Figure 1.--This German photograph is unidentified. The men or Luftwaffe personnel. We believe it is a photograph taken in occupied France with French children. We wonder how common it was for French children to freely interact with German occupation forces like this. One might see GIs with a group like this, but probably not smoking like this. Click on the image for a fuller discussion of this ohotograph.

We have acquired this Woeld War II photograph, but with virtually no provinance. We do know that the photograph was being sold by a Berlin dealer and of course Other than this we can only speculate. Here is our assessment of this photograph. We welcome reader comments.

Chronology

This photograph is not dated. A French reader believes it was taken in 1940 or 41, primarily because this was the period in which relations between the Germans and French were the best. This seems to us a reasonable assessment. German reverses in the Soviet Union and America's entry into the War (December 1941) began to give the French people hope that the Germans would be defeated. Further reverses (El Alemain, Torch, Stalingrad) definitely changed opinions about the outcome of the War. German actions while not draconian as in the East, still changed French public opinion. After Torch (November 1942), German frces seized control of the unoccupied area. Also shortages developed because the Germans were shipping French agriculture and industrial production to Germany. Perhaps most importantly, the Germans began concripting French workers for forced labor in the Reich. By 1944 growing Allied air power had largely driven the Luftwaffe out of France and back to Germany.

Location

We are guessing that the photograph was taken in France, primarily because we think the children are French. As to where in Franve, we have no idea. One would guess because of the Luftwaffe personnel that it was near a German air base. Early in the occupation, most of the German air bases in Frace sere near the Channel, to suuport the air campaign against Britain.

Soldiers

the soldiers pictured are Germans. The lapel emblems I think indicated that they were Luftwaffe personnel. I think they are young enlisted men, but am not sure.

Children

We think that the children are French. The beret is one reason. The children also look more French than German. Also we do not think that German soldiers would have been photographed giving cigarettes to German children. I don't think I have ever seen a Hitler Youth boy smoking. Geman propaganda posters in fact depicted smoking as a sign of juvenile delinquency. We even note that the Hitler Youth Panzer Division posted to Germany in 1944 was issued sweets rather than the tobacco ration normally issued to German units.

Source

Another question is who took the photograph. It was almost certainly taken by a German. The German soldiers were the only adults here. I think it is unlikely a French civilian would have photographed German soldiers near a German air base. Also the fact that a Berlin dealer is selling the image stringly suggests that it was brought back to Germany, meaning it was taken by a German.

Military Photography

One of the most interesting question about this photograph is who took it and why. First a note about soldiers and cameras. Most soldiers did not have cameras in combat. The reason for this was that if captures, photographs could be useful for the enemy. I know American GIs in combat could not carry cameras. I suspedct that the same was true of German soldiers, but am not sure. As a result, many World War II photographs were taken by military combat photographers. Of course soldiers off duty on occupation duty is a different matter.

Imagery

The reason we mention this is the question of whtther this is a staged photograph or not. A reader writes, "Notice that the children are smoking cigarettes which the soldiers have given them. This looks more like a staged event for some publicity photo." The cigarettes must have come from the soldiers. The soldier at the left is even helping to light them. When I first saw this photograph I did not think it was staged, primarily because soldiers giving children cigarettes would not reflect well on the German military, thinking about the propaganda value in France. Note that the boys here are not even teenagers. After thinking about it I have somewhat changed my mind. Now I do not know if the scene was sraged or the photographer just came accross the scene. I do think, however, that the photograph may have been taken for its propaganda value in Germany. German propaganda at the time stressed the superority of the NAZI system and German people. The French were pictured as a country corrupted by left wing politicans including Jews and a people less racially pure. Here showing scrufilly dressed French children smoking cigarettes would contrast on well dressed German boys disciplined by the Hitler Youth. German boys were not pictured smoking. Note that the German soldiers here are not smojing with the boys.

Created: 5:21 AM 2/11/2005
Last updated: 12:55 AM 2/12/2005