bodyguards

[wilecoyote]

Hitler in Venice, orig.pics_ Interesting display of his security staff_ pretty easy to distinguish "them", among all the other people around there_

 

[tjg79]

I haven't seen those pics before.

Thanks for posting.

 

[wilecoyote]

I haven't seen those pics before.

Thanks for posting.

this local photo-agency (rear side of one of the pics above), the only allowed at the time, had the exclusive_ these pictures are from his archives_ I don't think were ever diffused_ Regards_

 

[Kammerjaeger]

Interesting, obviously the Italians wanted nothing to happen to him on their turf either. Can't say I blame them.

KJ

 

[wilecoyote]

Interesting, obviously the Italians wanted nothing to happen to him on their turf either. Can't say I blame them.

KJ[/QUOTE)
I have the impression that, especially, they did not want anything to happen that could also just worry his bodyguards _(please, pay attention to the faces of the German boys dressed in light gray...)

 

[Kammerjaeger]

Interesting, obviously the Italians wanted nothing to happen to him on their turf either. Can't say I blame them.

KJ[/QUOTE)
I have the impression that, especially, they did not want anything to happen that couldalso just worry his bodyguards _(please, pay attention to the faces of the boys dressed in light gray...)

Yes, a lot of worried, serious faces. Both German and Italian. Any idea of the date of the pictures? It had to be pre-war.

KJ

 

[wilecoyote]

Yes, a lot of worried, serious faces. Both German and Italian. Any idea of the date of the pictures? It had to be pre-war.

KJ

Yes_ June 1934, if I don't go wrong

 

[agalland]

Bruno Gesche (over Hitlers right shoulder) stands out like a sore thumb, in or out of uniform.

In spite of loving the cocktails a bit too much he was still a favorite of Hitlers who saved him from Himmlers discontent more than once...and even after HH sent him to the Eastern Front for drunkness and pulling a pistol on another SS man, he still managed to survive the war relatively unscathed and die an old man..

A kraut with the luck of the irish it seems.

Surprised he didnt write a book and capitalize on his good fortune..?
Most likely he was a drunk till the bitter end which tends to cloud ones ability to recognize an opportunity.

A remarkable story none the less.

 

[wilecoyote]

Bruno Gesche...

info very appreciated !
well, when the Germans returned here, a bit less friendly,after sept.8,1943, they weren't much more :took only two torpedo boats and 14/15 sailors ( not special forces), to take possession of Venice _ whitout even a single gunshot, of course_

 

[agalland]

I believe that is Kurt Gildisch above Hitlers left shoulder...but not absolutley certain..been a long time since I read on this stuff..Gildisch was another drunk who did not fare as well as Gesche...if memory serves me correct I believe he actually got permanently drummed out of the SS for his drinking.

Perhaps guarding Mein Fuehrer required substance abuse to make it tolerable.:>)...either that or they were just plain ole alcoholics.

Funny thing is that in this age of accessible info on just about anything ,it is virtually impossible to find any post war stuff on Gesche.....one would think his proximity to Hitlers orbit would give him enough notariety to have some type of tracking on his "life after the nazis"...but not so.

Thanks for the pics..I enjoy seeing how many people,if any,I can acutally identify when something new comes along.

 

[wilecoyote]

I believe that is Kurt Gildisch above Hitlers left shoulder...but not absolutley certain..been a long time since I read on this stuff..Gildisch was another drunk who did not fare as well as Gesche...if memory serves me correct I believe he actually got permanently drummed out of the SS for his drinking.

Perhaps guarding Mein Fuehrer required substance abuse to make it tolerable.:>)...either that or they were just plain ole alcoholics.

Funny thing is that in this age of accessible info on just about anything ,it is virtually impossible to find any post war stuff on Gesche.....one would think his proximity to Hitlers orbit would give him enough notariety to have some type of tracking on his "life after the nazis"...but not so.

Thanks for the pics..I enjoy seeing how many people,if any,I can acutally identify when something new comes along.

If interested, I can PM or e-mail you the two photos in a clearer format than appears here_
(I think that, thank to this kind of proximity to AH, the wisest among them would have understandably managed beforehand, when allowed by the circumstances,to build some post-war "privacy shield"...)_
I will pass your infos to the friend who lended me the pics_ he will be really interested,too_

 

[jhv 41]

Great pre-war photo's

If that is Gildisch, 1934 may have been the peak of his career and the drinking took center stage for his downfall from there.

Here is some info including his post war fate:


http://www.desertwar.net/kurt-gildisch.html

 

[jhv 41]

Agalland, I think you were correct on your first impression. That appears to be Gesche in the picture. (check out that huge enlarged nose from his alcohol issues!)

 

[agalland]

If interested, I can PM or e-mail you the two photos in a clearer format than appears here_

Thank you for the offer but there is no need ...the pics ,as posted ,are very clear....I am just not that familair with all the members of the Begleitkommandos so my knowledge is kinda limited.

 

[agalland]

Agalland, I think you were correct on your first impression. That appears to be Gesche in the picture. (check out that huge enlarged nose from his alcohol issues!)

Yah,I would have bet the farm on that one...he is most certainly unmistakeable...not exactly your "Nordic God" is he..:>)