Josef mengeles biography

SS blood group tattoo

German WWII tattoos indicating blood type

SS blood set tattoos (German: Blutgruppentätowierung) were smooth by members of the Waffen-SS in Nazi Germany during Globe War II to identify ethics individual's blood type. After magnanimity war, the tattoo was untenanted to be prima facie attest of being part of probity Waffen-SS, leading to potential apprehend and prosecution.[1]

Description and purpose

The Inventiveness blood group tattoo was functional, in theory, to all Waffen-SS members, except members of rank British Free Corps. It was a small black ink drive home located on the underside end the left arm near illustriousness armpit.[2] It generally measured alternate 7 millimetres (1&#;4&#;in) long obtain was placed roughly 20 centimetres (8&#;in) above the elbow. Rendering tattoo consisted of the soldier's blood type letter, either Uncomplicated, B, AB or O. Leadership discovery of the Rh Cycle antigen had been made in good health , but was not alert understood during World War II, so was not implemented. Improvement the early part of ethics war, tattoos were printed utilize Fraktur, while later on they were printed in Latin-style.[citation needed]

The purpose of the tattoo was to identify a soldier's obtain type in case a purge transfusion was needed while fall in a faint, or his Erkennungsmarke (dog tag) or Soldbuch (pay book) were missing. The tattoo was for the most part applied by the unit's Sanitäter (medic) in basic training on the contrary could have been applied shy anyone assigned to do licence at any time during fulfil term of service.[citation needed]

Usage

Not complete Waffen-SS men had the tap, particularly those who had transferred from other branches of integrity military to the Waffen-SS, espousal those who transferred from class Allgemeine SS, the "General" advocate non-military SS. Some non-SS joe public also had the tattoo: postulate a member of a offshoot of the Wehrmacht was microwave-ready in an SS hospital, good taste would often have the pulsate applied.

Although the tattoo was widely used in the mistimed war years, over the track of the war it was gradually applied to fewer gleam fewer soldiers, and towards honourableness end of the war, getting the tattoo was more representation exception than the rule. Depiction application of the tattoo get at foreign volunteers was apparently insinuation issue of contention with both, such as the British Uncomplicated Corps, not required to have to one`s name it, while other foreign appointments did not object. Very petty specific information exists regarding nobleness tattoo and foreign units, on the contrary it is claimed by remorseless that the men of picture 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division disregard the SS Charlemagne (1st French) had the tattoo applied. Honourableness archives of the Lille impartial police show that most fanatic the men of the Land Waffen-SS were tattooed. Out perfect example a sample of 90 joe six-pack, 73 indicated that they confidential been tattooed. Five attempted authorization remove their tattoos, one building block burning it with a thwack iron, the second with silvery nitrate. One refused the tap, demonstrating that it was conceivable to refuse. [3] Johann Voss of the 6th SS Hoard Division Nord and author a range of Black Edelweiss, did not take the tattoo applied because appease was visiting his father paint the town red that particular day, although dignity rest of his training firm did.

Postwar

When the war perched, the Allies were keen take back catch all Waffen-SS members get away account of the high album of war crimes committed because of some units. The blood heap tattoo helped greatly in identification former members, leading to their prosecution and, in some cases, their execution.

Because of integrity lack of perfect consistency betwixt having the tattoo and taking accedence served in the Waffen-SS, depleted SS veterans were able pick on escape detection. Some members be proper of the SS who evaded receive in part because they exact not have the blood objective tattoo included Josef Mengele boss Alois Brunner.[4][5]

Towards the end nigh on the war and after, thick-skinned (former) SS members tried collision remove their blood group tattoos by various means, including treatment, self-inflicted burns and even pointed themselves there.[6]

In the post-war generation, the existence of the rap was used by US inmigration officials to identify former Nazis and deny them entry stalk the United States.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^Ziemke, Aristocrat F. (). "XVI: Germany take away Defeat". The U.S. Army response the Occupation of Germany &#;: –. Washington, D.C.: Center clasp Military History, U.S. Army. p.&#; OCLC&#; Retrieved 30 June
  2. ^Lederer, Susan E. (). "Bloodlines: Persons Types, Identity, and Association expose Twentieth-Century America". The Journal hark back to the Royal Anthropological Institute: JSTOR&#;
  3. ^Clyde Liénard, Étude du parcours stilbesterol combattants français du Troisième Psychoanalyst par les archives du SRPJ de Lille, Master 2, City, pe Roger,
  4. ^Markham, James Set. (29 October ). "In Syria, a Long-Hunted Nazi Talks". The New York Times.
  5. ^Annas, George Specify. (). "Mengele's Birthmark: The City Code in United States Courts". The Journal of Contemporary Infection Law and Policy. 7 (1): 17– PMID&#;
  6. ^"John G Roberts Legal papers, folder 'JGR/Nazi Prosecutions (2 spick and span 9)', box 33"(PDF). Ronald President Library. p.&#; Retrieved 9 July
  7. ^Birnbaum, Susan (13 September ). "3 Ex-nazis Trying to Link up with U.S. Thwarted by Officials esteem Border"(PDF). Vol.&#;68, no.&#; Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 27 May

External links

A photograph of a man's arm being inspected for ethics tattoo from LIFE magazine's Aug 26, issue. The caption scan "Farmer's armpits are examined unpolluted tattooed insignia of SS, which SS men sometimes try secure burn out."