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GIs wearing German insignia/equipment


Indexred
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What are your favorite photos of GIs wearing German insignia and/or equipment? Here are two of my favorites. The trainload of helmets was at Wabern, Germany. The GIs are pilots from the 365th Fighter Group.

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This photo shows recently released American POWs in Rumania. I like the guy wearing the Kriegsmarine minesweeper war badge.

 

 

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My favorite is the word picture created by Ernie Pyle:

 

"NORTHERN TUNISIA, May 8, 1943 – Before the first day of the great surrender on the Bizerte-Tunis front was over, I believe half the Americans in the area had German souvenirs of some sort.

There was very little of what one would call looting of German supply dumps. The Germans gave away helmets, goggles and map cases, which they will not be needing anymore. The spoils of war which the average doughboy has on him are legitimate, and little enough recompense for his fighting.

Practically every American truck has a German or Italian helmet fastened to its radiator. Our motorcycles are decorated like a carnival, with French flags and the colorful little black-and-yellow death’s-head pennants the Germans use for marking their own mine fields.

Many soldiers have new Lugers in their holsters. Lots of our men clowningly wear German field caps. German goggles are frequently seen on American heads."

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USCapturephotos

I love this thread as this is exactly what I collect. I have probably a thousand or more original photos of GI's posing with war souvenirs. I will post some. Hey Bob, which book is that quote from Ernie Pyle from? I'm always looking for primary source documentation on souvenirs as well.

Thanks.

Paul

PS: Planning a display of same at the 2014 MAX show with an English buddy of mine so please stop by.

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Paul, I look forward to seeing your display at the SOS. It's always great to see unpublished photos of GIs posing with war souvenirs. We've all seen the image below about a million times. Nice to see new stuff instead.

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Here are GIs from the 834th Engineer Aviation Battalion demonstrating German garb and weapons at Matching airfield, England.

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USCapturephotos

Wow. I love love love these. I especially like the shots of the GIs with the aircraft parts, the cut swastika from the JU 88 etc. I have several of GI's with cut swastikas from German aircraft but my favorite is a before an after shot of a GI with tin snips in the process of doing just that. I also own a swastika cut from the tail of an ME 109 from the Sicilian invasion by a US navy vet who served on the USS Savannah.

I have many but here are just a few that I scanned. Thanks for sharing yours!

PS: Not sure if you care but it's not a bad idea to watermark you photos. Sadly, people are scofflaws with everything in collecting including photos....I know of people who have had their photos online, downloaded printed and resold...or used in books without the owners permission so be careful with yours.

Paul

First up: GI's of the 10th armored with a pile of German panzerfausts, potato mashers, rifles, rifle with grenade launcher, etc. etc.

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Second shot are some unidentified GI's fooling around...with a captured NSDAP flag and the MP 44. I have 6 or 7 MP 44 shots.

Paul

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Last one for today. Some GI's in the 9th AF posed by a German 88 dug in in Belgium somewhere. Notice the Nazi podium banner and peaked cap of course.

Paul

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Hey Indexred. I just looked closer at the shot of the 8th AF soldiers. I love the inscription to them from the 42nd Divison. That is a super shot. Please let me know if you ever decide to let that go or want to trade as I have a soft spot for the 42nd and have a lot of great photos and some souvenirs 42nd Vets brought back.

Thanks for sharing!

Paul

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All the photos I have posted are from the National Archives and are the work of USAAF and Signal Corps photographers. There are no copyrights associated with them and therefore no watermarks by me. All are in the public domain.

 

I wonder if this Me109 rudder became a trophy?

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Here's another shot of an American POW liberated in Romania. I expect these ex-prisoners participated in the Ploesti Raid. The airman shown here wears an EKII (or is that a Ritterkreuz given the length of the ribbon?). He also has a badge that may be Romanian, but I'm not sure.

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Here's a detail shot. Too bad he has his finger over the suspension loop on the cross. That would indicate whether it's an EKII or RK. I'm not good enough with TR awards to say beyond that criteria.

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