Fallschirmjäger Waffenfeldwebel

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KB Martinsen
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Fallschirmjäger Waffenfeldwebel

Post by KB Martinsen »

I was talking to someone yesterday whose grandfather was in the Fallschirmjäger. He didn't know much about him, apart from that he was a Waffenfeldwebel and that he was killed in Köln in 1945.

I'm not really sure what a Waffenfeldwebel actually is, does anyone here know? Is it actually to do with weapons, or is it more to do with regimental police?

Second question, if he was serving with a formed Fallschirmjäger unit (rather than an ad-hoc formation) which unit is it likely to have been? Any ideas?

Cheers
KB
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TacAide
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Re: Fallschirmjäger Waffenfeldwebel

Post by TacAide »

Can only help with the Waffenfeldwebel rank part of your query. According to the Brian Davis book he was an ordnance NCO and was distinguished by a patch with two crossed rifles in yellow on a dark blue-green circular background worn on the lower right sleeve.

Photo example given on page 50 of the book.

Hope this helps.
KB Martinsen
Posts: 260
Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2007 11:19 pm
Location: Denmark

Re: Fallschirmjäger Waffenfeldwebel

Post by KB Martinsen »

Cheers TacAide, I hadn't thought to look in the Brian L. Davis book. Got it now, it's also mentioned on page 66 of vol. 2 of his Luftwaffe Uniforms and Insignia book.

I was unsure as some US websites had it listed as being a Sergeant at Arms, which is obviously something totally different.
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TacAide
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Re: Fallschirmjäger Waffenfeldwebel

Post by TacAide »

KB Martinsen wrote:Cheers TacAide, I hadn't thought to look in the Brian L. Davis book. Got it now, it's also mentioned on page 66 of vol. 2 of his Luftwaffe Uniforms and Insignia book.
Happy to be of help, the Davis book is a mine of information and indispensible to the researcher.
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Peter Bauer
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Re: Fallschirmjäger Waffenfeldwebel

Post by Peter Bauer »

Waffenfeldwebel is a rank that still exists in Finnish army (borrowed from the Imperial Prussian & German armies at first), his duties include taking care of the ammunition distribution within a company, and also to take care of the weapons etc. For example, if a soldiers rifle was destroyed or malfunctioned, he would inform Waffenfeldwebel about it who would then arrange a new weapon for him. He would also make sure that men had ammunition, grenades etc. when they needed them and so on.
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