Numbers between toes ?

World War II German Military
#1

First time poster and total newbie so I’d like to say hi to everyone here.

I’m guessing someone here might be knowledgeable on this one.
Does anyone have any ideas as to which of the WWII german soldiers would be likely to have a number (no i don’t know what number) tattooed between their toes?

My good lady’s grandfather was a german POW who was subsequently repatriated and so she never got to ask - her mother has also lost touch.

The toe tattoo is something she has always been curious and wondered about.

Any help, info or ideas much appreciated.

#2

I never ever heard of any toe tattoos with German soldiers. The only ones I know about are the SS blood type tattoos on the crook of the left arm.

#3

Same here, except I think the term ‘crook of the arm’ might mean different things in English and German.

In my English usage (which quite possibly is entirerly different to Scottish let alone American English usage :wink: :smiley: ), the crook is the inside of the elbow, while the SS blood groups were on the inside of the arm near the armpit.

#4

Right, I would’ve picked the words “inside of the left upper arm” but I picked one shitty translation software instead.:oops:

#5

As a matter of interest in light of the revelation that you used a translator, how good is your English?

You’ve always struck me as having close to perfect conversational English, which is more (often considerably more) than some of our supposedly native English speakers manage on this forum.

Your English is vastly better than anyone could achieve using a translator all the time.

Do you just need one now and again for unusual words or phrases?

#6

First of all thanks for the compliment. Given the fact that Germans are said to be incompatible with any kind of languages but German, I guess I’m fine.
Normally I don’t use a translator but I like to check while using potential anatomic terms like ‘crook of the arm’.:wink:

#7

Not intended as a compliment, just a factual observation.

But I’m pleased you took it as a well deserved compliment for someone whose English is in the top few per cent on this board, or on any other standard of good English.

Not, of course, zat ve are conceding zat English is ze language vot is gut! :wink: :smiley:

Who said that?

Not a Belgian?

There’s a language, or two, that is or are incompatible with anything except terminal tuberculosis.

#8

Oh, I think it is, most important of all it’s comparatively easy to learn.

Who said that?

That’s the general opinion among our European neighbours - and it’s not entirely unjustified. Seriously, IMO people from the low countries or from Scandinavia have less difficulties to learn foreign languages.

Not a Belgian?

There’s a language, or two, that is or are incompatible with anything except terminal tuberculosis.

That would mean Dutch.:smiley:
Belgian Dutch (aka Flemish) is much smoother.

#9

I’m not so sure of this info in terms of when it took place, but: an ex Special ops man I know, now 90, has seen the tattoo between the toes of German personnel on two occasions, two vastly different units.

One, was from a Klienkamfpmittelboot unit, i.e the miniature submarines such as Neger, Marder, Biber, Seehund. My friend thought the man had been a submarine “pilot”.

The other, a member of something that had very very distant ties to Skorzeny’s units, but was used for far more covert operations. My friend says he always felt the second man was part of “Unternehmehen Werewolf” but never obtained conclusive proof.

The above may be regarded as speculative, I’m well aware.
However: the info on the operations my friend was involved in, is classified under the 150 Year Rule, which fact, in my humble opinion, points to the high likelihood of the veracity of my friend’s information on many topics.

If my memory of how to spell the unit names in German is in error, my Apologies to those of the forum who speak German fluently.

Kind Regards, Uyraell.