All panzer forces wore the "Death's Head?

I just finished Otto Carius'(he was a member of the 502nd Tiger Abteilung) book entitled "Tiger's in the Mud" and read that he was approached by an American soldier who asked if he was SS. Carius replied, "no, panzer crewmen have worn the Totenkopf long before the SS." Can anyone elaborate further on this......???

 

I don't have my references to hand, but if i recall correctly the deaths head was used by many old cavalry units, not just German. The insignia was carried on with the Panzer units, i guess to give them some kind of history. The difference is that the deaths head was worn on both epillettes. Of course, as far as the SS was concerned, it was only the 3rd SS Pz Div and the KZ guards that wore it, aswell of course as SS tank crews.

 

my two cents......

the deaths head was used by two Prussian light cavalry regiments during the Napoleonics, especially well suited and effective for the defence of Germany in 1813

 

The symbol has been used by many units for centuries, it was particularly common amongst Prussian cavalry units and so yes, it was passed on to the Panzer Divisions. Here is some information I picked up from a site:

"In 1740 a right facing jawless deaths head with the skull in the forefront and the bones in the rear adorned the funeral drapings of Prussian king Frederick William I. To further his memory the Lieb-Hussaren Regiments 1 and 2 were formed as royal bodyguards the following year. Black was the color of their uniform and they wore a Totenkopf on their busbies. Brunswick followed with the new tradition when the symbol was adopted by its Hussar Regiment 17 and third battalion of Infantry Regiment 92. However the Brunswick Totenkopf differed slightly in that the skull was facing forwards and raised above the crossed bones. During World War 1 the deaths head was chosen by elite German army units, in cluding the storm troops, flame-throwers, and panzer battalions. After the war a few Freikorps painted Totenkopfs on their helmets and vehicles. Because of this it also became a symbol of traditionalism, anti-liberalism, and anti-Bolshevism. "

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/3125/kgc/waffen-ss/history.html

Incidentally, there is a British unit (17th Lancers) who also wore the deaths head.

 

Thanks Stefan...wish my printer was working for the "Runes" page. However, the 31st SS Freiwilligen Panzergrenadierdivision symbol of a Elk's head(?) is new to me. The only book I have with SS divisional symbols (Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Guard At War 1939-1945) has this division's symbol as a lion aside some other symbol...I'll bet this was one of the SS units that was barely bigger than a regiment...