Vintage WW2 Mustaches

[Kid Mac]

Squadron Leader "Stapme" Stapleton, RAF fighter pilot.

"Tall, blond and sporting a splendid handlebar moustache, Stapleton was the epitome of the dashing fighter pilot."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/7620215/Squadron-Leader-Stapme-Stapleton.html

 

[Smithy]

Kid Mac, you might like to have a look at this thread which I started about the death of Stapme.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=49493

 

[Kid Mac]

Thanks, Smithy.

Mac

 

[Windsock]

My Uncle

My Uncle Pvt Ray Walsh, 2/32nd Infantry Battalion AIF, this photo apparently taken on leave in Tel Aviv. He was an original "Rat of Tobruk" and after they were pulled out of Nth Africa came home for jungle training before being sent to New Guinea to do it all over against a different Enemy...

I only found out about the existence of this photo a few years ago after I was put into contact with a fellow he'd started out with in 1941, and also survived. He'd kept shots of a few of the guys and then 65 years later I turned up asking about one of them...

Originally B+W I colourized the first pic.

 

[filfoster]

Vintage WW2 Moustaches

Of course someone has to do this:
http://scrapetv.com/News/News Pages/usa/images-4/adolf-hitler.jpg

 

[thecardigankid]

The best mustache in World war II was

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Galland

I like Gallands mustache, its neatly kept and quite dashing. One worth a go in my opinion.

 

[Renault]

Sad news that a new reg prohibits naval pers from wearing beards at sea - to ensure better respirator and gas mask fitting. Once again, safety trumps tradition.

Logical, yes. But still sad!

WWII North Africa, First Free French Brigade: Col. Koenig almost had a full scale mutiny on his hands at Bir Hakeim, Libya among the old Legion"anciens" in the 13eme DBLE when he ordered beards to be shaved for the same reason!

Vive la Legion!
Renault

 

[Treetopflyer]

The Aussies and the Brits definitely lead the pack on great mustaches during WWII, even in todays military.

 

[Gray Ghost]

I'll have to dig up my "Air Force" magazine from very late-war where there is a Lt. wearing a full Abe Lincoln-style beard!

In the 13th Air Force, in the South West Pacific, there was a Captain and, then Major, Kittel who wore only a beard but it was shaved in such a way that the O2 mask would get a good seal on his face. I have seen him with a mustache at times as well. There are some enlisted in the 13th Air Force as well that had a mustache and beards but this was very few and in between, Major Kittel flew P-40s & P-38s with, I believe, the 12th Fighter Squadron. He also had a pet chicken that he would take from island to island so he could get a fresh egg every morning. He was so well liked by his superiors that they did not enforce regs on him. I wear a mustache but it conforms more to what regs call for. I also portray an officer instead of enlisted as well. There is one group of infantry reenactors, that will remain nameless, that used to tick a lot of vets off with their got to be by the reg attitude at every event. My father was one of the vets and he told me that the regulation book, in the Pacific, made good toilet paper and nothing more. He only heard a bugle when he was in the states and roll call or formation was few and in between and only when there was something of very high importance to be discussed. I am not saying that we should not be following regulations but it needs to be tempered with who you are portraying and what theater of operations you are in.

=GG=

 

[Edward]

I agree, a 500 pound paratrooper doesn't fit in. But for rear area types there are a lot of "big" fellows.

Scott

I do find it hilarious when I see or hear of guys doing any sort of re-enactment gong nuts about stitch for stitch clothing accuracy and then looking nothing like the part themselves. I do think it's preferable if you are going to re-enact seriously to do what fits you. Me, I plan to do a bit of Home Guard. The compromise I will have to make is my shaved head. That looks fine, I should imagine, with a lot of military looks, though it was much less common on civvie street. Actually, one major reason I prefer to remain clean-shaven is because I don't want to look like a wannabe-military type: I think I'd start to look comedy sergeant-major if I tried to grow a tache to accompany my shaven bonce (and I certainly am not going to grow the hair back).

 

[MPicciotto]

I do think it's preferable if you are going to re-enact seriously to do what fits you. Me, I plan to do a bit of Home Guard. The compromise I will have to make is my shaved head. That looks fine, I should imagine, with a lot of military looks, though it was much less common on civvie street.

If anybody asks your just a retired US Marine. Those guys never stop shaving their heads. At least 9 out of 10 that I've met.

Matt

 

[cco23i]

BUT in WW2 there were not a lot of guys with shaved heads. Heck I tried to let my hair grow (what's left) and it drove me NUTS, so I keep it military and I am happy.

Scott

 

[Gene]

BUT in WW2 there were not a lot of guys with shaved heads. Heck I tried to let my hair grow (what's left) and it drove me NUTS, so I keep it military and I am happy.

Scott

Unless they were getting deloused, which I've seen photos of more than once!

 

[Heeresbergführer]

Grüß Di' Kameraden,

The German Gebirgsjägers (mountain troops) had various forms of "Jägerbarts" (Hunter's beards) that were worn:

They even developed a special gas mask for these Jägers:

Jägerbart vor!

Patrick

 

[MikePotts]

Here's an authentic R.A.F. moustache in North Africa, I'm sure glad I inherited my mum's hair

MP

 

[Rats Riley]

I seem to find that among Indians, we're either barrel chested or thin as a rail. Very rarely is there an in between.

It's well known that among the Apache there was also the occasional mixture of Hispanic and Spanish blood. This can easily be seen sometimes. If I'm correct the plains tribes were VERY strict about mixing races?

 

[FedoraFan112390]

My Great Great Uncle (Great Grandpa's brother) during WWII:

As far as I know, he had the generally same style of mustache from well before WWII to at least the late 1950s, if not later.

A group of soldiers with my grandfather (marked as Tony), one of whom has a John Waters-esque mustache, and another who has a fuller mustache, 1942:

Later in life, ironically my grandfather would grow a Golden Era style mustache, despite being cleanshaven for most of his life: