THE WAFFEN-SS - THE GRENADIERS - Helmets & Camouflage - Volume 2

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

This encyclopaedia devoted to the uniforms and equipment of the infantrymen — known as "Grenadiere" towards the end of the war — of the Waffen-SS had become essential for researchers, historians, collectors and the many enthusiasts of Second World War history. Indeed, from the "troops at disposal" 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 second volume presents helmets, the birth, design and manufacture of SS camouflage, smocks, helmet covers and winter clothing specific to the Waffen-SS. Period photographs and sketches support the photographs of original pieces. It offers a very rich body of documentation aimed at exhaustiveness — a considerable work that is set to become a reference.

The author Jean-François Pelletier was born in 1959. After a career as a senior civil servant, he became a company director before retiring. A passionate historian, he regularly writes 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 sharing his passion.