The Collector as Curator - Part I

CARE AND PRESERVATION OF PAPER SPECIMENS

All of our collectibles are in a state of quite aging. Certain specimens are in an accelerated state of deterioration due to poor care especially after the ownership of a veteran or noncollector. However, proper presentation and care techniques can retard the process of deterioration.

Most papers are due to self-destruct simply because of the method of manufacture...

The problem is particularly evident with paper specimens. Most papers are due to self-destruct simply because of the method of manufacture and certainly the printing papers of the Third Reich are no exception.

The subject of paper chemistry is a complex one, but it is sufficient for the purposes of this article to say that most post-Industrial Revolution papers were manufactured in an acidic process. The most common method of sizing, or rendering a paper receptive to ink, is that of alum rosin. This is a highly acidic material and is retained in the paper after manufacture. Hence the aging process acid hydrolysis is initiated and the paper commences its inevitable self- destruction.

Not surprisingly the printing papers of the Third Reich covered the full spectrum of quality from extremely poor newsprint to high grade rag papers. And all too often, despite their original quality, these paper specimens come to our collections in an advanced state of deterioration. Quite commonly these papers have been folded or creased. Depending upon the degree of deterioration, these creases if continually folded will eventually fail and separate. The entire paper is being slowly consumed by acid hydrolysis, but those cellulose fibers along the crease are particularly susceptible to failure because they are weakened during the stress of folding.

Paper is primarily an organic material and its cellulose composition renders it sensitive to many environmental influences. In particular, heat, sunlight, high relative humidity or extremely dry conditions are environmental stresses that accelerate paper degradation. An extreme example is the evidence of yellowing of modern newsprint when left for just a few hours in direct sunlight.

Frequently these collectibles have been stored for prolonged periods in hot, dry conditions. Equally harmful are the conditions of a damp basement. While our collections are housed in much more favorable conditions, we must nonetheless be cautions in our display techniques.Again, the chemistry of paper degradation is complex and still not completely understood, but is is certain that sunlight, either direct of diffused, is destructive to paper. Artificial lighting, while believed to be less harmful, is certainly no less dangerous over a prolonged period of exposure.

Sunlight causes accelerated aging in paper because of the generation of heat.

Photo degradation is another aspect of the process, but heat is known to be a primary contributor to deterioration because it evaporates imbibed moisture, a vital component in paper which bonds the fiber together. Prolonged storage in an excessively hot environment will prematurely dry a paper, cause it to yellow and fade and thus promote brittleness.

An extremely humid condition for long periods can be equally destructive. The humid climate of the Southern States is particularly troublesome. Unconditioned basement storage in any climate can produce the same results. High relative humidity promotes rapid mold growth, corrodes metal attachments and staples and further accelerates the phenomenon of acid hydrolysis.The problem of mold growth on paper, a condition referred to by paper conservationists as foxing, is most common with antique papers from ca. 1800 on. It is caused by mold spores present in the paper stock from the time of its manufacture.. Most often the condition of foxing is initiated by high relative humidity and results in brown blemishes on the paper' surface.

While all of this may seem at the least very distressing, a collection can be preserved and further deterioration arrested with some simple conservation techniques. Make certain that all display area windows are well shaded during daylight hours. Some blinds significantly reduce sunlight. Artificial lighting ought to be diffused and muted. Lights should be turned off when the room is not in use. It is particularly important to note that many papers contain dyestuffs and colorants which are not lightfast. Even the briefest exposure to direct sunlight is known to fade the dyes contained in paper award packets. Further, it is not recommended to illuminate a paper artifact with a display lamp. Such exposure will fade printing and writing inks.

Archivists discourage the use of clear plastic enclosures for storage of any paper artifacts.

Many collectors have no alternative but to display and store their collections in basements. In such cases a dehumidifier is highly recommended particularly if the residence is in a humid climate. Museum and archive conditions are typically 50% RH at 70 degrees Farenheit and paper is believed to be quite stabile in this environment. While museum conditions are not practical for a residence, it is recommended that approximate values of 65% RH and 70 degrees be maintained. Certainly no conditions are absolute, whether the collection is stored in a archive or a residence, but a consistent environment is critical. Likewise, a humidifier can restore a favorable ambient environment under dry climatic conditions.

The proper handling of paper is imperative.

The perspiration from our hands is acidic and frequent handling can promote further damage. Wash and dry your hands well before handling paper artifacts. This diminishes smudging also.

Use caution when lifting a paper specimen.

Careless handling can cause an already weakened paper to tear particularly at folds or creases. Store your paper documents flat and unfolded. The absolute protection from a purist's view point is to store the document between two slightly larger sheets of acid-free alkaline sized, white cotton fiber blotter paper. . In the ideal condition, storage materials (Le., envelopes, file folders) should comply with the archival specifications of the Library of Congress and the National Archives. This may not be practical for all collections but should be considered for particularly rare specimens. Such conservation quality storage materials, envelopes and file folders are not difficult to acquire commercially. Consult a familiar museum or archive on the sources of such materials.

Not that the aged condition of our collections is distressing enough, but now the additional threat of urban atmospheric pollution has caused concern among paper conservationists. The burning of fossil fuels has rapidly created the condition of acid rain. Urban environments in particular are high in sulfur dioxide, a corrosive gas which is already absorbed into the paper. In many European cities the problem is alarming. Again, proper storage materials can retard the process of deterioration. Archive quality file folders, storage envelopes and enclosures will provide satisfactory protection against the polluting effects or urban environments.

Archivists discourage the use of clear plastic enclosures for the storage of any paper artifacts. Many of these materials are not chemically inert and can degrade over time thus damaging a paper document. Too often a paper will adhere to plastic, either from static electricity or from attraction to oiled surfaces, thereby making removal of the specimen difficult. Surface dirt and grit, although minute, are extremely abrasive and will harm" a paper's surface. This is particularly true in the case of photograph storage.

...framing of paper ought to be a cautious procedure.

Many collectors have chosen to frame certain items. While this makes a handsome display, the framing of paper ought to be a cautious procedure. Most mat boards are highly acidic in themselves. Over time and in the presence of heat, sunlight and humidity the acidic materials in the paper mat will be absorbed into the subject article. This phenomenon is know as acid migration or print bunzing. Make certain that your framer uses genuine archival framing techniques. These methods and materials are also prescribed by the National Archives and mats and mounting boards should be acid-free, conservation quality. The buffing of the paper board with calcium carbonate by the manufacturer is a method that renders the framing of storage materials resistant to acid degradation.

A paper specimen should never be pressed directly into contact with the framing glass. If condensed moisture is present inside the frame the artifact may rapidly exhibit foxing or possibly stain from water damage.

It is certain that these paper artifacts will continue to selfdestruct...

Paper making has always been a complex process. All papers are manufactured to certain exact specifications and certainly this was common to the paper products produced by the Third Reich. This explains the uniformity in certain types of specimens, particularly award documents, although other types of paper for specific applications show common properties. It is probable that such printing papers for military correspondence, award documents or letterhead for high officials, for example, were produced to given specifications. This was no doubt the case during the early years of the Third Reich, although no substantive period data has surfaced to confirm this. It is also likely that shortages from the worsening wartime conditions forced Third Reich authorities to procure paper products from the inventories of occupied countries. This may help to explain the extreme variation in quality in certain papers for specific applications. What is known, however, is that the European paper makers of the 1933-1945 period produced an acidic product and that these papers are not a permanent, durable material. Few period specimens exhibit the quality of permanency.

It is certain that these paper artifacts will continue to self- destruct unless properly cared for. Frequent inspection for signs of distress is highly recommended. Ultimately it is within the judgment of the collector to determine the condition and quality of the specimen and its appropriate care. Preservation techniques are simple, a collection can still be displayed and the integrity of the artifact will be preserved.

Author's note The care of photographic materials is a subject in itself. The most important consideration with photographs is the image emulsion and its response to environmental stresses. Photographic negatives too, must have special care. A follow-up article is planned to discuss this subject.

Alden W. Hamilton, "The collector as Curator - Part I", Der Gauleiter, 1990

Marketing Militaria on the Web

"You can have the slickest web site on earth, with the greatest militaria ever seen, but if no one can find it, it don't mean dick!" *

Most knowledgable militaria dealers and collectors (...who know all the originals from the fakes; can quote the value of every piece to the penny, and know how to drive to every show in the country without a map) know zip when it comes to marketing on the net. To them, their web site is just a side line to their main business of buying and selling in person or on the phone. This is unfortunate because they are missing out on the greatest marketing tool since George Washington invented the dollar bill.

Don't get me wrong, I think every dealer should have a web site. It should provide basic info on the dealer such as his address and phone number, how he does business and what he deals in. And, he should offer some of his militaria on the site as well. This gives the dealer a "web presence" which is good P.R..

Building a web site is easy. If it's a simple one you might be able to do it yourself. If it's going to be more complicated, there are thousands of individuals and companies eager for your business. Either way, creating a web site and getting it up, is a real no-brainer.

Here's a typical scenario of what happens next.

Ok, let's say you've built your web site and it's up and running. Now what? You have to get the word out. So you email all your collector buddies and customers and tell them about it. You also trade links with some other sites. Maybe run an ad or two. Then you sit and wait... For the first couple of weeks you get quite a few "hits" as collectors look to see what you have. Then you notice that slowly you are getting less and less traffic, until finally, it drops off to a trickle. It doesn't always happen like this, only about 99% of the time.

What now? You're not getting any NEW customers. Why? The site is running; you've got great stuff for sale and besides, you're a nice guy... So why are things so slow? If you're imaginative at all, the next thing you do is check to see if people can find your site. So, you go to the search engines and start typing in search terms like , militaria, Nazi, Reich, daggers etc. etc. Each time you get a list of sites and you start looking down the list for your web site. After you get to about page 150 you figure that this is a waste of time. You can't find your site anywhere. Oh, it's there alright, probably buried down around page 1,243.... Great! What the heck good is that??? Answer: none. Research has shown that most people, after doing a search, will only look at the first few pages of sites. If you're site isn't on the first 3 or 4 pages, forget it! Hardly anyone is going to find you. And if you're buried down on page 1,243, you'll be lucky if you get a hit once every 10 years! (I've looked at all the militaria sites that are on the first couple of pages of results, using the most common search terms in our hobby. For the most part they are "grandfathered in". Which means they are there because they have been up so long, not beause they are doing anything magic... Search engines reward longevity.) Of course, your new site has none...

So, as things now stand, you have a shiny new web site, all your friends and old customers know about it and buy something occasionally. But, you're getting little or no new business. This sucks! You've spent money building this site; you're paying each month to host the darn thing; You spent a lot of time designing it and trying to make that stupid computer guy understand what you want. And for what? The business just ain't there. What should you do?

In order to get customers to the site you will have to do some "web promotion". Now, from what I've seen, most militaria sites mainly do this by trading links with their buddies. This works and will bring in some new customers. So, you sit at the computer for hours searching out good militaria sites which have a lot of links and you send them a nicely worded email offering a link trade. You get "some" responses and a few trades and you're off! Somewhat....

But still, thinking about those serach engines bugs you! You want YOUR site to be on the first couple of pages when people serach for your kind of militaria. The question is... How do you get there? Now the real fun starts.

Getting position on search engines is an art, as well as a science. The more heavily a category is represented on the net, the more difficult it is to "massage" the search engines to your benifit. There are bigger categories, but believe me, "militaria" is big enough.

Going into detail on how to make your site "search engine friendly" is beyond the scope of this little article, so I'll keep it short. First you have to "know" what to do. Then you have to do it. Every day you will need to work on the site. Checking your stats to see what collectors are searching for and "tweeking" the site to take advantage. Adding new content constantly. Seach engines don't like sites with stale information. You should add features to your site, like this blog, a newsletter, or a militaria forum, to help generate new content. You even need to go so far as to make sure certain characters don't appear in any of the URLs on your site, because they can lower your search engine rating! The "tweeking" can get into some very detailed work. And it goes on and on.... You don't just do these things once and forget it. You have to do them every day to keep on top of things. It takes time... and more time.

You can hire one of those so-called "web promotion companies" who promise to get you on a slew of search engines. They'll do just that, get your site on dozens of search engines... on page 1,243, or 1,242 if you're lucky. And besides most of those search engines don't mean a thing. There are only a hand full that are important. These "services" are a waste of money. You're really on your own.

So, in conclusion, if you spend time studying how the net works; improving and maintaining your site daily; constantly adding new content; massaging the search engines for advantage; and doing all those other little fun things that are required... you will have a successful militaria web site. Of course, you won't have time left to buy or sell any militaria.

Bob Treend

* An old saying I just made up. B.T.

Introduction to the Reich Diplomatic Service

The Reich Foreign Office

Because of the complexities brought about by the governmental structure, the interrelationship between independent ministers, and the virtually identical cut and style of the uniforms worn by the various officials; a precise understanding of the uniforms is difficult at best.

Jill Halcomb was the first to tackle this subject in her book, "Uniforms and Insignia of the German Foreign Office and German Ministries, 1938-1945". Had it not been for this work, the work that follows would have been similar to attempting to put together a picture puzzle without the picture as a guide. The uniform regulations provided by Otto Sponk concerning officials of the foreign office and the ministries were invaluable in' piecing together the intricacies among these organizations. However, these very regulations made the task, at times, even more difficult.

Selection of word description, where colors in particular were concerned, only tended to confuse the issue. For example, there was a fine-line distinction between the color black and the midnight-blue; dark brown brings to mind a chocolatebrown whereas in fact it was simply a basic brown; medium brown was more of a tan; field-grey ranged from basic grey to a brownish-grey or "earth-grey"; silver and gold referred to a color only, with silver usually being aluminum wire or silvergrey thread and gold being metallic wire or yellow Celleon; orange-brown was one of the most accurate (besides black) colors used. It is interesting to note that a concerted effort was made not to have a color in conflict with the brown color of the NSDAP, yet this orange-brown was very similar

A very basic means to define colors relative to organizations is to remember that after Hitler's visit to Rome in May 1938, and the subsequent regulations dated 30 March 1939, wear of the black uniform was restricted to the career diplomats of the foreign office, the navy-blue was worn by diplomatic and government officials (to include those assigned on temporary duty in Eastern and Western Occupied Territories), and the brown was worn by those officials assigned outside the borders of the Reich.Some other peculiarities regarding uniforms are:

1. Collar piping was not worn by career diplomats of the foreign office. It was worn by officials (except where restricted for the lowest ranks) and selected ministers.

2. Initially the buttons for all organizations were the national emblem over the oakleaves. However, when the button with the national emblem over the globe was introduced, this was restricted solely to career diplomats of the foreign office, while the earlier button was worn by all officials.

3. For a period of time previously utilized uniforms and insignia were worn simultaneously with newly introduced uniforms and insignia.

German Diplomatic History and Organization

The Reichsministry for Foreign Affairs (Reichsministerium des Auswartigen) was first established in 1871 as the Foreign Office for the newly established German Reich (Deutsches Reich) after the War of 1870/71.

The principle of "Power Politics" was established in 1866 with the defeat of Austria by Prussia. The War of 1870/71 was merely an extension of this principle in Prussia's effort at territorial expansionism. The period 1891-1900 was one of considerable overseas territorial acquisition. To 1918 there was also a massive immigration from Eastern countries to Germany to augment the waning labor pool.

With the legal election of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party in 1933 many could see the inevitability of conflict. Hitler had developed his revolutionary theories, and expounded them in his work "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle). In this work he laid the framework for "Aryan supremacy" and "Lebensraum" (living space)-both concepts wrought with conflict where Germany's neighbors were concerned. There was to develop a parallel between Germany's internal and external policies under the Nazis. This parallelism of Prussia-Germany was merged with the militaristic flavor for expansion. Hitler's own concepts in these regards allowed for the successful combination of all the necessary ingredients for territorial conflict.

Rosenberg summed up the Nazi attitude by stating" "We want to support nationism...only in those nations whose fateful developments, we believe, will not come into conflict with the views of interest of the German people... We observe that under the slogan of self-determination of nations all valueless elements could ask for freedom. All this does not concern us at all or only in so far as a farsighted German policy can use it for strengthening Germandom and the German people." The diplomatic die under the Nazis was now cast!

Shortly after his appointment as Hitler's Foreign Minister in 1938, von Ribbentrop instituted a series of internal changes in the structure of the Foreign Ministry. What evolved were two distinct groups of functionaries serving "under the same roof," but serving two different masters.

Since the government officials' duties were totally unrelated to foreign affairs, and were specifically concerned with internal government administration, and ultimately the Minister of the Interior. This situation was allowed to develop as a result of a law passed on 30 January 1934 promulgating the reconstruction of Germany. This law called for the abolition of the various state elective bodies, the transferal of sovereign power to Hitler, the subordination of the state governments to that of the Government of the German Reich, and control of the various Reich Governors (Reichsstatthalter) being placed in the hands of the Minister of the Interior.

The German policy of "equality of rights" (also addressed as "parity of rights") was largely aimed at the restrictive limitations imposed by the Versailles Treaty restricting Germany to a 100,000 man army, denying large-scale munitions and arms production, etc. Germany could not plan for expansion without the necessary military means to achieve these ends. On 16 March 1935 Germany initiated military conscription. In 1936 Germany embarked on the road to expansionism through force of arms when her army marched into the French-held Saar area of the Rhineland-an act that was preceded by a "legal plebiscite." In March 1938 German military forces marched into Austria, and in October, Czechoslovakia came under German control. On 1 September 1939, in a grave miscalculation, Hitler launched the world into world war with the invasion of Poland.

Leading up to this final act of what Hitler thought was to be the "legal" German expansionism were a series of diplomatic agreements and treaties. The German Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, traveled to Moscow to enter into a secret agreement with the Soviets that was to result in the partition of Poland. At this time a nonaggression pact was signed between Germany and the Soviet Union. In June 1941 Hitler ignored the treaty by sending his military forces across the borders of Russia. It is interesting to note that every single country invaded by Hitler had either a nonaggression pact or an assurance of peaceful intentions on the part of Germany.

With the invasion of Poland, parts of that country were incorporated into the German "Greater Reich," and the remainder established as the "Generalgovernement of Poland." As Germany expanded outward, the newly acquired conquered countries were governed as "Occupied Territories." The professional diplomats in their black or, during the war, also field-grey uniforms, and the political government officials in the orange-brown spread out among the countries of Europe and the Soviet Union. In some cases they worked closely with the pro-German leaders of these countries-Quisling in Norway and Mussert in Holland to name but two.

In 1938 Hitler made sweeping changes to the hierarchy of the diplomatic corps of the Foreign Ministry. The then Foreign Minister, Constantin von Neurath, was replaced by Joachim von Ribbentrop, Ambassador to London. He recalled the ambassadors to Rome (von Hassell), Tokyo (von Dirksen) and Vienna (von Papen), but permitted them to be retained "for further disposal of the foreign office." Von Neurath was appointed as the Ambassador to Rome. On 4 February 1938 a "secret council" (Geheimer Kabinettsrat) at the cabinet level was established to provide Hitler with consultation for foreign affairs. The council, however, never performed a duty. It was one more of many well-named institutions created by Hitler that were without real functions. Hitler maintained direct control over the Auswartiges Amt (Foreign Office) via von Ribbentrop.

What had been presumed to be a harmless show of diplomacy in the establishment of the Rome-Berlin axis was to later draw Hitler down into the quagmire of military misadventures. This was expanded on when Japan joined into the "Pact of Steel," which brought Germany into direct confrontation with the United States. Following the outbreak of the war, the question arises as to why government officials were found in the remote areas of the occupied territories. The logical progression in Hitler's scheme of conquest was that when the Wehrmacht had crossed the borders of a country, and that country had fallen victim of conquest, that country, in effect, became a state added to the Greater German Reich or to its "Sphere of influence," while nominally still "independent." As such, the country ceased to exist as a foreign power, and had no right to diplomatic recognition. As an "Ausland" state, it was administered in part by government officials.

There was an absolute distinction between the Reichsministry for Foreign Affairs and the Reichsministry of the Interior. The former was responsible for all activities outside the borders of the Greater German Reich, while the latter was responsible for all activities within those borders. However, there will be a crossover discussion regarding the officials of the Reichsminister of the Interior since those officials wore nearly identical uniforms as those of the diplomatic officials.

John R. Angolia: "In the Service of the Reich", R. James Bender Publishing, 1995

Bender-Publishing.com

SA Dagger Trademarks

Quite often, while engaged in my favorite pastime, I would notice the description "rare" or "unusual maker" applied to early S.A. daggers. It got to the point that every other dagger I ran across was classified as having a rare maker mark. "They can't all be that rare." I thought to myself.

Time went by and curiosity finally got the better of me. Just who were the "rare" makers and how many makers were there anyway? I decided to do a frequency study of early SA. daggers. That is, I wanted to examine a large random sample of S.A. daggers and tally how many of each manufacturer were encountered.

The first thing I needed was a large sample of early SA. daggers.

I was thinking along the lines of 500 to 1000 daggers to get a good grasp of just what a rare trademark really was. This was no easy task. I could have grabbed the catalogs from three or four auction houses and ten or twelve dealer lists and gone from there, but I didn't like this idea for a number of reasons. For instance, dealer A has had several Eickhorn daggers on his last three lists. Are they the same ones going unsold month after month, or are they fresh ones each month? What about dealer E, does he really know daggers well enough to tell the good from the bad? I needed more consistency and control in my sample set. I decided to rely strictly on the S.A. daggers offered for sale in the catalogs from a single source. This source has been around for a long time, has a good turnover and I would be able to get a large sample. I examined catalogs from the mid- 1980's to present and my sample accounted for 610 daggers. I did not tally Rohm Honor daggers or N.S.K.K. daggers (even though the early ones started out as S.A.'s). I did not tally dagger blades offered as parts or R.Z.M. marked pieces... strictly early SA. enlisted model daggers.

Please keep in mind several things. This study in no way is an indication of how many daggers were manufactured by specific makers, but only what is available for sale in the American market place.

While most of the blade making was concentrated around Solingen, other areas of Germany were also represented. My study showed that 6 out of 610 daggers encountered were attributed to Raco in Berlin. Is this because Raco was a small Mom and Pop operation or because most of the area encompassed by the Berlin SA. Group fell into Soviet hands?

Photographic evidence from the period indicates Soviet soldiers were just as fond of souvenir daggers as American GJ.'s. I would wager that in terms of numbers manufactured, Raco produced daggers were not as rare as one might believe. Aesculap was located in the city of Tuttlingen which was in the confines of SA. Group Southwest. It is as common a maker as Eickhorn or Pack and is nearly always found with a "Sw" group mark on the crossguard. My point is that S.A. groups would use locally produced daggers, if available, and that manufacturing centers that fell behind the Iron Curtain (Berlin, Suhl, etc.) may not show the frequency in American markets that they should, in terms of numbers manufactured.I would like to offer a few closing observations.

This list does not contain the name of every maker of early S.A. daggers known to exist. New trademarks are constantly being added to the list as they "pop up" and I would estimate that there are at least two dozen more that do not appear in my survey, Thse would have to be considered very scarce indeed. My study certainly shows that unusual makers greatly outnumber the common ones. There seems to be only a handful of makers with 15 or more tallies. Lastly, some makers that we would expect to be common (Alcoso, WKC, etc.,) were actually quite scarce. Fascinating isn't it?

Aesculap 30

Alcoso 1

Asso 7

F.W. Backhaus 5

Julius Bahrl, Jr. 1

Rich. Balke & Sohn 1

Fritz Barthelmess 6

Gebr. Becker 1

Gebr. Bell 5

Carl Bender 1

Gebr. Berns 1

Hugo Berns 1

August Bickel 17

Bismark 3

Gebr. Bohme 3

Bontgen & Sabin 4

Gebr. Born 2

Christianswerk 4

Chromolit 1

Clemens & Jung 1

F. Dick 17

J. Dirlam & Sohn 1

J.E. Dittert 1

Albert Dorschel 2

Paul Ebel 3

Carl Eickhorn 34

Eppenstein 6

G. Felix Gloriawerk 2

Friedrich Geigis 1

Ed. Gembruch 1

Rob Giersch 2

Giesen & Forsthoff 3

Gebr. Grafrath 3

Ernst Grah 1

Greinhold Grah 1

R. Haastert & Bull 2

Haco 6

Haenel 14

Gustav Haker 6

Wilh. Halbach 1

Hammesfahr Cie 12

Rich & E. Hartkoop 1

Carl Heindelberg 2

J.A. Henckels 10

Gebr. Heller 32

Paul A. Henckels 1

Henkel & Muller 1

Herbeck & Meyer 2

Herbetz & Meurer 6

F. Herder 17

H. Herder 3

Robert Herder 2

Gottfried Hoppe & Sohne 1

E. & F. Horster 3

C.F. Kayser 1

Ernst Kemper 1

Klittermann & Moog 2

Aug. Knecht 1

Jacobs 3

Kaufmann & Sohne 6

Wilh. Kober 19

Paul Kohl 1

Fr. V.D. Kohlen 2

Hugo Koller 7

Herrn. Konejung 7

Kolum Buswerk Eduard Becker 2

Pet. Dan Krebs 1

Carl Julius Krebs 13

Wilh. Krieger 1

Gebr. Krumm 2

Krusius 6

H & F Lauterjung 1

Leuco 2

c.R. Linder 4

Hugo Linder 6

Peter Lungstrass 3

E. Luttges & Co. 2

MaIsch & Ambronn 4

Karl MaIsch Steinbach 2

Aug. MaIsch Fr. Sohn 1

Carl Aug. Meis 2

Mav. & Vom Hau 1

Albert Mebus 1

Melzer & Feller 1

August Merten 4

Gottfried Muller 10

Josef Munch 2

Fred Neuhaus 4

F. Ed. Ohliger 1

Julius Ohliger 2

E. Pack & Sohne 32

Pfeilringwerk 1

Puma 6

Hugo Rader 2

Wilh. Kober 19

Paul Kohl 1

Fr. V.D. Kohlen 2

Hugo Koller 7

Herrn. Konejung 7

Kolum Buswerk Eduard Becker 2

Pet. Dan Krebs 1

Carl Julius Krebs 13

Wilh. Krieger 1

Gebr. Krumm 2

Krusius 6

H & F Lauterjung 1

Leuco 2

C.R. Linder 4

Hugo Linder 6

Peter Lungstrass 3

E. Luttges & Co. 2

MaIsch & Ambronn 4

Karl MaIsch Steinbach 2

Aug. MaIsch Fr. Sohn 1

Carl Aug. Meis 2

Mav. & Vom Hau 1

Albert Mebus 1

Melzer & Feller 1

August Merten 4

Gottfried Muller 10

Josef Munch 2

Fred Neuhaus 4

F. Ed. Ohliger 1

Julius Ohliger 2

E. Pack & Sohne 32

Pfeilringwerk 1

Puma 6

Hugo Rader 2

J. Reuleaux 1

Kuno Ritter 3

Roma (Romi?) 1

Romuso 1

August Rother 1

J.P. Sauer & Sohn 15

Eugene Schidt 1

Jos. Schlimbach 1

Carl Schmidt Sohn 5

J.A. Schmidt & Sohn 1

Rudolf Schmidt 1

Freidr. Aug. Schmitz 2

Hermann Schneider 1

Abr. Schnitter 1

E. Schrick & Sohn 1

Neidhardt & Schmidt 3

Paul Seilheimer 7

Otto Simon 1

SMF 8

Spateneder Munchen 4

Gustav C. Spitzer 6

Karl Spitzer Maisch 1

Franz Steinhoff 2

Sudd Messer Fabrik 1

Tiger 6

Undine 2

Justin Uswerk 5

Adolf Volker 5

Emil Voss 1

Gustav Voss 1

F. von Brosy Steinberg 1

Waffenhammer Deggendorf 1

Wagner & Lange 7

Gottfried Weyersburg 1

Gust. Weyersburg 1

Max Weyersburg 3

Reinh. Weyersburg 1

Anton Wingen 10

Gustav Wirth 4

WKC 2

Carl Wusthof 9

Ed. Wusthof 19

John Paul Huff, "S.A. Dagger Trademarks", DER GAULEITER, 1993

The Luftwaffe Flying Suit

Three major variations of the Luftwaffe Flying Suit were in service: a lightweight summer suit for all terrain, a suitfor winter over land and a suit for winter over sea.

The light-weight summer Flying Suit was in a tan material and worn directly over the Flight Blouse and pants. Officers and NCOs utilized the ranking system below and on the next two pages. The double wing and bar system was white (yellow for generals) on a tan base for this suit and worn on both arms. Enlisted men wore no rank designation on their Flying Suit. An unlined flying helmet was worn with this suit.

The winter Flying Suit for flights over land was more heavily constructed with a cotton or fleece lining. It was in either a tan, darkblue or dark grey material with its rank insignia being white (yellow for generals) on its appropriate base color.

The winter Flying Suit for flights over sea was again heavily constructed, but of brown or black leather and cotton or fleece lined. Its rank insignia was white (yellow for generals) on a thin brown or black leather base. Lined flying helmets were worn with the two winter suits.

For operations in extreme cold, an electrically heated suit, gloves and foot coverings were worn over the Flight Blouse and pants, and under the Flight Suit.

Roger James Bender: "Air Organizations of the Third Reich-The Luftwaffe", 1972.

R. James Bender Publishing