This Can't be the Luftwaffe!

The field divisions of the Luftwaffe had a very unique role in the German order of battle. Starting off as regular training units of the Luftwaffe, they were first reconstituted as twenty-one (21) infantry divisions under Luftwaffe control and supply. But, after the early tragedies suffered by them on the Eastern Front, control and supply was ultimately shifted to the Heer in 1943. As such, some really strange pictures show up that seem to be something other than one attributable to the air branch of the German military. Here are a few examples.

In this first photo, despite their very distinctive Luftwaffe clothing issue, the first soldier is wearing a helmet that has a Heer adler on it.

In this photo, attributable to 16.Feld Division (Lw) during Operation Goodwood, these prisoners are all members of the 45.Jäger Regiment of 16.Feld. Note the unusual method of attachment of the collar tress in the photo. This is a very distinctive way of doing so in the Luftwaffe.

Here's another shot of the same members of 16.Feld

Another Luftwaffe field division member captured by the British in Normandy.

This is an early photo of a member of the Luftwaffe wearing the cufftitle of 1.SS "Leibstandarte Adolph Hitler". He is identified as a member of the fliegerstaffel of the division

This is not really that uncommon of a sight and actually predates the Luftwaffe field divisions in time. Early in the Afrika campaign, with a shortage of Luftwaffe tropical gear, many Heer uniforms were converted for wear by members of the Luftwaffe. This is just one example.

And another tropical example.

How about these guys! Another photo identified to 16.Feld Division (Lw). Again, along the Atlantik Wall

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Tell me it isn't so!! Tell me this is just something that happened early in the desert and only in France. Surely the Luftwaffe wouldn't let this happen. And now, for your viewing pleasure: Italy, 1944. Here's a surrendering Luftwaffe soldat in his Heer issue tunic, but wearing a single button Luftwaffe M43 cap.

Okay, but what about the Russian Front? Here's a nice, identified photo of part of the command staff of 21.Feld Division (Lw) during Christmas in the Kurland Pocket. Exclusively Heer issued items which is not really out of the ordinary as many officers and NCOs of the Heer were transferred to the field divisions to provide a sound command structure.

Are you confused yet?

Here's one to end it with. This photo shows a member of 1.SS "Leibstandarte Adolph Hitler" wearing a fliegerbluse along with his cufftitle and sleeve eagle. A strange story was related to me not long ago about a member of Fl.Aus.Rgt. 52. In the story, the old vet could not remember his division number, but remembered his training regiment as being Fl.Aus.Rgt. 52. He also remembered that during D-Day, his division was stationed around Dunkirk. These things made sense as his training regiment was used to form 18.Feld Division (Lw). 18.Feld was around Dunkirk on June 6, 1944. So the story goes that in 1944, as a present to Heinrich Himmler, Reichmarshall Göring gave 5,000 men of the Luftwaffe to the Waffen SS. The vet telling the story was one of these 5,000. At the turn-over, the former members of the Luftwaffe kept their Luftwaffe uniforms, but were issued new insignia from their new branch of service. Although, I cannot state that this fellow was another of the 5,000 so given to the Waffen SS, this photo may give credence to the story of the field division veteran.