The Himmler's SS (62 page)

Police field service uniform as worn by a Hauptmann of Gendarmerie,
c
. 1944. This outfit features breast runes denoting full membership of the SS. It also sports the Old Campaigner's Chevron, adjutant's aiguillette, the German National Sports Bodge in Silver, War Merit Cross and, interestingly, the basic NSDAP membership badge pinned to the left breast pocket, a fairly common practice among the civil police during wartime.

Recruiting poster for the Norwegian Legion, dating from 1941. If reads: ‘With the Waffen-SS and the Norwegian Legion against the common enemy – against Bolshevism'. Such exhortations persuaded 6,000 Norwegians to sign up with the SS for combat service on the eastern front.

M42 Waffen-SS steel helmet, clearly showiag the regulation SS runes decal and distinctive sharp silhouette. The Leibstandarte motorcycle registration plate below again features the SS runes, and dates from around 1938. Such registration numbers eventually ran into hundreds of thousands, with the plate ‘SS – 1' being reserved for Himmler's personal heavily armoured staff car.

1940-pattern tunic with field-grey collar, as worn by an artillery Rottenführer of the ‘Götz von Berlichingen' division, spring 1944. The ribbons are those of the Iron Cross 2nd Class and Russian Front Medal, and the General Assault Badge and Wound Badge in Black are also displayed. The dress bayonet and knot were carried when walking out.

BEVO-pattern woven cuff title introduced in 1943 for men of the 16th SS-Panzergrenadier Division ‘Reichsführer-SS', named in honour of Himmler. Since SS units were normally called after dead, rather than living ‘heroes', Himmler's rank was used in preference to his actual name. The division is best remembered for its massacre of 1,200 Italian civilians at Marzabotto in September 1944, in reprisal for the activities of a partisan brigade in the Apennines.

Recruiting poster for the Flemish Legion, declaring ‘Flemings Rise Up !' It depicts a Waffen-SS soldier as the direct descendant of a national hero, a theme common to recruiting drives in the Germanic countries.

The other ranks' 1940-pattern Schiffchen field cap, or ‘Feldmütze neuer Art', with machine-woven eagle and death's head.

SS subjects featured on a number of postage stamps during the Third Reich. The red example on the left depicts a Waffen-SS mortar crew in action, while the black one was issued in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia to commemorate the assassinated Reinhard Heydrich. It shows Heydrich's death mask, by the sculptor F. Rotter, alongside the SS runes.

The field-grey fez with dark-green tassel was issued to members of the Muslim SS divisions ‘Handschar' and ‘Kama' instead of the Einheitsfeldmütze. Traditionally, Muslim troops wore the peakless fez, and even brimless steel helmets during the First World War, so that they could press their foreheads to the ground during prayer without removing their regulation headgear.

The Guerrilla Warfare Badge in Bronze, one of the most symbolically potent of all Nazi decorations.

1944-pattern camouflage drill tunic, as worn by an infantry Obersturmführer of tbe Waffen-SS. It was not uncommon for full rank insignia and decorations to be worn on the camouflage tunic, contrary to regulations. Most notable here are the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross at the neck and the Close Combat Clasp above the ribbon bar.