# Did all Nazi members of the infamous "SS" have skulls on their uniforms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 6, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116 "2012-11-06T18:25:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NorbertSchweitzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cab0a1/32.png) [@NorbertSchweitzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NorbertSchweitzer)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/1 "2012-11-06T18:25:13Z")
Dear Cecilists, I’m German and asking the following question in Germany raises some suspicious eyebrows. So maybe you can help me: Did all Nazi members of the infamous “SS” have skulls on their uniforms? (this question came up when I asked the famous pulp fiction writer Robin D. Laws “why are Nazis the ultimate pulp villians?” and receiving “Communists never put skulls on their uniforms.” as an answer.) Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/2 "2012-11-06T18:42:22Z")
IIRC, the answer is yes. No cite, but, I think that the “Order of the Deaths Head” was some designation one got when entering the SS. Death’s head insignias, again, IIRC, were ubiquitous as military designations pre-Nazi. IIRC. Have I mentioned that? ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/3 "2012-11-06T18:45:58Z")
The 3rd SS Panzer Division “Totenkopf” and the “Totenkopfverbande” concentration camp guards both wore skulls as their official organizational insignia. At least some of the other SS divisions, at some times, wore a skull on their hats. I’m not sure whether _all_ SS members wore this during WWII. > **[Totenkopf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totenkopf)** > > Totenkopf (German: \[ˈtoːtn̩ˌkɔpf\], i.e. skull, literally "dead person's head") is the German word for skull, it's a figurative, graphic or sculptural symbol common in Western culture, consisting of the representation of a human skull usually frontal, more rarely in profile with or without the mandible. In some cases, other human skeletal parts may be added to the depiction of the head skeleton; especially often includes two crossed long-bones (femurs) depicted below or behind the skull. It is ... ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/4 "2012-11-06T18:47:05Z")
Yes they did, but then again lot’s of [other military units](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_and_crossbones_%28military%29) thru out history have used the skull and cross bones as well; it’s a warrior/macho thing. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/5 "2012-11-06T18:48:41Z")
Use of the [death’s head](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totenkopf) on uniforms began with the Prussian Army under Frederick the Great. It’s a German thing more than a Nazi thing. ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/6 "2012-11-06T18:53:42Z")
Since the question has been answered, [here’s a very pertinent sketch from Mitchell & Webb](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEle_DLDg9Y). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/7 "2012-11-06T18:58:27Z")
As far as I can tell, all SS members wore the skull insignia on their uniform [hats](http://gothicline.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/black-ss-hat-1.jpg). It seems to be universal regardless of what unit of the SS the individual was in - I can’t find a picture of an SS hat that doesn’t have the insignia. The only SS uniforms I found that don’t have the skull insignia are the field uniforms of members of the Waffen SS, the combat branch of the SS. These individuals wore standard German [helmets](http://www.nachtkabarett.com/ihvh/img/nk_degenerate_ss_helmet.jpg) with an SS shield on the side. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/8 "2012-11-06T20:22:11Z")
> [@ctnguy](#): > > Since the question has been answered, [here’s a very pertinent sketch from Mitchell & Webb](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEle_DLDg9Y). That’s gotta one of my favorite sketches, period. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/9 "2012-11-06T21:41:51Z")
That was funny. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/10 "2012-11-07T14:39:51Z")
I don’t have a cite, but I read somewhere once that the SS got the idea from a WWI regiment, the Brunswick Hussars. I’ve always thought it was extremely ironic that the regiment was called the “Brunswick Life Guards”. There’s a picture of their insignia on this page: [http://www.kammerbulle.de/html/cavalry.html](http://www.kammerbulle.de/html/cavalry.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/11 "2012-11-07T17:11:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > As far as I can tell, all SS members wore the skull insignia on their uniform [hats](http://gothicline.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/black-ss-hat-1.jpg). It seems to be universal regardless of what unit of the SS the individual was in - I can’t find a picture of an SS hat that doesn’t have the insignia. I could be wrong, but isn’t that an officer’s dress hat? Enlisted hats seem to have varied, some having the totenkopf and some not. [8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer on the Eastern Front summer 1942 (no totenkopf)](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101III-Bueschel-069-31%2C_Russland%2C_Kradfahrer_der_Waffen-SS.jpg) [An 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer Jagdpanzer Hetzer in Hungary 1944 (officer has a totenkopf, enlisted hat doesn’t appear to)](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-715-0213A-25%2C_Ungarn%2C_Jagdpanzer_%22Hetzer%22.jpg) [SS-Freiwilligen Sturmbrigade Wallonien propaganda postcard (hard to say with certainty, but enlisted hat doesn’t appear to have a totenkopf)](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f4/SS-Freiwilligen_Sturmbrigade_Wallonien_propaganda_postcard.jpg) [Member of 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French) (no totenkopf)](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101III-Apfel-017-30%2C_Frankreich%2C_Paris%2C_deutsche_Besatzung.jpg) [21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian) (enlisted soft hat has the totenkopf)](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/da/Waffen_SS_Skanderbeg.jpg) [13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian) (enlisted soft hat again has the totenkopf)](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101III-Mielke-036-23%2C_Waffen-SS%2C_13._Gebirgs-Div._%22Handschar%22.jpg) [Another picture of the unique enlisted soft hat of the Handschar with the totenkopf](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1973-116-11%2C_Waffen-SS%2C_13._Gebirgs-Div._%22Handschar%22.jpg) [Members of the SS-Sonderregiment Dirlewanger in the window of a townhouse at 9 Focha Street, Warsaw. (Hard to say with certainty, one or two may have the totenkopf - the third from the right and the third from the left, the rest don’t)](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-97906%2C_Warschauer_Aufstand%2C_Stra%C3%9Fenkampf.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/12 "2012-11-08T02:34:03Z")
I did a google image search for “ss hat” and here’s the [results](https://www.google.com/search?q=ss+hat&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=gBmbULGrGImi2gW9kYGQBw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&biw=1024&bih=677). ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/13 "2012-11-08T03:10:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I did a google image search for “ss hat” and here’s the [results](https://www.google.com/search?q=ss+hat&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=gBmbULGrGImi2gW9kYGQBw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAA&biw=1024&bih=677). The dread Camarostein SS were far more fearsome than their headwear would lead one to suspect. ---
**Author:** ![abel29a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@abel29a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abel29a)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/14 "2012-11-08T14:45:46Z")
The deathheads were also used by regular Heer units, so they were not something reserved for SS uniforms. For instance, the [Panzerwaffe](http://users.skynet.be/vonweyersberg/Heer_panzer.htm) units had prominent deathheads on their tunics, something which I’ve read caused some concern among Panzer units towards the end of the war, as they were worried about being mistaken for SS troops. So yeah, as someone mentioned way earlier, it was a German thing, not a SS thing. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/15 "2012-11-08T18:27:56Z")
Isn’t the point of a uniform that everybody is dressed … uniformly? So either all of them had it, or none did, right? Since you see skulls on uniforms on photos of SS members, then there you go, right? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/16 "2012-11-08T18:43:01Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The dread Camarostein SS were far more fearsome than their headwear would lead one to suspect. Yeah, cruising up and down Europe with their muskelwagens. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/17 "2012-11-08T18:53:09Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > Isn’t the point of a uniform that everybody is dressed … uniformly? So either all of them had it, or none did, right? Since you see skulls on uniforms on photos of SS members, then there you go, right? Logic like that might get you accused of witchcraft. You’re just lucky I don’t have a duck to weigh. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/18 "2012-11-11T15:04:24Z")
> [@Blakeyrat](#): > > Isn’t the point of a uniform that everybody is dressed … uniformly? So either all of them had it, or none did, right? Since you see skulls on uniforms on photos of SS members, then there you go, right? Hence why all U.S. military uniforms have General’s stars on them. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/19 "2012-11-11T15:11:40Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The dread Camarostein SS were far more fearsome than their headwear would lead one to suspect. That made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116/20 "2012-11-11T16:30:31Z")
Say what you want about the Nazis but they were snazzy dressers. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-all-nazi-members-of-the-infamous-ss-have-skulls-on-their-uniforms/640116.md?page=2)