Waffen SS green fez given to a US officer by his soldiers after the liberation of Dachau concentration camp
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 7.500 inches (19.05 cm) | Width: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm) | Depth: 5.500 inches (13.97 cm)
Archival History
The fez was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1991 by Byron Lee Schatzley.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Byron Lee Schatzley
Scope and Content
Green/field gray fez with a swastika and Death's head given to Byron Lee Schatzley, an officer in the United States Army, in May 1945 by ground troops following the April 29 liberation of Dachau concentration camp in Germany. The green fez was part of the combat uniform of a Waffen-SS military detachment composed of Muslims from Bosnia, Croatia, and Herzegovina in occupied Yugoslavia, with one division from Albania. There was a red fez for the dress uniform. The creation of this unit was authorized by Hitler in 1943. The original purpose was to combat Tito’s partisans. Through recruitment and conscription, the unit had 26,000 soldiers within a few months. The group was commanded by German or ethnic German officers, and the uniforms were designed to reflect the religion/ethnicity of the recruits.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Green wool fez with a black tassel. The front of the cap has two patched embroidered in silver thread: the top patch is in the shape of a Reichsadler, a sinistra eagle with outstretched wings holding a wreath encircling a swastika in its talons. Below this is a Totenkopf [a Death’s head], or skull and crossbones.
Corporate Bodies
- Waffen-SS
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Western Front.
- World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Germany--Dachau--Liberation.
- Soldiers--United States--Biography.
Genre
- Dress Accessories
- Object