Is he a SS or... ?

[emily]

Hello,

I bought 2 little photos showing german officers on the 14th of august 1940.
I can't recognize the uniform of one of them : he wears an eagle on his left arm (the SS were the only ones to do that, didn't they ?) but his collar tabs do not show any SS rank. He doesn't wear the eagle on his coat.




Could any body tell me more about him ?
Thank a lot in advance !

Emily

[Doggowitz]

The SS wasn't the only to wear eagles on their sleeve. I think he is maybe Forestry, or Zollschutz or something....

[emily]

Thanks a lot Doggowitz !!!

I've made a search on the site and found the uniform of a "Oberlandforstmeister" (Forestry Service), wich seems to be the one my man is wearing (except the eagle on the left arm). http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=4651

Thanks again !

Emily

[Gesetz]

Looks like he's wearing a Fliegerbluse...? At first look I thought Luftwaffe, because of the M40 cap, but the eagle isn't right there either. I'm confused! his rank seems like the forestry corp's though...

[emily]

Someone told me that this guy might be wearing the eagle on his arm if he's working for someone important in the III reich, maybe Goering, and he's taking care of a forest or a wooded area belonging to Goering or another "high ranked" personnality...

What do you think of that ?


Emily

[DarExc]

Makes sense that he is working for Goering as Goering enjoyed the woods and took care of a lot of them and this guys wearing Luftwaffe issue gear with forestry insignia.

Jer

[emily]

Thanks a lot DarExc !
Woaow... I understand now why his uniform is so strange.

Thanks again.

Emily

[eindhoven]

His tabs are indeed Forestry and you have correctly identified his rank. He is just doing something non regulation which isnt all that uncommon to encounter in III.Reich items or photos. Does look very much like a Fliegerbluse. His cap eagle is civil and the arm eagle is a nice bullion.

Polizie, various Helferin, other organizations wore sleeve eagles. Wasnt at all pecular to SS, just more well known is all. Here is a link to an auction which shows a Helferin this way.:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... eName=WDVW

[emily]

Thanks a lot for all those informations, eindhoven.

And thank you for teaching me something... I really tought SS were the only ones who wore sleeve eagles.


Emi

[Frontkampfer]

If i'm not mistaken there was also a Luftwaffe Forestry dagger.

[GEB]

In the first photograph, notice the double barreled shotgun slung over his shoulder. And the Iron Cross 1st Class from the first war. Interesting image.

[Brabander]

Old post but i think its interesting i have this luftwaffe foresty tunic new in my collection i only need som patches to make it complete i think the man in the picture is wearing somthing like my tunic.

[John G.]

They(all Forestry Assoc.s) also wore this style uniform well into the 1960s/70s..... so having one from pre-1945 is nearly impossible to tell unless it's all decked out with original insignia or clearly dated.... (buttons are also usually a big clue also!)

Just to keep things in prospecive....
John G.

[Brabander]

I know there are also stamps in the tunic but faded away also the buttons are wartime assman buttons this jacket has al the ww2 markings for me.

[Brabander]

imo the luftwaffe foresty service stop to existed after the war this tunic is luftwaffe blue not the general foresty service.