Question About KZ Cuff Titles

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Fitzwilliam
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Question About KZ Cuff Titles

#1

Post by Fitzwilliam » 23 Mar 2016, 09:11

I notice an online shop, Murph's Militaria, carrying reproduction cuff titles with the names of various KZ such as Birkenau, Mauthausen, Chelmno, etc. Are these historically authentic? Did the permanent staff of these camps wear cuff titles with the camp names they were assigned to? I've never noticed it before in photographs. The SS-TV, who were originally in charge of the early camps, had regional titles such as Oberbayern and Ostmark whose regions were connected to specific KZ: Dachau and Mauthausen, respectively, is my understanding.

Lastly, did the Totenkopf collar tab with a gothic "k" replace the Totenkopf sleeve diamond for NCOs who were on KZ camp staff?

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John G.
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Re: Question About KZ Cuff Titles

#2

Post by John G. » 23 Mar 2016, 17:50

To you're main question... there were NO cuff titles with Birkenau, etc., only the earlier SS/VT Regional titles as you stated are "semi-related" or linked the KZ system (w/a few exceptions).

The SS Skull "K" collar tab and SS Skull Sleeve Diamond for NCOs was authorized to be worn "at the same time" AFAIK, for members of the Staff of the KZ Camp Commandant...
There's a lot of fantasy SS stuff out there... especially cuff titles! Worthless Junk IMHO!
John G.


Fitzwilliam
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Re: Question About KZ Cuff Titles

#3

Post by Fitzwilliam » 24 Mar 2016, 01:41

Thanks for the response, John G. I had suspected as much as to the "fantasy" aspect of it. Weren't some of these camps, like the Operation Reinhard camps, supposed to be secret installations? I'd hardly expect the SS to go around broadcasting their existence with cuff titles. Did the SS even refer to some of these camps with the names by which they're now known?

Clarify one thing for me: You refer to the cuff titles I mentioned as being linked to the "earlier SS/VT" (Verfuegungstruppe), I thought these were titles related to the SS/TV (Totenkopfverbaende)? I may be missing some fine point here.

I don't collect authentic stuff but occasionally will buy reproduction stuff and I like to know that it has some basis in historical reality.

Ian Hulley
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Re: Question About KZ Cuff Titles

#4

Post by Ian Hulley » 26 Mar 2016, 14:06

There was a 'Kdtr. U.L. Dachau' cufftitle for the training and economics enterprises of KL Dachau and also a 'W.B.Dachau' cufftitle for the Wacht guard Battalion.

Certainly none were officially manufactured or issued for places like Treblinka, Sobibor, Belzec etc ... I would guess that for security reasons the official 'posting' for such troops would be listed as KL Lublin or Majdanek as we know it today as that was the headquarters of Aktion Rheinhardt.

Ian

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HPL2008
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Re: Question About KZ Cuff Titles

#5

Post by HPL2008 » 28 Mar 2016, 19:14

Ian Hulley wrote:There was a 'Kdtr. U.L. Dachau' cufftitle for the training and economics enterprises of KL Dachau and also a 'W.B.Dachau' cufftitle for the Wacht guard Battalion.
"W.B. Dachau" is sometimes claimed to be for a "Wachbataillon Dachau", but this cuff title was actually for personnel of the Wirtschaftsbetriebe Dachau [Dachau Economic Enterprises].

Ian Hulley
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Re: Question About KZ Cuff Titles

#6

Post by Ian Hulley » 28 Mar 2016, 20:52

HPL2008 wrote: "W.B. Dachau" is sometimes claimed to be for a "Wachbataillon Dachau", but this cuff title was actually for personnel of the Wirtschaftsbetriebe Dachau [Dachau Economic Enterprises].
I stand corrected :thumbsup: It was a presumption on my part.

Cheers, Ian.

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