Changing units

[Steiner]

I seem to recall it said that awards issued could always be worn, even if the recipient was moved to a different type of unit. e.g. a Kriegsmarine award could be worn even if the recipient was moved to the Heer Infanterie. Is this correct?

[Schenk]

Of course it would. You should hand in your SA sports badge as well if that were true.

[rednas]

Yes, a lot of (unusual) photos are known with infanterie wearing KM badges and even a panzercrewman with a Uboot abzeichen

[Steiner]

Thanks. I know that many troops were drafted into Volksgrenadier units from the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine, in the later war period. How common was it before that time to transfer soldiers to different units? e.g. Infanterie to Sturmpioniere - would that ever happen?

[rednas]

Not only to volksgrenadier units. From 1943 onwards many LW and KM units were transferred to all kinds of Heer and Waffen SS units.

The thing your talking about , with specializing also happened a lot, but often not backwards. They wouldnt prefer to change specialized men back in regular inf. units.