>>937523439The Nazi Totenkopf was not a direct copy of the British 17th Light Dragoons’ skull and crossbones emblem. Both symbols derive from a shared European tradition of using the skull and crossbones to signify death, danger, or elite status, but their specific designs, meanings, and historical origins are distinct. The Nazi SS adopted the Totenkopf to evoke Prussian military heritage, particularly from the Hussars and Black Brunswickers, not to imitate a British regiment. The British emblem, tied to the 17th Light Dragoons and now the Royal Lancers, reflects a commemorative and honorable tradition, contrasting with the SS’s use of the symbol for intimidation and propaganda. The skull and crossbones is a universal symbol with varied applications across cultures and militaries, and reducing its use to a "rip-off" overlooks the nuanced historical traditions behind both the British and German emblems. The Nazi SS’s appropriation of the Totenkopf was a deliberate act to align with German military prestige, not British iconography, and their use of it carries a far darker legacy than the British "Death or Glory" tradition.