Kriegsmarine KM men with Army Decorations

[John R]

This is an interesting photo courtesy of Ricardo in Brazil posted on WAF a couple days ago. These types of photos make great history I think, and while interservice transfers were common, they must have opened a few eyes in their day. Just another observation since you do not see it often, the diagonal blue stripe on the scarf is very visable in this photo at the knot, just above the white securing bows.

I am sure there a numerous images of Herr and LW men with KM decorations also.

John

Edited January 3, 2008 by John Robinson

[Paul R]

I can understand KM personnel being transfered to the Heer due to the need for manpower, but I have never seen a Sailor with Heer awards! Especially a Panzer badge!! I would love to know his story!

Paul

[Gordon Williamson]

Fascinating photo. I've seen quite a number of photos of KM men wearing awards from previous service in another branch, as well as Army or Waffen-SS men (there is a well known photo of an SS Panzer officer wearing the Narvik shield and Destroyer badge on the Panzerjacke) wearing awards won in previous service with the KM. The real tricky one is finding photos of KM men in field grey wearing combat awards won as sailors for combat on land.

Most people tend to think of KM men in field grey serving as land combat troops as being a late war thing (sailors without ships etc), but in fact there were naval assault troops in action from day one of WW2.

This photo shows Kapit?nleutnant Walter Schug, the commander of U-86 from his days as a company commander in the Marine-Stoss-Abteilung. So he was an example of a KM combat soldier on land who then transferred to shipboard service and not the other way around.

Another example of a KM combat unit was Marine Artillerie Abteilung 531. Despite its name this was not a normal coastal artillery unit but a dedicated naval assult formation.

Photos of any KM personnel wearing combat award badges ( Infantry Assault, General Assault even Anti-Partisan Badges) awarded during land service in the KM do exist but are rare.

[Gordon Williamson]

Former U-Boat officer in Naval Combat Unit in 1945

[nesredep]

Hello!

The man of the left wearing LW badge.

All the best

Nesredep

[nesredep]

Hello!

A better pic.

All the best

Nesredep

[Sprocket]

The Waffen-SS officer mentioned by Gordon was on the staff at Hitler's Headquarters (name was Krause) that is wearing the Narvik Shield and a Destroyer Badge (on his black panzer uniform?).

But there were many men drafted into the Army and Waffen-SS from the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. I have a SS-Soldbuch and Wehrpass from a man that was in Luftwaffe radio communications. He ended up in SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 23 "Norge" and earned the Iron Cross 2nd Class, the Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze and the Wound Badge in Black. He was KIA.

Reinhard Heydrich flew with the Luftwaffe in combat. Some of these badges on these personalities were actually earned and not given tit-for-tat.

Bob

Edited May 22, 2008 by Sprocket

[nesredep]

The Waffen-SS officer mentioned by Gordon was on the staff at Hitler's Headquarters (name was Krause) that is wearing the Narvik Shield and a Destroyer Badge (on his black panzer uniform?).

But there were many men drafted into the Army and Waffen-SS from the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. I have a SS-Soldbuch and Wehrpass from a man that was in Luftwaffe radio communications. He ended up in SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 23 "Norge" and earned the Iron Cross 2nd Class, the Panzer Assault Badge in Bronze and the Wound Badge in Black. He was KIA.

Reinhard Heydrich flew with the Luftwaffe in combat. Some of these badges on these personalities were actually earned and not given tit-for-tat.

Bob

Hello!

Plase post Your Soldbuch and Wehrpass.

All the best

Nesredep

[Sprocket]

Maybe later...

Bob