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Not on their flags, no. They wore a death's head skull as a collar insignia.
The 'skull and crossbones' is infact the insignia of the SS 'Totenkopf' or Death's Head division. This was one of the first divisions of the Waffen-SS to be established from the SS-VT. The Totenkopf division was responsible for, amongst other things, the running of the concentration camps
The Skull & Cross bones, called Totenkopf (Death Head) in German, is an old symbol dating back to the time of the German Empire under the Kaisers. The symbol was a badge of honor given to troops that particpated in the funeral ceremony of emperors. Later, during the Hitler period, the symbol was used by units considered "elite", i.e. the S.S.
There are some British tank units that had a similar collar device, but I do not know the history of how they came to be.
The armored forces (panzer units) also used the "totenkopf" collar device and were sometimes mistaken for S.S. troops when captured. SS units wore an eagle insigna on their left upper sleeve, while wehrmacht troops wore it on the breast.
The SS Divsion "Totenkopf" did have the skull & cross bones on their divisional flag.
The skull and crossbones go back to some Prussian guards cavalry units and became part of their official insignia in 1740 under Frederick the Great. One Prussian Hussar (light cavalry) regiment was dressed in black and had a tall hat with a complete skeleton insignia on it. I believe their motto was "Death before Dishonor"--same as the SS. Later in WW1, this Hussar unit wore a fur busby with a chapless skull & cross-bones.
The British 17th Lancer Regiment used the skull and cross-bones as their insignia and cap badge. This unit dates back to the "Charge of the Light Brigade" during the Crimean War. During WW2 this unit was an armored regiment. There have been many other units in other countries that adopted a skull as their insignia. During WW2, Italians had a unit called the Black Brigades or Brigate Nerre, that used an insignia of a skull with a dagger clenched in its teeth. There are many examples of skulls used in US Air Force and US Navy squadron patches during WW2 up to present day.
The German Panzer units wore a small chapless skull sitting on cross-bones mounted on a black collar tab with pink pipping. The SS Divsion "Totenkopf" wore the Skull on one collar lapel and the SS-runes on the other. But this was unique to this division as was the flag mentioned, above. The regular SS wore the skull(with a jaw) on their caps, under the eagle branch insignia.
Custermen
I'd like to point out, since nobody seems to have done this yet, that the SS flag was black with two sig runes ('lightning bolts') in white spelling SS.
You can see an image of these flags at : see related link
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What does the skeleton head on the SS men's hats represent?
The symbol on the SS black cap is called a Totenkopf, German word for dead man's head or "skull". The Skull represents the willingness of a soldier to risk his life for the sake of their cause.
What insignia did Adolf Hitlers SS have on their hats?
A skull and crossed bones.
Why was the German emblem described as death's head in Night?
The German emblem in the Nazi period was the swastika, not the Death's Head. The SS Death's Head units (SS-Totenkopfverbände) were in charge of all Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps. They wore a small skull on their caps and lapels.
Why do some crucifixes have skull and crossbones on them?
The skull and crossbones, placed at the bottom of a crucifix (beneath Jesus' feet) represents the legend that Christ, the New Adam, who conquered sin and death, was crucified on the gravesite of the first man, Adam, who brought sin and death into the world through his disobedience to God. The skull is a symbol of Adam's grave - antique prints of the Crucifixion often show a skull at the foot of the Cross. Most important of all, the skull and bones are placed beneath Jesus' feet, to show that He triumphed over death and sin on our behalf.. Also, Christ was crucified at Golgotha which means the "Place of the Skull" (Taken from related link below )
In the German Army what was the Wachtruppe?
It was an SS guard division.
Why did the SS use a skull and crossbones?
The German army has a tradition dating back many years of using the Skull and sometimes the cross-bones as an insignia for their special forces. In Austria during the Napoleonic Wars, there was a Hussar unit that had the skull and cross-bones on their hats. Before this their hat actually had a reclining skeleton. Even then and later with the Nazi SS, the skull stood for "Death before Dishonor" which means they would rather die fighting than to surrender.The slogan for the SS was also "Death Before Dishonor". The Germans also had an award for fighting partisans that included a skull(but was not an SS award). One of the SS panzer divisions had a skull as their insignia that was worn on the collar.There are many other military units that used the skull symbol. During WW1, the special German troops that operated flame throwers wore a skull and crossbones on their left sleeve. The Italian Fascists had a fighting unit that was a skull with a dagger clenched in its teeth. The British 17th Lancers dating back from its origin displayed a skull and crossbones on their cap and later as their cap badge. There are several US Air Force and Navy squadrons that have a skull or skeleton as part of their insiginia. Some are skeletons flying on bombs and such. One Navy unit is called the Jolly Rodgers and use the old Pirate flag as their symbol.CommentThe motto of the SS is 'My honour is loyalty', NOT 'Death Before Dishonour'.
What Nazi group used the skull and crossbones insignia?
The skull and crossbones insignia, the totenkopf, was worn by members of the SS on the front of their headgear. One SS pre-war organisation, the Totenkopfverbande ('Death's Head' units) wore the totenkopf on their right-hand collar patch, a tradition then followed by the Totenkopf division of the Waffen-SS.The totenkopf was also the insignia of the German Army Panzer crews, who wore a different version of the totenkopf, on each collar patch of their black uniforms, or on the lapels of their tropical uniforms.Prior to the outbreak of the war, some Nazi-sympathetic veteran organisations painted the totenkopf on the front of their helmets.
What does the skeleton head on the SS men's hats represent?
The symbol on the SS black cap is called a Totenkopf, German word for dead man's head or "skull". The Skull represents the willingness of a soldier to risk his life for the sake of their cause.
What insignia did Adolf Hitlers SS have on their hats?
A skull and crossed bones.
German army arm band red with white circle and black swastica with a skull and cross bones pin my step dad was a Normandy and i got it from him can you tell me what it meant?
Sounds like he would have retrieved it from a German SS Officer, most probably of the 3rd Division SS. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_SS_Division_Totenkopf Then badge itself is called the Totenkopf
Why was the German emblem described as death's head in Night?
The German emblem in the Nazi period was the swastika, not the Death's Head. The SS Death's Head units (SS-Totenkopfverbände) were in charge of all Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps. They wore a small skull on their caps and lapels.
What Storm trooper in German?
ss
A German troop was called a?
German Soldier or an Waffen SS Soldier.
Why do some crucifixes have skull and crossbones on them?
The skull and crossbones, placed at the bottom of a crucifix (beneath Jesus' feet) represents the legend that Christ, the New Adam, who conquered sin and death, was crucified on the gravesite of the first man, Adam, who brought sin and death into the world through his disobedience to God. The skull is a symbol of Adam's grave - antique prints of the Crucifixion often show a skull at the foot of the Cross. Most important of all, the skull and bones are placed beneath Jesus' feet, to show that He triumphed over death and sin on our behalf.. Also, Christ was crucified at Golgotha which means the "Place of the Skull" (Taken from related link below )
Who controlled German concentration camps?
the SS
What is the special death squad within the German SS?
The SS, or Schutstaffel, WAS the special death squad.
What ship did the German sank in May1915?
SS Lusitania
