German Officer boarding C-47- ID?

[tulsaboy]

Does anyone know who the German officer is that is boarding the C-47? I was forwarded this photo by a friend, and he's trying to ID him.

Thanks!

kevin

[Jesse C.]

Interesting pic. German Officer, Enlisted English Seargent and a U.S. plane.

Now I'm curious!

[Django]

Looks like those other 4 guys might be Germans as well.

[gary1954]

I ....know..... nothhhhingggg....Does anyone know anyone that "knows" german headgear for ossifers. THis guy may be a General or an Ace?

[Dan K]

The visor caps for Luftwaffe general ranks were done in gold bullion. I don't convert black & white to color very well, but this cap appears to be done in silver thread.

The shoulder epaulets would help with rank, but the image is not very clear in that regard.

http://library.marshallfoundation.org/p ... poster=285

Notice also that the cap eagle has been removed. I'm not familiar with POW processing; was this done on a regular basis? Stolen by a guard? Removed before being returned to the post-war Fatherland?

[mike furline]

A German Luftwaffe Officer below the rank of General. Doesn't look like any of the major Aces. Could be a Staff Officer with briefcase.??

POW's were suppose to remove swastika after V-E Day, so eagle with swastika removed.

The three guys to his left are German's aswell. Look to be, Army (Heer).

[tom d. friedman]

vee have vays of making him talk........ bet he wasn't to thrilled with the warm british beer they tortured him with.

[Holedigger]

Better to be a "guest" of the western allies than the Russians. I read that only around 5% of the troops that surrendered at Stalingrad returned home. NOT good odds, probably no beer either!

[Firebird]

Enlisted English Seargent

Not neccessarily........he could have been Scottish, Irish or Welsh.....

However, interestingly he also doesn't have any arm of service strips or Divisional markings on his BD.....very odd for ETO at the end of the war and he's strangley wearing cartridge carriers on his webbing, and carrying a STEN which is very unusual, and they haven't been blancoed with KG3 dark ...??

Can't make out whether he's wearing a GS cap or a beret. The Regt. shoulder badge looks like a single longish word and looks a little like it may be Reconnaisance.....which might account for the cartrudge carriers on the webbing.....however, ALL Recce Corps units by the end of the war had been issued with black beret's.....

So.....

I have a feeling this maybe not be 'just post war' ETO POW's being transported, but maybe Italy....??

[Bill Greenwood]

Look at that brief case he is carrying, seems full of documents. Could he be one of the scientist the Allies got at the end of the war? It is an interesting photo.

[mtpopejoy]

Any possibility it is from a movie?

[Steve Nelson]

Tom Cruise?

[Warbird Kid]

This photo seems to be of the era so I would say it isn’t from a movie, but it’s still very interesting none the less! Stuff movies are made from though!

[Quest Master]

I do not know who the German Officer is next to the C-47, but here is a supporting passenger manifest from August 12th 1945 for C-47A 42-93042 (I do not know IF the aircraft in the photo is this C-47). Check out some of the names (the "P" in the PERS CLASS block stands for prisoner):

[tulsaboy]

Dear lord! What a roster! Can you imagine being the crew of that aircraft? Does anyone know if this C-47 survived the war and is still around? Just that manifest plus the aircraft would be an incredible history lesson.

kevin