Combat Chaplain?

[Brendan Hunt]

Combat Chaplain? The man who's head is just visible between the two smiling Pionier Unteroffiziers. I only thought so due to what looks like a drape around his neck. Its some sort of parade aftermath...I really don't know. The men have flowers, but there are civilians in the crowd. I believe this to be 46. Infanterie-Division, Pionier-Bataillon 88, 3. Kompanie.



I believe the closest smiling man is the same man here:

(Top left, fourth from left)



And here:

(Top, Extreme right)



There are many other matches in the barracks photo and map photo, but what is most interesting is the man standing to the foward most smiling man's right in the original photo, and his match in the bottom of the last scan. I know it sounds confusing...

I'd also like to know if you think the man fourth from the right in the original photo is wearing the prewar non-waffenfarbe triangular shoulder straps or the more common wartime rounded ones. Its hard to tell, because if it were the more common wartime version, the bottlegreen looks alot like black, and he would have black waffenfarbe.

Can you help me out?

[Mansal D]

Are there dates on the back of the photos from barracks or parades etc. This way it is possible to find out whether it was possible for them to be at a parade or whether the entire 46. Infanterie-Division was on the front lines.

[Brendan Hunt]

Unfortunately the photos in the album are glued in tight, as you can see someone tried to remove one and damaged it. The only markings on the back of the parade phot are a pencil written "32" since it was in a seperate album, and a stamped "348" from what I guess is the development roster number. Since the same soldier in the parade photo is an Unteroffizer while he was a schutze prewar/extremely early war, then I'm guessing this was taken sometime around 1941/42.

[Brendan Hunt]

Is there any way to find out where this may have been?