Help: German Soldier ID

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domus.don

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Hey guys,
Does anyone know if this soldier was ever identified? It is an iconic image from the Bulge but I never saw his name. Any help would be appreciated.

German_soldier_Ardennes_1944.jpeg.jpg

Thanks,
 

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Greenhorse six said:
Yes and No , this guy was SS , he made a choice .
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Not all of the SS were volunteers. I have a friend in Austria that was seconded by the SS. If he refused to serve under them he and his entire family would have suffered greatly. He ended up on the Russian Front where he found his father in a hospital. The father had to be left behind at the mercy of the Soviets because he was to badly injured to be evacuated. He didn't get home until 1958. He spent all those years supposedly working off his debt to the Soviet Union for the damage he help foist upon them during his military service. My friend made it back to Austria just about the time it fell. He stole some clothes and got rid of his uniform then turned himself in to an Allied internment camp. He was there for a few months then released along with several thousand others to go to work camps that were formed to clean up the war rubble and damage. It was a way to get some return for feeding/clothing/housing them and it helped them psychologically with a positive job.
 
bearhunter said:
Not all of the SS were volunteers. I have a friend in Austria that was seconded by the SS. If he refused to serve under them he and his entire family would have suffered greatly. He ended up on the Russian Front where he found his father in a hospital. The father had to be left behind at the mercy of the Soviets because he was to badly injured to be evacuated. He didn't get home until 1958. He spent all those years supposedly working off his debt to the Soviet Union for the damage he help foist upon them during his military service. My friend made it back to Austria just about the time it fell. He stole some clothes and got rid of his uniform then turned himself in to an Allied internment camp. He was there for a few months then released along with several thousand others to go to work camps that were formed to clean up the war rubble and damage. It was a way to get some return for feeding/clothing/housing them and it helped them psychologically with a positive job.
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While you are technically correct, no one in 1 to 7, and 12 numbered divisions was impressed, these were pure Aryan or volks German and all volunteers. The Waffen grenadier or Foreign grenadier divisions mayb or likely.
 
fraserdw said:
While you are technically correct, no one in 1 to 7, and 12 numbered divisions was impressed, these were pure Aryan or volks German and all volunteers. The Waffen grenadier or Foreign grenadier divisions mayb or likely.
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I visited the Abbaye Ardenne in 2014 where Kurt Meyer of the 12th SS murdered our Soldiers. I also visited a Family friends Sons grave at Beny sur mer along with my Uncles in 2014. He was with the Winnipeg Rifles and was machine gunned with several others on June 8th after they surrendered to the 12th. My Uncle was with the QOR and made it till July 9th at the fall of Caan.

Meyer did a total of 10 years of a sentence reduced from death. He and all the ones like him should have been rounded up and shot in my opinion.
 
GreenBob said:
I was interested as well. I love the way the knife is tucked in at his chest and spade is ready for use. Anyone know what pistol is he holding?

Thanks Fraserdw!

Photo:

View attachment 76260
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Germans were issued "kampfmesser 42" - combat knife, sheath has a clip so it would usually go below second or third button of a tunic or in a boot. And yea, original e-tools have one sharpened edge while bayonets came from the factory without sharp edge. That picture was probably taken after some action because belt wrapped around his neck has rounds pointing inwards, you don't do that if there is time to prepare, it's really uncomfortable to move around with bullets pocking you non stop.
 
Winchester-1897 said:
I visited the Abbaye Ardenne in 2014 where Kurt Meyer of the 12th SS murdered our Soldiers. I also visited a Family friends Sons grave at Beny sur mer along with my Uncles in 2014. He was with the Winnipeg Rifles and was machine gunned with several others on June 8th after they surrendered to the 12th. My Uncle was with the QOR and made it till July 9th at the fall of Caan.

Meyer did a total of 10 years of a sentence reduced from death. He and all the ones like him should have been rounded up and shot in my opinion.
Click to expand...

If you read Hubert Meyer's book about the 12th SS his accounts of combat with Canadian units is very detailed except... little to no mention of shooting Canadian prisoners. Contrast that with Mark Zuehlke's work, Juno and Holding Juno.
 
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