Monday, August 22, 2016

Cross-Dressing in the Wehrmacht


Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com


The Wehrmacht is usually portrayed as this remorseless, robotic mass of unthinking and unfeeling automatons who salute before going off to be mowed down. However, this is not the case at all. Which brings us to that classic line from Robert Aldrich's "The Dirty Dozen":
Major John Reisman: I owe you an apology, Colonel. I always thought that you were a cold, unimaginative, tight-lipped officer. But you're really quite emotional, aren't you?
Credit to Nunnally Johnson (screenplay) and Lukas Heller (screenplay) and E.M. Nathanson (novel).

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com


In fact, Wehrmacht soldiers had all sorts of unusual, how shall we put this, um, "traditions." One of these was cross-dressing in the Third Reich.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

One of the more unusual of these "traditions" was to cross-dress with their girlfriends, or at least dress their girls in their uniforms.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Now, why or how this might have become a, er, tradition is probably lost in the murky recesses of deviant minds. The photographic record, however, just shows what was, not why it was.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

I'm sure any Wehrmacht soldier reviewing these shots would instantly smile and say (in German), "Oh, it was just fun to do that." That's the kind of answer that doesn't answer anything, of course. I'm sure it was fun at the time, else they wouldn't have done it. There must have been some reason.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

What's interesting is how much elaborate care they took. The ties are knotted, the pearls are worn, the buttons are secured... it wasn't as if they spent 30 seconds, put on each others' hats, and took a selfie while giggling about it.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

No, they carefully knotted the scarfs, cocked the hats at just the right angle, and went all out to make it look right. And they did a great job!

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com
The fellow is wearing a BDM uniform - which looked kind of manly. However, it definitely would have been recognized as female attire at the time.

The amazing thing is that they don't look very self-conscious about it, either.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com


They put a lot of time and effort into it, those perfectly arranged skirts don't just get on those guys in a second. But some of them should have taken the time to shave their legs.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com


In fact, some of the pictures show how much work went into it.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Some of them look damn good doing it, too.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

In fact, they often do it in groups, with other people around.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com


I don't think Halloween was really that big in World War II Germany, so there must be some other reason.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Anyway, there probably was some obscure German holiday that they were honoring with this cross-dressing practice. The Wehrmacht guy would just shake his head sadly and say (in German), "Dummkopf! That was the annual Schnitzersangungfreud Festival where the women asked the men out" or something like that.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com


That's always how it turns out when you notice something a bit out of place from the regime, "Oh, that was perfectly normal, and you are weird because you do not see how normal it was!"

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com


Right.
Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com


Anyway, let me be clear, I have no issue with cross-dressing if that is what they were into, and they could cross-dress all they liked while they were bombing London if that rocked their boats.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com
I know, I know, cheap shot. But you've got to be pretty darn powerful to get away with stuff like that.

Whatever the reason, today it makes for interesting viewing.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com


Okay, just to show that I'm not picking on the Germans - heaven forbid! - Here's one from a British POW camp. Why? Who knows. But it must get lonely in the camps.

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com

Third Reich cross-dressing worldwartwo.filminspector.com
Ah, the possibilities....





2016

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