Rare Luftwaffe-related organizations photos

[Freiwillige]

Here I'd like to share with you some rare photos of various Luftwaffe-related paramilitary organizations.

No.1 Luftschutzpolizei Abteilungsfuehrer

[Freiwillige]

No.2 Sicherheits und Hilfdienst (SHD)-Gruppenfuehrer with partially new insignia introduced in March 1940. Here we can see new shoulder boards but collar patches are still missing.

[Freiwillige]

No.3 SHD-Mann with M40 insignia featuring new collar patches with "SHD" letters.

[Freiwillige]

No.4 Here's a real rarity - a good portrait of a member of Luftwaffe General Luftzeugmeister. Photo was made in 1942 somewhere in the occupied territory of the USSR.

This branch was established in May 1941. The Luftwaffe General Luftzeugmeister consisted of civilian personnel who acted as comptrollers of the weapon factories in Germany as well as in the temporarily occupied territories.

Please note one of three types of collar patches used by this organization. In general cloth collar tabs were gray-blue rectangular shaped patches with an outer red piping and the letters "GL" embroidered in red thread. There would be one tab per collar. Other varieties have been metallic letters "GL" punched through each collar and even patches with "G" and "L" (the variant we can see on this photo). 

[Gordon Craig]

Freiwillige,

Thanks for sharing these very excellent and rare fotos with us.

Regards,

Gordon

[Freiwillige]

Thank you for the kind words, Gordon!

No.5 Here's another photo of the Luftwaffe General Luftzeugmeister member. Photo was taken on November 11, 1942. Note the breast insignia - a metallic Luftwaffe-style eagle superimposed over a cogwheel. Typically this badge had three prongs which were designed to go through the Fliegerbluse.