Very interesting video, please see below...

It appears to be some kind of unofficial award ceremony at 3 minutes onwards, three soldiers stand infront of a makeshift table with a draped flag as a table cloth. An officer removes a ring from his top right pocket, and proceeds to place the ring onto the finger of the soldier. A few salutes and a shot of schnapps... And the other soldiers congratulate the receiver.

Any ideas Gaspare?

I've never seen anything like it.

It almost looks like a field wedding ceremony- being away from the bride of course as he is in the service on the front. Interesting- hope someone knows

He places ring on his right hand , wedding finger is Left ?

I have a series of small photos for 'Day of the Wehmacht' and it clearly shows ring boxes on the table and something like a ring being given out to the men. The photos came with a boxed mint ring!

Also have a couple photos of some sort of Luft. ceremony and a soldier and officer looking at his ring..


This could be similar! A ring that maybe came with a award document as the soldier is signing something.. Only 3 men getting it! Could be for a custom made for the unit ring or for the Ost Front ring sometimes seen...

Great film!, Thank you so much for showing us!!

Amazing footage. I wish it was possible to see that ring. The film raises many questions but is very interesting.

About 9.20 minutes in, those look like prisoners being herded. The guy with the net on his head, presumably to keep insects off, must be a unit doctor (about 10.5 minutes in). Thanks for posting, svenga.

Check out the other videos... Hours of footage.

Glad you all enjoyed, unfortunately we will never know about the ring.

In Germany, the wedding ring is usually worn on the right hand.

Unfortunately the film is without sound but I think Mike and SpitfireVb hit the nail on the head. A far distance marriage. "Only" the groom is getting the ring (none of the other two soldiers got a ring - as they are groomesmen). Therefore the groom is signing the mariage certificate as does the officer as marriage registrar. And as Spitfire Vb stated, here are wedding rings worn on the right hand.
Regards,

Wotan,, I'd say that is the leading/best theory. Do you know if this was done when the woman was with child?


I'm pretty sure this didn't happen in the US Army WWII. [I'll try and check though ]

Hello Gaspare, I have no regulations for such far distance marriages (Ferntrauung) but I don´t think that it has been necessary that the woman did give birth to a child.
Did find https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsches_Eherecht_im_Zweiten_Weltkrieg (unfortunately in German) and there is nothing mentioned of a child needed.
Concerning the "death marriage" it is right, there has been a change during the war, that a child from this alliance was necesary and only the child had the right to inherit not the wife.
Regards,

My translator actually worked good on that link !

So a good chance it was a distance marriage, child etc. Seems the SS was ok with it to..

I had asked about the US Army to a few people and just got a smile or laugh. Seems more than a few soldiers had 'war babies'. Fighting for 3 or 4 years to come home to a 'waiting' girlfriend with a new baby!

So we are left with some type of military award / unit ring or,,the absentee bride marriage ceremony.. Wish it was the first but its probably the 2nd!