Item Description
Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. The SS (Schutzstaffel - 'Protection Squadron') was originally formed in 1925, ostensibly to act as a small, loyal bodyguard unit to protect the Führer, Adolf H. Under the direction of the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the SS grew to be the most ruthless and feared organization of the 20th century. They were the vanguard of NSDAP and eventually controlled nearly every function of German life and much of Occupied Europe.
When WWII began in earnest, the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) (SS Dispositional Troops) became the Waffen-SS ("Armed SS"), an official military branch of the SS organization. Its formations included men from NSDAP ruled Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands.
One of the original SS-Totenkopfverbande units, the SS-Sonderkommando was formed in the Spring of 1933. It was disbanded in the summer of 1935, at which time the 1st and 3rd companies were formed into the Wachtruppe “Sachsen” while the 2nd and 4th companies were formed into the Wachtruppe “Elbe”. SS-Wachtruppe Sachsen went first to Chemnitz then to Weimar-Buchenwald. These men wore a sleeveband with the title “Sachsen”, which can be seen in one of the photos in the album.
This is a very nice SS Photo album dating from the 1934-1935 period, with soldiers wearing modified M1916 “Transitional” Stahlhelms and still using WWI bayonets. The photos are mostly of soldiers in formation, marching or moving between towns, with many shots of high-ranking officers. Many of the photos have illustrations, and about 20 photos are missing. There are also many sight-seeing photos. The album is covered with a green and purple artistic cover, and measures roughly 7 x 9¾”.
A total of 123 photographs fill the pages of this album, making it a treasure-trove of images taken from the viewpoint of a young, patriotic German soldier 5 years before the Second World War began. Funnily, the very first photograph shows these men in formation wearing M1916 Stahlhelms, with the comical caption “Stoßtrupp 1917”, referring to how they appear as WWI “Stormtrooper” soldiers with their old helmets. They even have WWI Stick “Training” grenades attached to their belts.
There are many photos of soldiers marching with captions referring to the length of the march and where they are headed, with many photos of men in sports gear. There are photos of officers with SS collar tabs in cars and in formation, as well as lovely photos of men on horseback with SS horse blankets or “Shabraque”. One photo appears to show AH’s personal JU 52 D-2600 plane with a large fabric cover, but no photo of AH.
Regarding the contents of the album, there are a wide variety of scenes shown, showing the daily life of soldiers during the war, including some of soldiers eating, relaxing, viewing the sights, and several candid shots of officers. In general it looks like this soldier mostly documented daily life, and not battle scenes and their aftermath, which makes sense considering that it’s from 1934. Definitely some great research potential in these pages! The album is in great shape overall and comes ready for further research and display.
Historical records like this album have become priceless time capsules that provide an incomparable level of insight into the individual experience of the Second World War, now that almost eighty years have passed.
The older albums such as these usually withstand the ravages of time. The leather or fabric covers may wear, but the pages stay well intact. The black paper albums of the early 20th century are more fragile, while the glue from magnetic albums can damage photographs. And, as with all old photographs, keep albums in a safe, climate controlled environment.
- This product is available for international shipping. Shipping not available to: Australia, France, or Germany
- Due to legal restrictions this item cannot be shipped to Australia, France or Germany. This is not a comprehensive list and other countries may be added in the future.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
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