GIs wearing German insignia/equipment

[jim2]

Another shot:

 

[jim2]

Last one:

 

[Indexred]

For what it's worth, LTC James A. Gunn III piloted this B-24 when shot down over Ploesti on August 17, 1943

 

[Indexred]

Jim, I like the Luftschutz helmet in your last photo.

[USCapturephotos]

For what it's worth, LTC James A. Gunn III piloted this B-24 when shot down over Ploesti on August 17, 1943

Wow. I never saw a pic of the plane Gunn was flying. Isn't that an early D model?

Thanks for sharing that!

Paul

[Indexred]

I've always liked this Normandy photo, although it's been published several times. I expect the FG-42 came from the 3.FJD or perhaps FJR 6.

 

[USCapturephotos]

Agreed! I love this shot. About a year or two ago there was a small grouping of 29th Division snapshots...one showed GI's posed with an FG 42...if memory serves that little grouping went for over $1000.....I have 6 or 7 original snapshots of GI's posed with MP 44 and the same number of GI's with MP 40 but a holy grail for me still is to find a GI posed with one of these or a G 41 or G 43 which would seem to be a bit easier...but they have still alluded me.

Paul

[Indexred]

Paul, I goofed, LTC James A. Gunn III flew a B-24H (s/n 41-28790) nicknamed "Bright Eyes." The aircraft pictured above was a B-24D flown by a Captain James A. Gunn Jr. of the 98th BG. He was killed over Ploesti on August 1, 1943. There's a ton of confusion between these two pilots.

[Indexred]

Here's a photo of LTC Gunn with Captain Bazu Cantacuzino, the Romanian pilot who flew Gunn to Italy in the Me109 shown above.

[Indexred]

Back to the topic of this thread ... Here's the all-time classic photo that appeared on the cover of YANK. Love this one!

 

[kammo-man]

That guy looks like an extra from FURY

 

Owen

[Buckshot329]

I love that picture, that is Robert Leigh, B company, 329th IR taken in Gürzenich in December, 1944 somewhere.

[Ed Fedory]

Wonderful photos! Makes you think of forgotten footlockers hidden beneath cobwebs in the corner of some dusty attic...and its contents!

[RampantColt]

Great pictures, thanks for sharing

[R Michael]

Here is a scan from one of my negative groupings. A GI on a liberated NSU cycle and German pistol.

 

Mike

[kammo-man]

 

I did a Captain Wagner in Fury wearing a captured SS winter parka with bullet holes and camouflage rank on the arms.

GIs wore them and there are some pictures to prove it.

 

owen

[doyler]

Cool pics and cool parka

[manayunkman]

17th AB vets.

 

NSFK uniform with SS dagger

[manayunkman]

Another para wearing same get up.

[manayunkman]

Not exactly the same thing but I love these 2 shots.

[manayunkman]

German amo but not sure what guy on left is holding.

[manayunkman]

American tank officers with German pistols.

[USCapturephotos]

 

I did a Captain Wagner in Fury wearing a captured SS winter parka with bullet holes and camouflage rank on the arms.

GIs wore them and there are some pictures to prove it.

 

owen

True Owen. I have an original in my collection of GI's wearing captured German camo parkas and I know a vet who brought home a rabbit lined German parka that he picked up and wore through the Bulge and continued to wear at home shoveling his driveway in the winter.

Paul

[1canpara]

I once read a memoir about the campaign in the ETO. In it, the author said that they were advised by their officers not to be caught wearing any captured German souvenirs...for example, leather belts/ holsters and Iron Crosses were quite popular...as there were instances of GIs being summarily executed for doing so.

They executed guys for putting on captured German souvenirs? Seems a bit extreme....

 

...or did they suspect they were enemy infiltrators like Skorzenys men during the Bulge and execute them on suspicion alone? Still, seems a bit harsh without better intel or basic fact-finding...

[Baron3-6]

There were cases of or at least very strong rumors of Germans shooting Americans who had captured German stuff on them...I knew a guy who was in North Africa / Italy who said he never took many for that reason alone.