something i am not 100% sure of myself (just read about briefly through these article clippings and tried to relay as much info as i could remember to try and make a very long story short) Sorry for any confusion.

**SeaMac** · 12-26-2011, 06:46 AM

I think there is one thing we can all be sure of tho...This was Kinman's and my Grandpa's FIRST Trach. operation. lol

**SeaMac** · 12-26-2011, 08:45 AM

Back to the insignia....Is there anything anyone can tell me about the gold chevron arm patches on greenish and greyish backing?. Type of soldiers they belonged to, ranking, etc?...I cant find any pics or much info of similiar ones.

**ObKrieger** · 12-26-2011, 08:53 AM

There we go, the 'Fountain Pen Was Life' article mentions that your grandfather was in the 5th Infantry Division, which is just the kind of news I would want to hear. They reached Czechoslovakia in, in believe, March of 1945, where ironically the 5. SS 'Wiking' surrendered at about the same time. At the time of their surrender, the 5. SS had just finished its breakout to American lines after being encircled by Soviets- an operation that many German units tried to complete during the last days of the war.

SeaMac, you have some real history here. Please keep the insignia with the scrapbook. If you end up selling it, do not take lowball offers.

**ObKrieger** · 12-26-2011, 08:58 AM

by SeaMac

Back to the insignia....Is there anything anyone can tell me about the gold chevron arm patches on greenish and greyish backing?. Type of soldiers they belonged to, ranking, etc?...I cant find any pics or much info of similiar ones.

These are Kriegsmarine (German Navy) rank patches. I believe that they are all for coastal artillery, but I could be wrong about that. The ones with 3 chevrons are for a Hauptgefreiter, and the one with 2 chevrons is for an Obergefreiter.

**SeaMac** · 12-26-2011, 09:04 AM

by ObKrieger

There we go, the 'Fountain Pen Was Life' article mentions that your grandfather was in the 5th Infantry Division, which is just the kind of news I would want to hear. They reached Czechoslovakia in, in believe, March of 1945, where ironically the 5. SS 'Wiking' surrendered at about the same time. At the time of their surrender, the 5. SS had just finished its breakout to American lines after being encircled by Soviets- an operation that many German units tried to complete during the last days of the war.

SeaMac, you have some real history here. Please keep the insignia with the scrapbook. If you end up selling it, do not take lowball offers.

Thank You for your help.
Mike