THE WAFFEN-SS – THE GRENADIERS – Insignia, Footwear & Accessories – Volume 3

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 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 us with only a small portion of the thousands of photographs available in archival holdings. But their captions are often very thin. A photograph showing a "grenadier" wearing a 1943-issue item cannot have been taken in 1941.

This third and final volume concludes the study of uniforms worn by the Waffen-SS grenadier. It covers the chapters dealing with the camouflage veil and face mask, shelter-halves, the 1942-pattern camouflage cap, the 1944 and 1945-pattern camouflage uniforms, belts, footwear, the sovereignty emblem, collar and shoulder tabs, ranks and function insignia, as well as sleeve bands. For the first time in French, the collector now has access to a genuine encyclopaedia aimed at exhaustiveness that is set to become the definitive reference — a considerable work he can consult as his discoveries unfold, helping him to identify and authenticate them.

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 who loves sharing his passion.