What are these things on the soldiers uniforms?

[Monuir]

Hi! I recently started collecting some photo albums and I can identify most weapons and awards but I am very bad with different accesories for uniforms... So I thought that when I see something that I do not know what it is, I could post it here and learn some more great history from my fellow collectors

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So this is a group of soldiers that has returned from the battle in Poland. It's taken the second May in 1941. I belive they are gebirgsjägers.


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Some of the soldiers have a black round thing on their left arm, like this soldier. Is this some kind of award or is it just a place where they can put the gebirgsjäger patch?


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I am guessing by the looks of it that this guy is an officer. But what are those white stripes on hes arms and what is that funny looking thing hanging from his shoulder? Also, the ribbon going in to hes uniform, I am guessing is the ribbon from EK2?

[Monuir]

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This man has the iron cross of the first class, but does anyone know what the eagle over the EK1 is?


Attachment 385900
This soldier has something over hes front pocket. I know it's very hard to spot what it is because of bad picture quaily, but if you can't see what it is, maybe you could tell me what the soldiers usually had over the left front pocket.



Will buy a scanner, right now I have a 40 euro camera... Not so good for close up pictures :P

[Jerry B]

I don't know what the patch on the left sleeve is, not jager patch as that is always on the right sleeve.

The second man the senior nco of the unit and is wearing Der Speiss rank rings and a marksmanship lanyard. It is the EKII ribbon

The eagle above the EKIis for his award of it during the WWII period, with the EK being from his WWI service.

The last are two ribbon bars, but sadly not clear enough to see, though he might have the Memel (oops meant Sudetenland) medal with Prague bar.

[HPL2008]

Some of the soldiers have a black round thing on their left arm, like this soldier. Is this some kind of award or is it just a place where they can put the gebirgsjäger patch?

It's not entirely clear in the photo, but it's definitely not the Gebirgsjäger patch, which was worn on the right upper arm. Probably a signals qualification badge.

I am guessing by the looks of it that this guy is an officer.

No; he's an NCO. Notice his collar Tresse and the marksmanship lanyard (see below), neither of which were worn by officers.

But what are those white stripes on hes arms and what is that funny looking thing hanging from his shoulder?

On his sleeve are the twin Tresse rings identifying him as a Hauptfeldwebel (Spieß). The thing on his shoulder is a marksmanship lanyard. [Schützenschnur]

Also, the ribbon going in to hes uniform, I am guessing is the ribbon from EK2?

Right.

This man has the iron cross of the first class, but does anyone know what the eagle over the EK1 is?

The 1939 clasp to his 1914 EK1. (This man is an officer, by the way.)

This soldier has something over hes front pocket. I know it's very hard to spot what it is because of bad picture quaily, but if you can't see what it is, maybe you could tell me what the soldiers usually had over the left front pocket.

It's a 2-place ribbon bar. The first ribbon is not clear, the second one is for the Sudetenland medal with the "Prague Castle" bar.

[Monuir]

Thanks for the great answers!

The soldiers also have a right arm patch, is it not the gebirgsjäger patch?

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PS: YOU CAN CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TO MAKE THEM BIGGER!

[Monuir]

Will post further questions about uniforms here so I do not spamm the forums with many threads.


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Can anyone make up what patch this young man is wearing?


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Would be nice of someone can see what rank this soldier is and what branch he is from.

[Monuir]

Attachment 385935

Another photo on the soldiers I thought was gebirsjäger. Maybe its easier to make out what they are on this one? Does the number plates on the vehicles help? Vehicle 1 from the left: W101707. Vehicle 2 from the left: W100619. Vehicle 3 from the left: A40988

[HPL2008]

The soldiers also have a right arm patch, is it not the gebirgsjäger patch?

It sure is. (Although, to be totally accurate, we should use the term Gebirgstruppen [= mountain troops]. The Gebirgsjäger (mountain infantry) were just one branch of the mountain troops; there were also mountain signals, -artillery and -engineer units, all of which wore the Edelweiß sleeve patch.

Can anyone make up what patch this young man is wearing?

Sorry, it's just not clear enough.

Would be nice of someone can see what rank this soldier is and what branch he is from.

He's a junior petty officer of the Kriegsmarine in its field-grey uniform; he is wearing the washable Drillichrock jacket. Rank is Maat.

Another photo on the soldiers I thought was gebirsjäger. Maybe its easier to make out what they are on this one?

Yes, they, too are mountain troops.

[spandau]

Hi HPL

As you got all the answers correct do you win a prize ?

Nice photos shown. thanks for sharing.

[Monuir]

Thank you so much, you are as usual fantastic help