Gordon Williamson Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 Well, for me at least. The guy wasn't anything special, no awards, and was invalided out of the Army due to illness. However, during March-June 1942 was in a rather interesting unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Williamson Posted August 8, 2009 Author Share Posted August 8, 2009 The Heeres Streifendienst, attached to the Germany Military Attache in Rome. The Army patrol service didn't wear a Gorget or Cuffband, but an aiguilette similar to that worn by Adjutants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Williamson Posted August 8, 2009 Author Share Posted August 8, 2009 Heeresstreifendienst in action. Photo =Brian L Davis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Orchard Posted August 8, 2009 Share Posted August 8, 2009 I can imagine how popular these guys were with soldiers on leave in the eternal city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick Research Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 On the other hand, a sickly 47 year old farm laborer/truck driver doesn't seem to have been selected for his imposing "presence" or intimidating stare!!! Does it even indicate that he spoke Italian for SOME "reason" to have sent him all the way there and back again? Depot duty in Russia afterwards.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Boonzaier Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 On the other hand, a sickly 47 year old farm laborer/truck driver doesn't seem to have been selected for his imposing "presence" or intimidating stare!!! Does it even indicate that he spoke Italian for SOME "reason" to have sent him all the way there and back again? Depot duty in Russia afterwards.... I think we should not underestimate how few people back them in Germany could actually drive a truck/car. The Ersatz Abteilung was probably told "send 5 drivers to Rome, that way our patrols dont have to ride bicycles all the time..." and off he went eager to visit the big city fleshpots and get the clap for the first time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Williamson Posted August 9, 2009 Author Share Posted August 9, 2009 I suspect that Chris has hit the nail on the head. The guy saw action in the attack on Poland but then seems to have been on a home posting in Germany until he is sent to Italy. He suffered from Chronic Bronchitis. Probably they needed drivers in Italy, and as an Unteroffizier with Driving Licences Class 1, 2 and 3 he should have been quite useful. I'm guessing also that they sent him there as an attempt to keep him in the service, maybe thinking that in the drier, warmer climate in Italy his Bronchitis would ease up. Even if it did improve in Italy, it went downhill again once he returned ( I can just see the military logic - his Bronchitis seems better now, lets send him to a unit in Russia !) and he was medically discharged as unfit for military service on 5 December 1942. Not a particularly impressive military career otherwise, but only the second Streifendienst related book I've come across in over 40 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Williamson Posted August 9, 2009 Author Share Posted August 9, 2009 This is from my previous Streifendienst set ( Soldbuch & Ausweis). Now he does look like a seriously nasty piece of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Orchard Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Very Herr Flick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rick Research Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Just imagine the various FORMS of military police colliding and chest bumping each other-- "Show ME your papers!" "No! You show me YOUR papers!" "My branch of service has precedence over yours!" "Does not!" "Does too!" "I arrest YOU!" "No-- I arrest YOU!" ... These seem to be "permanent" assignments-- so (seriously) I am wondering why they were not staffed by REAL policemen like the Feldgendarmerie cadre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Williamson Posted August 9, 2009 Author Share Posted August 9, 2009 Indeed, it is a very complicated subject. It does seem that there was a huge number of police type formations within the military. It appears that the Bahnhofswache and Zugwache were "sub-sets" of the Streifenfienst service. At a higher level you can say that there were really three - The Military Police "Proper" (Feldgendarmerie of the Heer, Luftwaffe, Waffen-SS and Marineküstenpolizei) The Plain Clothes Military Police (Geheime Feldpolizei) The lower level "disciplinary" units (Streifendienst, incl. Bahnhofswache, Streifendienst, Kommandantur ) Not too much different to the British who had at various times Military Police Proper ( Military Mounted Police, Military Foot Police (Red Caps), Field Security Police (Green Caps), Vulnerable Points Police (Blue Caps),Traffic Police (White Caps) Plain Clothes Military Police - The SIB (Special Investigations Branch) Lower level - Regimental Police (RP), Royal Air Force Police (RAFP), Royal Navy Police (RNP), Royal Marines Police (RMP), Gurkha Military Police (GMP). There is a reciprocal arrangement between branches of the service which allows for instance an RAF Policemen to arrest a Royal Navy sailor etc, but generally speaking RP, RAFP, RNP, etc tend to "take care of thier own" whilst the RMP (i.e. the Army Military Police) have a much wider ranging remit and is a much much bigger organisation. So really, what seems like a huge number of military police type formations in the German military isn't all that unusual. (By the way, the Regimental march of the RMP is a German tune, "Die Wachtturm") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naxos Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 (By the way, the Regimental march of the RMP is a German tune, "Die Wachtturm") Like the British anthem which is the same tune as the Prussian anthem and unofficial German anthem prior to 1918 "Heil dir im Siegerkranz" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 (edited) Did members of the Streifendienst wear any cyphers on their shoulder boards, and if so which ones - or are they ones to identify the Wehrkreis he is serving under? I have a soldbuch to a member of the Streifendienst and in the SB photo a set of insignia can just be made out on his epaulette, although not in enough detail to tell what it is. Edited August 12, 2009 by hucks216 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Williamson Posted August 12, 2009 Author Share Posted August 12, 2009 No, the only thing they wore was the aiguilette, that combined with the special Ausweis they carried was their only special identifying insignia. They wore the Waffenfarbe plus any cyphers etc of their original unit. I believe that for most, they just "passed through" the Streifendienst between unit allocations, often when they were recovering from injury or illness, until fit for re-allocation. Interesting Soldbuch, can you show some more ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I certainly can - apologies for the condition of the images which has been caused by reducing them to a size that allows upload. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Pic 2... He certainly saw the inside of a few hospitals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Pic 3... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Final Pic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian jewison Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Hi Gordon, As sent to you the other day....a nice group of Steifendienst personnel!!! In particular at least one member of this group was a convalescing solider! /Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Williamson Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 Yes, a super photo Ian. Photos of Streifendienst are hard enough to find but this is the first I've ever seen of Streifendienst in Panzer uniforms. Being attached to Streifendienst type units during convalescence seems to be a common theme. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sef1962 Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Soldbuch of Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Leerhoff Streifenkompanie X, Photo shows EKI and Black Wound badge WWI and SA sports badge also received Sudetenmedal and KVK2 with Swords on 20.1.40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Williamson Posted August 26, 2009 Author Share Posted August 26, 2009 Superb ! Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 I have just acquired a wehrpass to a member of a Streifendienst unit, but he was subsequently killed while part of a train escort unit (the train he was on was blown up by a mine) and I was just wondering if such units came under the remit of the Streifendienst or would the Zugwach-Abt z.b.V be an entirely seperate entity.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Units... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hucks216 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Training... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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