SS-Ostuf. with Blutorden - Bamberger Herbert (?)

[Andrey]

Gread ID, Georg, thanks.

Andrey.

[Ivan Ž.]

That's strange. Why would a cavalryman go to a high mountain school and then return to a cavalry unit (was he there on training himself or was he one of the instructors)? Is the High Mountain School listed in his personal file?

Cheers,
Ivan

[Georges JEROME]

Herbert Bamberger is born at innbruck in Tyrol in Alps.

[Ivan Ž.]

Yes, where the school was located too (the same district) So was he one of the instructors perhaps?

[Georges JEROME]

SS-Hochgebirgsschule was located at Neustift in the district of Innbruck Land.

[Ivan Ž.]

Yep

[Ivan Ž.]

Old question and it has now come to an solution , thanks to N.K. i can now confirm that it is Herbert Bamberger on the photo. As source I now have as one example a photo of Bamberger from 1937. And it is him.

Hello, Georg

I've just checked the old posts and reminded myself that a mismatching rank was a proof that it can't be Bamberger.
The pictured man was an SS-Ostuf. in the first half of 1943 (when the photo was taken) and Bamberger was apparently promoted to that rank over a year later, in June 1944. Therefore, either it's not Bamberger or the promotion date is wrong.

What is the source of Bamberger's promotion dates and can you post the confirmed photo of him?

[Georg_S]

Hello Ivan

As the photo isnt mine I cant publish it, but i can guarantee that the photo is him. No question about that, I got the photo from a fellow researcher which has his main subject in Austrian Blutorden holders. His knowledge about them is tremendeus,

Best regards
Georg

[Ivan Ž.]

I understand that but in order to have a positive identification everything needs to match and in this case - it doesn't (the rank).

Cheers,
Ivan

[Georges JEROME]

I confirm date of promotion:
SS-Personalveranderungsblatt 21 juni 1944 number 3 b
Aktive SS-Führer der Waffen-SS
zu SS-Ostuf. Bamberger Herbert SS#351969 SS-Kav.-Ausb.-u. Ers. Abt.

[Ivan Ž.]

Thanks very much, Georges.

And the photo of the unidentified SS-Ostuf. and Blutorden holder at Neustift was definitely taken over a year before that date. As was already shown, the NARA photo sheet was dated 5 June 1943, meaning that the images were taken prior to that date. Additional images from the same series can be found at the Belgian Cegesoma and Dutch NIOD archives, dated 21, 27 and 28 June 1943. Those are all press dates, signifying when the images passed censorship etc., meaning that they were taken (days, weeks or months) prior to those dates.

The image was taken by SS-PK Sepp Fink of the 8./SS-KBA, who was attached to the "Prinz Eugen" Division since summer 1942. He went to the Neustift High Mountain School after Operation "Weiss" (Jan.-March 1943) and returned to the Balkans later the same year. Also, you may notice that there are no SS edelweiss badges in Fink's Neustift images - because they didn't exist yet; they were introduced in Sept./Oct. 1943.

A possibility: What about Bamberger's Allgemeine SS service/ranks? Any info there?

Cheers,
Ivan

[Georg_S]

Here is the photo of Herbert from 1937, as you can see does the hair, ears and chin match. I marked the photo as I'm not the owner.

Georg

[Andrey]

Georg, I`m agree with Ivan - it's not the same person (who started the question), sorry...
I think the SS-Ustuf. in my photo (attached) looks more like him - the all awards are exactly the same too!
What are you think?
Best regards,

Andrey.

[Ivan Ž.]

Yes, I can see why Georg and his associate thought it was him, but that's definitely not the same person (mismatching rank aside).

Andrey's oblong-faced SS-Ustuf., on the other hand, does look like Bamberger, who had an oblong face himself - unlike the mystery SS-Ostuf.

unknown Ostuf + Bamberger + unknown Ustuf.jpg (150.97 KiB) Viewed 269 times

Notice also another distinctive facial feature shared by Bamberger and the SS-Ustuf. - a cleft lip. Those two faces do match. The first one doesn't.

Finally, compare just the first and the last face. Completely different.

unknown Ostuf + unknown Ustuf.jpg (107.13 KiB) Viewed 269 times

[Georg_S]

I can ad that his SSO claims tha the served at the Hochgebirgschule der SS (Herbert Bamberger) so for me it´s a match.

//Georg