Women in action from Volksturm, whermacht and SS?

Vegemite/jordan · Post by **Vegemite/jordan** » 27 May 2006 13:08

Hi all, just wondering, especially in Volksturm were woman actually used in the frontlines? Ive seen enough pictures of women in the volksturm being taught how to use panzerfausts etc, but does anyone have any pictures of them in atleast half of any camo dress with weopens? I know they were used in communication and similer things but would they also be addressed perhaps as particular HQ guards where germany was well stretched?

Thanks in advance
Jordan

P.S-no posed pictures of soldiers girlfriends dressed up in their uniforms!

RobertELee · Post by **RobertELee** » 03 Jul 2006 13:45

Alot of action coverage can be found in the last 10 Newswheels "Deutsche Wochenschau". For example they show there a Luftwaffehelferin Erna Hirsekorn who formed a Kampfgruppe with a dozen of HJ-Boys to save a Odera-Bridge.

waffen · Post by **waffen** » 04 Jul 2006 09:20

you have seen the newsreels when and where how could other members do same?,are they in colour.

Vegemite/jordan · Post by **Vegemite/jordan** » 05 Jul 2006 07:22

Hmmm good point

Yes it would be great to watch but unless someone genourisly stuck it on the net I probly wont see it...
Cheers anyway

Jordan

RobertELee · Post by **RobertELee** » 05 Jul 2006 20:16

Well i have a collection on VHS . 100% 1945, about 70% 1944, 50% 1943,1942,1941 , but only a few of 1940 . They are BW and called "Deutsche Wochenschau".
Another more amazing are the so-called "Panorama Colour" Newswheels of 1944. They show "live in the Reichs last summer" of 1944. Saw them once with an english friend, who said that these colour Films "must have been in peace times".
It shows "Landdienst Madels" as well as "Freibad Wannsee vacation" beah happieness etc.
Very few "War-action" in them, makes the viewer believe that German homeland is still "peaceful". A perfect distorting propaganda i think, to bring peoples mind back from wars hardship.
Sad to see these "Tiergarten, Wannsee beach, Medau gymnastik girls" romantic camera views, and on the hand that these many kids, girls, women,older people were the prime target of "Bomber Harris" just before and after this summer.
(for the summer month the english broke of the offensive against the Reichs capital, due to long daylight and their heavy losses during the last "long penetration raid" against Nuremberg, and used the Bomber command primarly to support the D-Day Invasion, surprssing the V1 sites and shorter range targets in Western Germany).
i am seeking myself more of these "panorama " color films, have 8 of them digitalized. Seeking also more of the 1940 Newswheel where my collection is only brief.

Mail me if you are interested, or have something. maybe we can make a deal or exchange.

Vegemite/jordan · Post by **Vegemite/jordan** » 06 Jul 2006 04:59

Hey sounds interesting, I definatly wouldnt mind seeing them, but I was just looking for women in the frontline of pictures etc. I have found afew of women in the frontline for the germans, but the only race I find them for mostly is of russian women fighting. I just fought it would be interesting to see how germany matched up with the effort. I know many women would be working producing war meaterials, but I would have thought germany being surrounded on all fronts would try press women into action in quite a large portion e.g Volksturm. Note also when I say frontline Im trying to get pics of them armed, not really running messages etc.

Cheers

Jordan

history1 · Post by **history1** » 06 Jul 2006 10:28

waffen wrote: you have seen the newsreels when and where how could other members do same?,are they in colour.

Hy Waffen, I think this site will help you:
http://www.wochenschau-archiv.de/

Best regards, history1

RedBarDragon · Post by **RedBarDragon** » 24 Nov 2006 00:42

Well nice topic, but you seem not to have much to say. So... Are there or are there not any pictures of fighting women? I have personally not seen any of them.

ancasta · Post by **ancasta** » 24 Nov 2006 01:26

RobertELee wrote:Alot of action coverage can be found in the last 10 Newswheels "Deutsche Wochenschau". For example they show there a Luftwaffehelferin Erna Hirsekorn who formed a Kampfgruppe with a dozen of HJ-Boys to save a Odera-Bridge.

I joined the site to see that and other films but I think there is something missing from my PC as their films refuse to run on my system

Can anyone email me a Mpeg file of that newsreel in question?

RedBarDragon - there are photos, and of course the original question was also answered partly above even if you dont think so. Some have been posted on this forum so have a browse in the search facility. I have books with photos of women holding Panzerfausts sitting in foxholes (in Berlin) for instance and I also have a copy of the letter from the Reichschancellry addressed to a huge list of people giving permission and orders that women should be armed and trained. But all this is late war of course.

I shall try and dig out my copy of an academic research paper of recorded instances. I have details of a Flakhelferin who won an Iron Cross for knocking out a Russian armoured vehicle with her Panzerfaust and then recovering important Russian documents.

Edit: I saw this posted on another thread by Drew Maynard (BDM will know which one) which I think is interesting for this thread too. Note that it was Maria's age which prevented her from going to the frontline, not the fact she was female.

BDMhistorian · Post by **BDMhistorian** » 24 Nov 2006 02:04

The back of the new Osprey book on the Hitler Youth has a snippet about a girl named Maria who volunteered for the Volkssturm. She was used as a medic and captured by Allied troops while giving first aid to a member of her Volkssturm unit. (Drew Maynard posted the text and the image in the "women in uniform" thread on this forum.)

I think Kissel's book "In a Raging Inferno" also has reference to a BDM girl in combat, but I don't have it at hand at the moment to look it up. Maybe someone else on here can help out with that?

ancasta · Post by **ancasta** » 24 Nov 2006 02:16

Looks like we posted at the same time BDM!

BDMhistorian · Post by **BDMhistorian** » 24 Nov 2006 02:17

Heh... yeah.

Matt Gibbs · Post by **Matt Gibbs** » 24 Nov 2006 18:40

RedBarDragon wrote:Well nice topic, but you seem not to have much to say. So... Are there or are there not any pictures of fighting women? I have personally not seen any of them.

What sources of archives have YOU tried???
Regards
Matt Gibbs

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