Sa la Le VOLUME 4 hh TOTENKOPFVERBANDE 1933-1945UNIFORMS OF THE 44 VOLUME4 h-TOTENKOPFVERBANDE 1933-1945 Andrew Mollo Windrow& GreenePublisher's note For technical reasons it has not proved possible to reproduce certain istration in this edition in thei original colours. Al tems lustated inthe plates may be assumed to bein black and white or sver(aluin jum) unless othenwise described inthe toxt and revised captions. Second edition (©1991 Historical Research Unit Designed and ilusrsted by Malcolm McGregor All ights reserved. No pat of tis publication may be reproduced or \wansmited in any form or by any means. electronic oF mechanical Including photocopy, recording. oF in any information storage and, retvieval system, without the prior written consant ofthe publishers Published in Great Britain 1991 by Windeow & Greene Lt 8 Gerd Sto0t London WIV 7LI" Printodin Great Britain by BAS Prntors Ltd, Over Wallop, Hants, ACIP catalogue record fr this book isavalabe rom the British Library ISBN 1-872004.66.0‘SS-WACHVERBANDE '8S-TOTENKOPFVERBANDE SS-TOTENKOPF-WACHSTURBANNEa a aS ae ee 2aPREFACE ‘Toe Death's Head Formations ($$-Totentopfverbinde. or SS-TV) ‘were responsible from 1933 un 1989 with the quarding of concentra tion camps. The orginal ragirents became highly dstiplined. and in addition to uotd duties undertook saious military traning. They were Consequently able to paticipate i the annexation of Austia and the Sudetentand and the invasion of Czpchestovakia alongside the SS. Verfigungstuppe (the subject of Volume 3 in the resent series). It ‘vas normal practice in all mates concerning dress and equipment to tefer to the SS-VT and the SS-TV, as apar ftom insignis the uniform an equipment wera identical and, ta all intents and purposes. frm 1937 the SS-TV was consideted 10 be part of the aimed SS estapishement In 1939 the orginal regiments formed the nucleus of the SS Death's Head Division (SS-Totenkapt-Division), nd hac nothing more 10 60 ‘withthe guarding of concentration camps evolving instead into one Gf the premior armauted formations the Watfen-SS. Thet Former task ‘was undertaken by specilly formed SS Guard Battalions (SS: Totenkont Wachsturmoanne) under tho jurisdiction ofthe concen tion camp commandant. Resoarch into the concenwvation camps and the Security Police is not ‘only morally more exacting for any thoughtful student, but practically ‘mote dificult than parallel research imo the other armed branches, ‘Were former members ofthe Waffen-SS are willing to. come forvarcl with memoirs and personal photoglaphs, surviving members of the Death's Head ond Securty Police branches, sil risking possible pros fecution and imprisonment lay very low. | would like to thank Hugh Page Taylor, Philip Buss BA(Hons), F DOilenschlager Col. C. M, Dodkins CBE, DSO{Red), Stanley Bozich, Dovid Lee Dlien, Jet. Schneider, and thestalf ofthe Wiene Library. ‘London, fr their invaluable assistance Note on sources Frequent references are made inthis wotk 10 documents which were collected and used as evidence inthe Nuremberg ils and other post ‘ar judicial proceedings, Those used in this work bea the pretix NO for Naz Organisation, NOKW tor Nazi Oberkommando der Wehimacht and USSR for a document submitted by the Soviet suthories. Each prefix is followed by the document's number. The Records of the Feichsaver-SS and Criet ofthe German Police aw available fom the National Archives in Washington, DC, and ae eferred to by the series pretix RFSS/T-175 followed by the roll and frame number. Unless ‘iherwise stated al photographs and actual items used to illustrate this publication ae from the author's collection, Author's note to second edition There has been surpsinaly litle published research into the SS: TTotenkopiverbsnde since this volume fist appeared in 1971. There have been 3 number of histories of the $S-Totenkopf-Division pub lished in Germany which commence with he formatian a the division ‘and carefully avoid any mention ofits nursery years in the ‘quietness of the concentration camp. A it happens, the vansition trom con= tanttation camp quards 10 élite fighting men af the Waffen-SS is of sufficient nteest to warrant a detailed study ofits own, | as unaware ofthe part played by the police inthe setting Up ofthe concentration camps-—particularly that ofthe Bavarian Peltial Police in Dochau. The executive power of the police Was later represented by the physical presence in the concentration camp ofan offical of the Reichssichorheitshauptamt, known a the Vernetimungstver. In the plates of insign'a (Nos. 5-8) none of the cyphers worn at one time of snather by al our Toterkont regiments wee ilustated. The regiments “Oberbayorn”. “Brandenurg’, and “Tharingen’ wore the Gothic etters‘0.'8' and respectively on their shoulder straps. With the formation af stark’ an rewemblem wos created for ‘Oberbayern’ ‘while “Ostma’ inherited the ‘O' but n a smaller vasion (see p. 39) Further points of detail on vatious insignia ae discussed in the Erara ‘ana Addenda (s0e 0.2). Andrew Molo. Saganne, 1981‘CONTENTS Preface SS Wachverbinde bis 85-Totentepf-Wachsurmbanne '$$-Aufseherionen 'SS:Bautrigaden urd $S-Eisonbahnboubrigaden Inspettion der $8-TV.u KL '8-Totonkoptstandare 1 “Oberbayers” '$$-Totontoptstandare 2 “Brandenburg $S-Tolankopfstandane 3 “Thutingan” 'S-Totonkopistandare-¢ “Ostmare S-Heimwehe Donzig 85-Wechsturmbsnn Eimann .Totonkopfetandare 8 "Distich Eckhard Wlidied-Kommando Oranienturg Unitorms Insignia Eauipment Musical instruments Flags and stared Anpendices iciography Errata Addenda Page 10 " 2 13 14 15 7 1B 19 2 » 2 6 a 5 82(On the Ist Apil 1938 the SS-Totenkoptverbinde were organised 9s follows Funnungsstab mit Nachvichtonstate 4 Standarten mitje cri Sturmbanne jo 1 MG.-Hundenschatt 1 Sanitat-Abteiiung 1 Sanitashunderschatt each regiment was to have in addition 1 Keatfanstetot 1 Nachichton2ug 2 Etgincungseinveten®* 110. with Signals Echelon 4 ots ch with 3 Bns. and 1MG, Cov. 1 Medical Banalion 1 Mecical Company 1 Motor Trenspor Echelon 1 Signa paroon 2 Supplementary unis (On the 17th August, Hite ordered that in the event of war the four regiments ould be.used to strengtven the police within the amework of he armed forces. and that the task of guarding cares shouldbe taken cover by older memes ofthe General SS, aged 48 and over. who Ware to be called up in the Autumn for mitary traning wth the S$-TV. At the same time 10,000 younger atfcers and men ofthe Gangral SS wore to be caled up as police rainforcements (Polzeivestarkuna) for the sth’ head rogiments themselves," From Gciober 1938 to February 1940 Dachau was leaed of inmates and used by Eicke for the formation af the SS Death's Head Divison (85-Totenkogt Divison) fom the frst four regiments and some of the police reinforcements. Fm the 1st November 1939, Eick ceBsed 10 be ** These sueplomentary unite were estaliehed both inthe army’ and SS whan Gomany reintoduces conserpiion, for the. shor-tem teaning‘f those who had missed full-time national service, and wore known 2 the “White year grouns” (Weisse Jaginge). Most regular units had sub-unts fr ths purpose, which dssoneared on rmabilsation, as both the eadres and those they had besn timing were svallowed up in the new wave of disions. Inspector of Concentration Camps. and on the 14th was appointed Ccommandor of tho Dest’é Head Division, and a8 eueh had nothing ‘mote to 0 with the guarding of concentation camps. On the Febcuory 1983, he wes killed in Russia, From Octabor 1989 the death's head eetablshmant wae divided into two distinct groups The first consisting of the four orginal regiments ware {o have nothing more (a8 unts) to do with guarding of concentretion carps. They andthe police reinforcements wate formed int the Death's Had Division, and 13 other Death's Head Infantry end 2 cavalry units Which were used at the beginning of tha war as polie: oops The second graup consisting of the middle-aged Genoral $3 reser ists took aver the duties of the concentration camp quads, and wore formed into $8 Deatr’s Head Guard Battalions (SS-Totenkon! Wacnsurmbsnre). These quar lived in baracks outside the main camp conpound, andthe camo commandant convayadhis equirements for guards to men the watehtowers and outside working pares via his cjutant 1 the duty officer of the guard battalion (Fur von Dienst whose office Was outside the ean in the barocks). The duty officer and the guard battalion were not considered as part of the camp salt until 1989, when the newly formad guard batalions became nart of the camp establishment under the jurisdiction of the camp Not al $$ personnel were allowed inside the canp perimeter At Mautrausen, for example. the se ofthe guard vated trom month t0 ‘month. but of the average strength of 1200 $$ and Home Guard (Wolkssturm) guatcs, only 60 SS men were allowed inside the camp ite (On the 22nd Apri 1981 an Operational Main Office (SS-Funnange hheuptamt) ctectve Usted the units and fices which were to be Considered part of the Watfan-S5. Ths ist included the Inspectorote of ‘Concentration camps and the deoti’s head quard formations. whose personnel ware now members of the Watfen-SS, wth me some