MovieChat Forums > X Company (2015) Discussion > SS soldiers in episode 1.1?

SS soldiers in episode 1.1?

posted 10 years ago by gswan
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I looked for the SS insignia in episode 1.1. All the Germans soldiers, even the reluctant kind-hearted enlisted guy ... the one ordered to shoot the adorable little girl, then didn't do it. in the first half hour wore an SS badge on their collar.

If I am not mistaken, didn't they give the kind-hearted enlisted guy fifteen seconds or so to explain he was just a conscript, who didn't really believe all that Nazi stuff? But weren't all SS members and soldiers volunteers, only approved for membership if they did believe all that Nazi stuff?

[–] berniegfletcher 10 years ago

Volunteer as in volunteer or you would be shot? There were conscripts in the SS, but maybe the show's writers were trying to make the Germans look more ruthless by making them SS rather than regular army types who would be less likely to ever shoot a little girl. This scene was over the top and straying into cliché, but it made for good drama and suspense.

[–] gswan 10 years ago

There were conscripts in the SS, but maybe the show's writers were trying to make the Germans look more ruthless by making them SS rather than regular army types who would be less likely to ever shoot a little girl.

Were there really conscripts in the SS? You surprise me. But I will take your word for it, if you really made a study of the SS.

I thought that they were the militia wing of the Nazi Party, kind of the same relation as the IRA had to Sinn Fein, and that every one of them had to be a hardened Nazi ideologue, before they would be let in.

[–] joebloggz 10 years ago

FYI The 'kind hearted enlisted guy' w/the scene with the little girl is dressed in the uniform of an SS Police 1st Lieutenant (Oberleutnant) according to his collar patches, but a Captain (Hauptmann) according to his shoulder boards - this is fixed in the lunch scene.

Also a short while later whilst explaining his actions to his superior Richter, he refers to him as 'Sturmbannfuhrer' (Lt.Colonel), when his collar patches/shoulderboards indicate him as a full Colonel or 'SS-Standartenfuhrer' - a more likely rank for a security/district chief (this theory also backed up as officers of the rank of Colonel or greater wore the same rank patch on both collars like he does).

The Colonel's apparent 2IC (at the same lunch etc) is actually ranked lower - a 1st Lieutenant (Oberleutnant) according to his collar patches, but a Captain (Hauptmann) according to his shoulder boards...yet seems to be giving the sympathetic chap orders.

The German Police were merged into the SS in 1939 under Himmler & in 1942 (funnily enough when EP1 is set), they were turned into the 'SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier division' as designated on their cuff insignia. So in THIS case, someone could've been a policeman, non-Nazi, yet finds himself in the Waffen-SS.

However, considering some of the rank / uniform errors I've pointed out here in the 1st episode alone...their costume dept/military advisors need a little research- however but it seems to be a reasonable fun WWII series to watch.