Wehrmacht uniform questions

[anjongni]

Uncle Peter #2.jpg

Photo of my uncle Peter before the war. Grandma's brother, with sister Victoria in Wittlich. Can anyone help me identify his uniform and badges? The pocket appears to be a "sport badge". Is this correct? I would like to know the meaning of the "left" sleeve diamond, the collar rank, and if the picture is possibly reversed. It could very likely be reversed. It was rumoured that he was in the SS, but he was born in 1903, so would have been pretty old to be a front-line soldier by the start of the war. My father was in the US Army infantry 1943 - 1945. Co-incidently, both men were in Aachen in 1944, possibly shooting at each other! Uncle Peter was severely wounded and died from this in 1956. His great-grandson is visiting us from Germany and has never seen this photo. I would like to be able to relay any information I find about the rank and unit. Thanks in advance...Phil

[42rocker]

Phil
Interesting photo and family history. Good Luck hope someone knows a lot more than I do about German uniforms and ranks and badges.

Later 42rocker

[Der Alder]

Interesting, thanks for sharing. You might want to try asking on this site as well : http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/index.php

[noonxnoon]

You are correct about the sports badge...the hooked cross with the sword and laurels.

Hard to tell (for me anyways!) what the true color of his jacket is...I know it isn't black so he wasn't allegeime SS...don't think he is regular army Whermacht...he has two pips and 1 or 2 lines...would make me think he is an officer...but the checkered pipping around the color gives me that NCO vibe.

I got a couple uniform books I should dig out to see...but I am probably grossly incorrect but it seems a bit SA...depending upon what time he joined.

He doesn't look pure blond so he couldn't have joined the SS during the early years as they were quite strict on who could wear the SS uniform.

The arm cuff looks regular NSDP and not SS or NSKK, etc.

[fjruple]

Looks like a Obertruppfuhrer (Senior NCO) in the NSKK. His right sleeve should have the NSKK emblem.

--fjruple

[anjongni]

Thanks guys for all the insight so far. I'm fairly certain that the picture is not reversed. I believe that this was one of a series of photos taken at the time, and I might have one that shows the other sleeve. I don't really know the names or functions of the different NSDAP groups. Could this be some type of "police" uniform? I do know that a lot of German men had very formal uniforms, but not all were regular military, Wehrmact, Kreigsmarine, Luftwaffe, correct? "Paramilitary" we might say now, as in Party "thugs". I'm sure that a lot of men had an armband. If anyone has info as to rank and unit, it would be appreciated. I'll look for other photos. Thanks....Phil

[fjruple]

anjongni--

If you have additional pictures of your relative especially his right collar and right sleeve it would give us an idea of the unit in the NSKK (National Socialist Motor Corps) he was part of. Originally part of the SA, the NSKK was separated from the SA in 1934. The NSKK was responsible for providing motor transport for the party. If an individual joined the party he was asked if they owned an automobile or truck and if they would volunteer its use for party functions at a moments notice. You have to bear in mind not a great many individuals owned an automobile in Germany. Even thought the popoganda films of the Wehrmacht shows a lot of tanks, trucks, half tracks and vehicles, a large percentage of the Wehrmacht was horse-drawn even in 1940.

--fjruple

[messerschmittfan]

No police uniform, he is wearing a senior NCO rank insignia of the NSKK as already noted. Oh, by the way there was never a directive that only blond Germans 6 foot or taller could be in the SS. That was an internal directive for Hitler's first body guard that was authorized by the party in 1934. For some reason the media took it to mean the entire SS which is not true if one was to spend just a little bit of time and look at the VT-SS (predecessor to the Waffen SS) photographs in various period books to note that there was not a lot of blonds. The SS only required that you be of pure racial stock (kind of like having a pure breed cow) and your blood line had to be "pure" back to your Great Grand Mother from your Grand Mothers side. Of course your father's side had to be pure as well but that was proved by his blood card. The truth of the matter is that only a very small majority of the Germanic people are blond although Himmler (who was also not blond) had a major breeding program started to get the birth rate up for the blonds. Just my rambling, but back to the uniform it is 100% NSKK. Do some checking on the internet for the NSKK and you will find the rank insignia and uniform depicted in several locations. Harry