Waffen SS blood group tattoo

http://www.wssob.com/insignia.html

Blood Group Tattoo
Many members of the SS had their blood type tattooed under their left underarm, 7cm long and 20cm up from the elbow. The purpose of the tattoo was for medics to quickly determine a wounded man's blood type. Despite the fact that the tattoo was mentioned in a a soldiers ID papers, not all Waffen-SS troops were branded with it. After the war, Allied investigators used the blood group tattoo to identify potential war crimes suspects; which prompted many SS members to burn or disfigure their underarm to avoid capture. However, SS officers were not obligated to get the tattoo - undoubtedly aiding their chances to evade capture and interrogation.

http://www.skalman.nu/third-reich/ss-blood-group.htm

All members of the Waffen-SS were required to have a tattoo on his left arm verifying his blood group. Note that not all members actually had a tattoo even though it was required, this included any of the high ranking officers and those who joined the Waffen-SS in the later part of the war. The tattoo was normally applied to those who did their basic training in the Waffen-SS, but also non-Waffen-SS soldiers could get the tattoo if they were treated in the Waffen-SS field hospitals.

Two different types of tattoos existed, one in gothic lettering and one in latin lettering, the latter one being used later in the war.


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Just asking if there´s more to know about the blood group tattoos. Were some members allowed to be without the tattoo and why was that?

 

*bump*

[ 22. May 2003, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: Kai-Petri ]

 

Editorial-

*bumP*

(sorry, Kai!! )

 

This also cut both ways-during the final days in Berlin when SS men would watch for deserters-an SS officer could slip through the cracks easier without one, if found with one they would undoubtedly be shot then and there...

 

For a good illustration of this watch 'Hitler's SS-A portarit of Evil'-excellent film, covers from the early days of uncertainty in the SA-till the end of the war on in Germany's heartland.