Personal Photo- Ukraine 1942 or 43

[Sequoia]

I just became aware of this photograph yesterday. According to my mother, this is her father, my grandfather Ewald Wruk somewhere near Zhitomyr Ukraine in 1942 or 43. He was a Ukrainian born Volksdeutch civilian German Army auxiliary. I'm not sure if that's a German Army uniform or not he has on, though it appears to be. Is the vehicle some kind of Horsch? I think I can make out SS plates on it. It's entirely possible too I suppose that my mother's information is incorrect or what he told her or what either of them remembered isn't true. Any one feel qualified to comment on the clothing and/or vehicle? Thanks
 

 

 

http://s1152.photobucket.com/user/Bearkatz72017/media/Omr_zpsia9stfme.jpg.html

[Michael Emrys]

That does not look like any German uniform that I have seen. It does look like of Russian manufacture. What that might or might not imply of how he was employed I do not know. Indeed those look like SS plates on the car to me. It looks as if it were abandoned, although possibly recoverable.

Michael

Edited February 20, 2017 by Michael Emrys

[Sequoia]

He was employed just as a general laborer and interpreter.

[Michael Emrys]

14 hours ago, Sequoia said:

He was employed just as a general laborer and interpreter.

If he was not expected to be in the firing line, the Germans might well have provided him with a captured uniform. The Germans were very big on using captured equipment of all kinds wherever possible.

Michael

[c3k]

Thanks for sharing.

Agreed: it seems like a Soviet style uniform of some sort. (I'm not groggy enough to know the wide variety of belt, tunic, pants, boots and how they were issued or who used them. I've got a vague memory that a lot more than just the military were given uniforms.)