Thomas W Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) And here's the skull, which is an unofficial assault-troop badge in white metal. It probably has crossed stick grenades beneath it instead of crossed bones. Edited October 2, 2009 by Thomas W
Sergeant 08 Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 And here's the skull, which is an unofficial assault-troop badge in white metal. It probably has crossed stick grenades beneath it instead of crossed bones. Like this one?
Robin Lumsden Posted October 2, 2009 Author Posted October 2, 2009 This is a well-known (probably the best known) Freikorps photo.............but does anyone know what the rest of the design on the sides and back of the helmet was supposed to represent? I don't.
Thomas W Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 This is a well-known (probably the best known) Freikorps photo.............but does anyone know what the rest of the design on the sides and back of the helmet was supposed to represent? I don't. There was an identical helmet for sale on eBay a while back. The designs on the sides are profile views of skulls facing backward. In that photo you're seeing the rounded back of the skull and the edge of the lower jaw.
Thomas W Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 Like this one? Yes, like that one. There were many unofficial Sturmtrupp badges like that.
Sergeant 08 Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) ...and a badge of a German vets organization, that I found this year. A very popular design! Edited October 2, 2009 by Sergeant 08
Sergeant 08 Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 And if we talk about the best skull things of this year, we should not forget this photo
Sergeant 08 Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 (edited) Other interesting skulls? Edited October 2, 2009 by Sergeant 08
Chip Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 Other interesting skulls? Just a few Austrian ones.
Sergeant 08 Posted October 2, 2009 Posted October 2, 2009 The Austrian skull badges are interesting, Chip!
Thomas W Posted October 3, 2009 Posted October 3, 2009 Postwar image of a flamethrower operator of Reichswehr-Brigade 15, who wears a nonofficial Totenkopf in the Sturmbataillon Nr. 5 (Rohr) position above the cuff. He wears a cloth cover on both his helmet and on the Wex flamethrower, and he carries a makeshift stick igniter or fuse (behelfmässigen Stockzünder) consisting of a board with a bundle of kerosene-soaked rags on the end. This was lit with matches and used to ignite large flamethrowers when the automatic igniter burned out.
Thomas W Posted October 3, 2009 Posted October 3, 2009 Pionier Otto Jakob, 11th Company of the Garde-Reserve-Pionier-Regiment.
Thomas W Posted October 3, 2009 Posted October 3, 2009 Otto Jakob in 1943, from his Wehrpass. At the age of 46 Wehrbezirkskommando Magdeburg III declared him fit for active service (kriesverwendunsfähig) as a flamethrower operator in Landwehr I. I have no more information on him.
Robin Lumsden Posted October 3, 2009 Author Posted October 3, 2009 There was an identical helmet for sale on eBay a while back. The designs on the sides are profile views of skulls facing backward. In that photo you're seeing the rounded back of the skull and the edge of the lower jaw. Aha! I see the profile now. Thanks, Thomas. :cheers:
Robin Lumsden Posted October 3, 2009 Author Posted October 3, 2009 Postwar image of a flamethrower operator of Reichswehr-Brigade 15, who wears a nonofficial Totenkopf in the Sturmbataillon Nr. 5 (Rohr) position above the cuff. He wears a cloth cover on both his helmet and on the Wex flamethrower, and he carries a makeshift stick igniter or fuse (behelfmässigen Stockzünder) consisting of a board with a bundle of kerosene-soaked rags on the end. This was lit with matches and used to ignite large flamethrowers when the automatic igniter burned out. Now...........THAT is beginning to look more like the sort of unit that might have worn the non-regulation black totenkopf that started this thread. :love:
Thomas W Posted October 4, 2009 Posted October 4, 2009 Oops. Don't know what happened there. Bulgarians in the postwar period:
Sergeant 08 Posted October 4, 2009 Posted October 4, 2009 (edited) This skull was in an auction today. The seller stated, it came from the same source like the Freikorps badge Chiemgau (Oberbayern). Ideas, what this skull could be? Maybe too large for cap skull? A sleeve skull? Or for another use? Edited October 4, 2009 by Sergeant 08
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