Question about SS ranks

[SAJ]

Hi I have a short question about a rank
If a person held the rank of Unterscharführer was this person in the SS?

[Christoph Awender]

Hi I have a short question about a rank
If a person held the rank of Unterscharführer was this person in the SS?

Yes, either Allgemeine-SS or Waffen-SS

\Christoph

[CHRISCHA]

I agree.

A point of intrest is the SA had a similar rank structure to the SS. Do you know what context this rank is held in?

[SAJ]

I agree.

A point of intrest is the SA had a similar rank structure to the SS. Do you know what context this rank is held in?

Sorry, I dont. I have just recently purchased a German Death Card of a person in civilian cloths, and this was stated as his rank.

[CHRISCHA]

Oh I see. Although W-SS death cards aren't hugely rare, they are sought after.

Perhaps you might display to us it in the appropriate forum.

Regards Chris.

[SAJ]

I would be glad to post the picture when the card arrives. It is still in transit and hasnt arrived as yet.

[CHRISCHA]

Great.

Chris.

[Jeremy Chan]

Hello SAJ and welcome to the forum!!!

I agree.

A point of intrest is the SA had a similar rank structure to the SS. Do you know what context this rank is held in?

If I understand your question as it is, Chris, there are two possiblities of the meaning. One is how the rank fits in, in terms of the rank structure. The other meaning is in what context the SS-rank structure is held in.
For the first one, the rank is equal to that of corporal, and the thing about SS-ranks is that they are clearly divided into rank levels. eg junior NCOs, senior NCO, junior officers, field officers, etc. So the ranks are set out by the unit each rank grouping would typically be found in, based on the old SS system of unit structure. This would go by Schar, Sturm, Sturmbann, Standarte, etc. For example, junior officers' ranks of the SS would be suffixed in ---Sturmführer, the 'Sturm' being comapny level. In this manner, the junior and senior NCOs (this doesn't mean the grades of lance-corporal) would have a suffix of ----Scharführer.
I take it that's what your question meant?

Perhaps you might display to us it in the appropriate forum.

Oh please do! It would be worthwhile to see and comment upon!
Cheers ,
Jeremy

[CHRISCHA]

Yep.

I was intrested in whether the SS rank was a W-SS rank, or a death card for an Allegemeine SS Unterscharfhurer, which would be quite rare.

[SAJ]

Hello everyone, I just posted my death card in the SS Forum

[Polynikes]

Jeremy Chan

For the first one, the rank is equal to that of corporal, and the thing about SS-ranks is that they are clearly divided into rank levels. eg junior NCOs, senior NCO, junior officers, field officers, etc.

A schar was basically a platoon & whereas in the British/CW armies, they were usually commanded by officers, they were commanded by NCO's in the SS.

So an unterscharfuhrer would be equivalent to the second in a command of a platoon which would be a sergeant in tge British/CW forces.

Rottenfuhrer would be a corporal.

Oberscharfuhrer would therefore be the equivalent to a WO2.

[Jeremy Chan]

Polynikes, German noncommissioned ranks can't be euqated to English-speaking ranks by their designated roles. Remember that those ranks don't have direct equivalents with Anglo-CW-American ones. This is especially so because the German forces (with the exception of the Navy) to this day hasn't had grades of Warrant Officer nor that tradition. For example, the Americans have 7 grades of sergeant. In the case of the Germans, their main differences lie with the lower enlisted ranks: they have 2 grades of private and three grades of lance-corporal, all classed in the same category of Mannschaften, meaning enlisted men.
While the comparison you cited is used by many publications, those are invariably direct comparisons of German noncommisioned ranks with English-speaking ones. That compresses the German ranks to directly equal Anglo/CW/US ranks. That also doesn't count the distinctions within the German noncommissioned ranks; other than Mannschaften, there are Uffz. ohne portepee (Junior NCOs) and Uffz. mit portepee (senior NCOs). See, while an Obergefreiter/SS-Rottenführer may be called a corporal (for 3 obvious reasons), the overall line responsibilities of a corporal is usually that of section leader, which is that normal function of an Unteroffizier/SS-Uscha. An obergefreiter/SS-Rottenführer has different, lower functions/responsibilities to that of a full corporal, but of course will be called on to act as a section leader.
The usual platoon 2 i/c of a German platoon you speak of is the lance-sergeant, which is an Unterfeldwebel/SS-Scharführer. That rank is usually called a Sgt. or staff-Sgt. in English-speaking publications because the British abolished that rank after WW2.
Don't forget that the SS was originally a political organisation so when a military branch was formed into the Waffen-SS its ranks had to be brought into line with traditional military standards.

Of course it is complex to compare military ranks from around the world as their responsibilities and traditions vary.
Cheers,
Jeremy