AP caption: “The expression on the face of this Hun posing for the camera standing by the gallows from which a woman is hanging, Jan. 3, 1945 shows a lack of concern. The name and nationality of the unfortunate woman is unknown. One of the many victims of Nazi terror. The German soldiers seem to be quite used to this kind of sights for them a picture like this is just a souvenir.” (Via)
I have bad news for you. That is not a German uniform. It actually looks American. My guess is the woman is Italian and was murdered by partisans in the closing days of the war when partisans went on a rampage against fascist sympathizers. Look what these same people did to Mussolini, hanging him upside down with his woman.
It is possible that he is an American soldier (I dont really know alot about WWII uniforms.)
But….
My guess is that an American soldier would have a weapon and full “web gear”(equipment belts.
In 1945, German forces in Italy were a pretty mixed group including former Soviet POWS, profascist Italians etc. whose uniforms were probably less than uniform
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The soldier in question could be German or slavic and be a security guard with Orgainization Todt (German Labor Service).
Security guards wore partial uniforms and were armed to keep the forced workers working and also to protect the more voluntary workers from Partisan attacks etc.
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“The German soldiers seem to be quite used to this kind of sights for them a picture like this is just a souvenir.”
Yeah, just about identical to a U.S. lynching postcard from roughly the same time period. >:-(
In NO way in the slightest using the Nazis, but the tone of moral outrage from the AP here seems to extend to murderous sins only ACROSS those sea-to-shining-seas…
I have bad news for you. That is not a German uniform. It actually looks American. My guess is the woman is Italian and was murdered by partisans in the closing days of the war when partisans went on a rampage against fascist sympathizers. Look what these same people did to Mussolini, hanging him upside down with his woman.
It is possible that he is an American soldier (I dont really know alot about WWII uniforms.)
But….
My guess is that an American soldier would have a weapon and full “web gear”(equipment belts.
In 1945, German forces in Italy were a pretty mixed group including former Soviet POWS, profascist Italians etc. whose uniforms were probably less than uniform
‘
The soldier in question could be German or slavic and be a security guard with Orgainization Todt (German Labor Service).
Security guards wore partial uniforms and were armed to keep the forced workers working and also to protect the more voluntary workers from Partisan attacks etc.
‘
I hate to disagree, but neither the uniform, nor particularly the hat look like a US outfit.
Although, I’d guess if you’ve got an ax to grind you could see that.
His cap doesn’t look U.S. to me (blowing it up to check).
“The German soldiers seem to be quite used to this kind of sights for them a picture like this is just a souvenir.”
Yeah, just about identical to a U.S. lynching postcard from roughly the same time period. >:-(
In NO way in the slightest using the Nazis, but the tone of moral outrage from the AP here seems to extend to murderous sins only ACROSS those sea-to-shining-seas…
Have I mentioned that a “Preview” button would be nice here? That should say “in no way in the slightest excusing the Nazis”…