THE WAFFEN-SS - THE GRENADIERS - Uniforms & Equipment - Volume 1

This work traces the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the Waffen-SS infantrymen (Grenadiere) between 1939 and 1945.

This encyclopaedia devoted to the uniforms and equipment of the Waffen-SS infantrymen — referred to as "Grenadiere" towards the end of the war — had become essential for researchers, historians, collectors, and the many enthusiasts of Second World War history. Indeed, from the "Verfügungstruppe" and Hitler's personal bodyguard, the LSSAH, the evolution of uniforms was considerable. Historical publications present only a small portion of the thousands of photographs available in archival collections. Yet their captions are often very thin. A photograph showing a "grenadier" wearing a 1943 item cannot have been taken in 1941.

This encyclopaedia will enable us to understand these developments. This first volume presents tunics, trousers, breeches, shirts, greatcoats and headgear. The second will introduce the other aspects of uniforms and equipment. Period photographs and sketches complement photographs of original items. It offers very rich documentation aiming at exhaustiveness — a considerable work that will become a reference.

The author Jean-François Pelletier was born in 1959. After a career as a senior civil servant, he became a business owner before retiring. A passionate historian, he writes regularly for specialist journals and has published works on the French Battalion of the UN in Korea. A lifelong collector, he is one of those who sees things through to the end and loves to share his passion.