Heer What is this uniform?

[webr55]

Gentlemen,

this is a group photo taken probably around 1935/36. There are Wehrmacht NCOs sitting in the foreground and standing at the sides (some apparently with the older cap eagle, some with the new one). But the others, those with army caps, have me confused. Is that a Wehrmacht uniform, but without the WH eagle on the caps?

Sorry about the bad quality of the picture.

Chris

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[webr55]

Closeup of the uniform in question. BTW, this is one of my great-grandfathers. Rank seems to be Unterfeldwebel, what do you think?

Thanks

Chris

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55

[webr55]

Maybe some sort of early WH uniform, or am I just missing something?

[Guest Rick Research]

The covered front button tunics with chest pockets suggest re-issue of circa 1921 Reichsheer uniforms... but not even any collar tabs. Most of those guys look older rather than younger...

I've seen several similar photos from this 1935/36 period-- none in close enough to tell if that is a cockade on their Skim?tzen or a button...

all I can guess is some sort of "make do" uniforms for reservist NCOs called up without sufficient stocks of the new Wehrmacht uniforms yet. They aren't wearing anything remotely Party oriented, so it's not as if they're SA on weekend training not worth the expense of duplicating part-time uniforms, either.

These also bear no resemblance to any police uniforms I've ever seen for the transitional "Landespolizei" types who were being absorbed en masse into the Wehrmacht.

What was your great-grandfather before and after this period?

[webr55]

Rick Research said:

The covered front button tunics with chest pockets suggest re-issue of circa 1921 Reichsheer uniforms... but not even any collar tabs. Most of those guys look older rather than younger...

I've seen several similar photos from this 1935/36 period-- none in close enough to tell if that is a cockade on their Skim?tzen or a button...

all I can guess is some sort of "make do" uniforms for reservist NCOs called up without sufficient stocks of the new Wehrmacht uniforms yet. They aren't wearing anything remotely Party oriented, so it's not as if they're SA on weekend training not worth the expense of duplicating part-time uniforms, either.

These also bear no resemblance to any police uniforms I've ever seen for the transitional "Landespolizei" types who were being absorbed en masse into the Wehrmacht.

What was your great-grandfather before and after this period?

All that makes sense. My great-grandfather was a farmer, born 1886, and had been a reserve NCO in the field artillery in WW1. I thought he was a Vizewachtmeister dR, but this photo suggests he had only been an Unteroffizier.

He was not recalled for WW2 or any Wehrmacht service. A reserve gathering is quite likely, but some apparently already had new shiny uniforms, while others simply pinned the new eagle on some old dress.

The Oberfeldwebel in the center was my grandfather's brother, Erich Reich. He was definitely a Vizewachtmeister dR and was neither recalled for WW2. There is another photo of him probably taken on the same day:

Edited November 11, 2017 by webr55