Tunics

[Vix Steel]

Posted these awhile back on another forum. Ken Joyce has already made comments regarding them. I dont think there was any issue with authenticity but only with how and why the BD is configured the way it is.

No name to the vet but still working on it however it might be difficult.

Looks like this vet was an instructor, possibly served overseas then returned back to Canada to continue to train troops? or both jackets might not belong to the same man?

from my understanding US jump jackets were issued to the first Canadian Instructors.

Sadly both jacket have had their jump wings removed.

There was a Stalag Tag in this lot also, not sure if it belongs to the group. I know there is very little reference materials in looking up info on these tags. Promising note, the Stalag was for Airmen, which I believe paratroops were considered?

Please feel free to comment...

[Infanteer]

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!! NO!!! Paratroopers were soldiers in the army, not the air force. I can't count how many times I've seen people make this same erroneous assumption. Jumpers only connection to the air force is that they get to ride in their planes until over the drop zone. That's it. They were/are infantry soldiers (army) who made their way to the battle field by means of parachuting. I apologize if my reaction seems extreme but this is a real pet peeve of mine and I honestly don't understand why there is any confusion or misunderstanding over this issue.

[Vix Steel]

No worries.

Im my attempt at research I thought I read the Germans considered Allied paratroops to be Airmen. Could make sense as German Fallschirmjägers did fall under Luftwaffe command as far as I remember.

I know our paratroops are and were a part of the army and not the RCAF.

[REMEVMBEA1]

Soldiers were imprisoned in Stalags and Airmen in Stalag Lufts I believe.

[Vix Steel]

Soldiers were imprisoned in Stalags and Airmen in Stalag Lufts I believe.

Yes this would be correct...Googled the subject, Allied para's were interned at Stalags.

I read something that could have been in error, its not that I considered Allied Para's part of the Airforce. It was more of a question, what did the Germans consider para's to be? and could there be a link with this Stalag Luft Tag.

Since the German Fallschirmjägers were a part of their Airforce it was somewhat plausible to maybe think there was a link between the tag and the jacket????

Answer: looks like the 2 items are unrelated and I can continue on.

[tynesideirish]

caustic posting edited.

[servicepub]

It seems to me that the question was "what did the Germans" consider paras to be. A valid question in my opinion and one that does not question what we know to be their actual status and role.
Clive

[Infanteer]

Fair enough, what did the Germans consider airborne troops? Early in the war the German paras were army and later in the war they became a part of the Luftwaffe. They also had Luftwaffe ground troops too so their system was quite different from the allies. Is the POW tag for a Stalag or Stalag Luft? If it's a Stalag (like mentioned in the original post) tag then there is no air force connection at all.

[Bill A]

Not sure where this is going, but to add to the confusion, the later war German para units were only para in name. Basically they were Goering's "army". With this in mind, did all German military authorities consider the Allied para in the same manner? Or?

[fougasse1940]

All British Para POW's were treated as Army, not Airforce.

Rgds,

Thomas.