After gaining access to my grandfather's attic, we discovered a trunk containing this German Uniform. We were told he brought it home with him after the war.
My grandfather was part of the 2nd Armored Division ("Hell on Wheels"). We know he spent time in northern Africa, Italy, landed in Ohama DD+3, and then on into Germany.
After researching a little on my own, the shoulder band with a red outline, number #36, & two gold diamonds/stars appear to belong to a Captain, Hauptmann, from a tank regiment. This would be insignia that falls into the earlier part of the war, for Army and Luftwaffe Officers.
A few things have me wondering if I am right about any of that. The silk interiors, the cut of the outer coat, shoulder tassels & the vest all seem to indicate this isn’t field wear but some sort of evening dress wear. The coat is also missing the short collar & insignia which seem to be standard for field wear. Also, I can’t seem to find anything where the pants have the white stripes down the side.
https://i.imgur.com/HC6YS7c.jpg https://i.imgur.com/TIqL7US.jpg https://i.imgur.com/7Hid3rq.jpg
Sidebar questions Should this 100% wool uniform be sitting in a cedar chest? What do we do with this?
(We also came across several Nazi swords and knives. I’ll post in a separate thread once I have better images to share.)
Hello there! As your question is related to looking for identification/information regarding military personnel, our Guide on Military Identification may be of use to you. It provides a number of different resources, including how to request service records from a number of national agencies around the world, as well as graphical aids to assist in deciphering rank, unit, and other forms of badges or insignia. While the users here may still be able to lend you more assistance, hopefully this will provide a good place to start!
