A Museum Visit

The Royal Museum of the Army and Military History of Belgium, was created in 1910 at the Abbaye de la Cambre. The museum moved into the Palais du Cinquantenaire in 1923. It is potentially the richest in the world, extending far beyond National military history. A library with a total of 450,000 volumes is open to the public.

Hall of Arms and Armor: A splendid display of 11C- 18C weapons and late 15C-17C amour of the Archduke Albert (1599) Also an astonishing child’s suit of armor (16C) which belonged to Joseph-Ferdinand of Bavaria, the son of the Governor of the Netherlands.

General Antique Era Collections: Housed under the quadriga of the archways in a long room resembling a vaulted cellar, this varied collection consists of some 300 items of military headgear (pre-Revolutionary France. England, Germany, Russia, Belgium, French First Empire, Second Empire and Restoration), 600 sabers and swords, as well as First Empire uniforms and musical instruments.

The Age of Empires (1750-1815): Various souvenirs evoke the French period, particularly the Battle of Waterloo. A portrait of Napoleon is attributed to Jacques-Louis David.

1831-1914: This room contains the essence of the museum’s collections; the disparate display shows the development of the Belgian army’s uniform, the Civil Guard, the Belgian Royal Navy, long-distance expeditions, and the Belgian voluntary overseas service, from Congo to Pekin, Mexico, headgear and equipment from the war of 1870, Personal effects (clothing and decorations) of Belgium’s first two kings, Leopold I and Leopold II.

The Great War 1914-18: This new room displays various uniforms, weapons, helmets and military relics from everyday life, from all the armed forces that at fought in the First World War.

Tanks and Artillery are displayed in abundance, and range from the earliest examples to modern equipment.

Second World War: WW2 is barely mentioned in their promotions, however it is very well represented. The displays include many rare items from Germany's Third Reich Wehrmacht.

The Air and Space section: It includes some 150 aircraft, dominated by a Sabena Caravelle; the collection consists principally of fighter aircraft, of which 70 are on display. On the ground floor are fighter-bombers, and propeller and supersonic aircraft including the following: a British Spitfire (1943 – the most famous), a 1945 Havilland Mosquito and a 1951 Meteor; an American Douglas DC3 “Dakota” , a Fairchild C119, a 1950 Sabre, and a 1958 Phantom; a Soviet Mig, and a Fouga Magister. The gallery mainly features a par­ticularly fine collection of First World War aircraft; a copy of Baron Manfred von Richthofen’s German Fokker, a British Bristol, a Caudron, a Maurane-Saulnier, a Schreck, a Span, a French Voisin and many more rare aircraft.

Charles Warriner, "A Museum Visit", Militaria Blog, 2009

German Fireman Siderams

From the days of Imperial Germany to the Third Reich, the German Feuerwehr (Fireman) have had an edged weapons to wear. The German Fire Department was a para-military organization which had ranks of officers and enlisted personnal.

For the most part, the design of the edged weapons of the Fireman remained unchanged throughout the period of the Imperial and Third Reich eras. Until the early 1930's the enlisted man would wear a sidearm which was designed as Model No. 64 by the WKC Waffenfabrik works, and Models No. 916 and 743 by the Eickhorn Firm.

These sidearms were made with a saw-edged blade and were considered as a functional tool for the fireman. Manufacturere other than WKC and Eickhorn probably made this type of sidearm, however, with the exception of the manufacturer's number, they would be of the same design.

The enlisted fireman had a new design of sidearm in the Third Reich period. This pattern was more like the bayonet design and was available in two blade lengths, with or without the saw-edged blade. These sidearms were more of a dress bayonet than a tool for the Fireman. Many manufacturers made this pattern of sidearm, and they are listed in almost every German edged weapons catalog of this period.

Unlike the enlisted sidearm, the Fire Officer's dagger made little if any change through the span form Imperial to Nazi days. The manufacturers of these daggers did not vary their patterns and even the blade engraving was unually standard. These daggers were available in two types of finishes, gilt and silver.

In the early Eickhorn catalogs, and the later Eickhorn Kundendienst catalog, the model number of the dagger (Eickhorn Model No. 42) did not change on the Fire Officer's dagger.

One of the unique sidearms of the Fire Department was the darss ax (Beile). These edged weapons appeared late in the Imperial period and did not become popular until the twenty's and later in the Nazi era. In the 1927 Eickhorn catalog there are ten dress axes listed for the fireman. They range from an extremely elaborate engraved in silver or gold (Models No. 339, 195 and 932) to the plain nickle-plated versions such as No. 709 and 925. The 1927 wholesale prices of the axes varied from $1.59 for the plain models to $6.69 for the deluxe engraved patterns.

On many of the dress fire axes, there was a plate which could be used for a name or even a dedication. Most of the axes found today by the collector do not have anything engraved on these plates. On rare occasion, however, one is found with a dedication.

Some of these dress axes were carried through to the Third Reich period. The 1938 Eickhorn Kundendienst catalog lists some of the models as available in their 1927 catalog. These were numbers 728, 915, 926 and 924. The other models were apparently dropped from production in the Nazi years.

The Eickhorn Company seems to have been one of the few firms to have produced the Firman's ax, as catalogs of other manufactureres studied by the author did not list them.

The fireman's saber made only slight changes between the Imperial and Nazi era. Early Imperial sabers were of the basic army pattern with a "D" type guard and fishskin-wrapped grip. The blades were occasionally engraved with the traditional fire ax and helmet or the fire ladder, with scrollwork around the edges of the etched panel. In most cases, this engraving was an enlarged version of the pattern on the Fire Officer's dagger. Deluxe pattern sabers were of the lion-head style with the fire department crosse-axes and helmet cast into the longet. The hilts were usually silver plating, as were the leather scabbard fittings.

When the Nazis came to power, the Fire Department, previously under local and individual state control fell under the jurisdiction of the National Fire Service, which eventually came under the power of the SS.

Until 1936 the Fire Department saber made little if any changes in design, with the exception of a plastic or celluloid wrapped girp instead of the earlier fishskin pattern. After 1936, the Fire Officer's and NCO's could wear the standard police sword with the police eagle and swastika mounted in the grip. However, this was not mandatory and the Fire Department personnel purchased their own pattern sabers for a dress sidearm.

The Carl Eickhorn Company listed the standard Army saber, with a gilt hilt for both Fire and Police Officers (Model No. 40 in the Eickhorn Kundendienst catalog). Other manufacturers also made the German Army saber in either a solid brass hilt, silver plated, or with a gilt plating for Police and Fire officers. In most cases the Fire Department sabers were offered with a leather scabbard rather than the army pattern metal versions.

Ron G. Hickox, "Daggers and Sidearms of the German Fire Department", Military Collector's News, 1974

German War Booty

Formal Award Document Cases of Knight's Crosses Awarded to Luftwaffe Generalmajor Dietrich Peltz. The case on the right is for the Knight's Cross with oakleaves, the case on the left is for the Knight's cross, while the case in the lower center is for the Knight's Cross with oak leaves and swords. All three cases are in mint condition and, most likely, represent the best condition set to survive the war!

Ultra-Rare Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds. Only 27 of these crosses were awarded to veterans of the Legion Condor, making it one of the rarest Third Reich decorations. This item was veteran acquired by Ohio collector Jason P. Burmeister.

The Three Daggers of the Deutsche Wehrmacht. Luftwaffe, Marine and Heer. Each unissued dagger is complete with it's Eickhorn-marked paper issue bag and metal Eickhorn issue tag. Note that the model numbers on the bottom of the bags match the numbers shown in the Eickhorn Kundendienst sales catalog.

This mint-condition artillery standard was veteran acquired by Ohio collector Jason P. Burmeister. These artifacts are highly desirable because of their rarity and the quality workmanship. This standard is constructed of red silk flag cloth with silver bullion embroidery and fringe.

Heinrich Himmler's SS identity card #168 designating Himmler as the Reichsfuhrer-SS. The card is hand signed on the reverse by Hitler.

Thomas M. Johnson, "World War II German War Booty - Vol. III", Author Published, 1998

johnsonreferencebooks.com

Collecting News Items

These news items appeared in newpapers/magazines recently. See if you can seperate the fact from the fiction.....

Nazi memorabilia secures auction best sale in five years

By Charlotte Bailey, 28 Oct 2008

A rare collection of Nazi memorabilia, including a death head ring owned by Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler, has helped an auction house to secure its best sale in five years.

Jonathan Humbert, of Northamptonshire-based J.P.Humbert Auctioneers, said his three-day sale which included the controversial items, raised a total of £90,000.

The death head ring itself sold for £2,200 and a selection of Nazi daggers and swords fetched hammer prices of £200 to £800. A Nazi pin badge made as much as £180.

Mr Humbert said they also sold an original 8ft by 4ft Nazi war ensign from Second World War German pocket battleship The Admiral Graf Spee, for £550.

He said that Nazi items had poured into the auction house following a recent sale which included a range of Nazi goods recovered from a council house clearance.

He said that the popularity of the collection had surprised him.

"I was quite surprised, especially as some items sold to within the room. That's very rare, usually people bid over the phone for these kind of things.

"Some people say it's disgusting to sell this stuff, but my view is that they are all a part of our recent social history and they belong in museums.

"A lot of the people at our sales are private collectors interested in preserving the history and I don't see any harm in that."

Mr Humbert said the huge sale prices showed the value of investing in antiques or "chattels" rather than financial institutions.

He said: "For all the doom and gloom about the global economic meltdown and recession the money is still there and people are still buying.

"It also shows that people have got to look outside of the box when investing their money.

"If people have got money to invest why put £500 into the bank and have zip to show for it.

"Buying a genuine antique is probably a safer bet at the moment."

Nazimemorabilia fetches £2,500

By Donna Bowater, 27 September 2008

Nazi memorabilia found in a Northamptonshire council house has fetched more than £2,500 at auction.

The two lots, including an officer's cap adorned with a swastika that went for £1,200 and Nazi weapons, which were sold for £1,400, were auctioned at the first sale at JP Humbert's new showroom in Towcester.

The war-time collection found among an extensive military hoard attracted phone bidders from America and Japan on day one of the two-day sale but was eventually sold to a UK bidder for a private collection.

Jonathan Humbert, of JP Humbert Auctioneers, said: "It was double what we were expecting. It's quite a niche market and it's not everyone's cup of tea.

"The people who buy such items will buy into that blackest period of humanity and that can give people a bit of a thrill to have a real item that was there in the '30s or '40s."

Treasure hunters come to Keokuk, Iowa

By Steve Dunn, Friday, January 23, 2009

Tri-State Area residents brought jewelry, a plate and Nazi memorabilia from World War II and other items to the Treasure Hunters Roadshow at the Holiday Inn Express in Keokuk Thursday in hopes of finding a treasure.

“The number (of locals) has been a little slower than we'd like to see, but things are picking up,” said Manager Kristie Stoneking as Treasure Hunters Roadshow staff members looked over a variety of items.

The event continues until 6 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

On average, 100 to 150 people attend the Treasure Hunters Roadshow a day and wait 15 to 30 minutes to have their coins, toys, dolls, gold and silver jewelry, costume jewelry, musical instruments, war memorabilia, swords, knives, daggers and other items appraised by antique and collectible experts.

Joe Kraus's 1945 Nazi flag received favorable comments from The Treasure Hunters Roadshow's Patty Jayne. Kraus of Keokuk got the flag in Cologne, Germany, in 1945 while serving in the U.S. Army. Since then, the flag has been kept in a wooden box.

Jayne and Stoneking agreed the flag could be worth up to $200 because it's in relatively good condition. Kraus's collection also included a shoulder pin, a World War II Iron Cross and two German Third Reich coins from 1941.

On the other side of the room, Erica Todd and Carla Johnson, both of Hamilton, Ill., conferred with Scott Neff of the Treasure Hunters Road Show as he examined a plate and some rings.

“I'm excited. I've seen it (the show) on TV,” said Johnson.

After studying the plate for awhile, Neff told the Hamilton women, “The plate has a little bit of age on it. We suggest you hold onto it for awhile to see if the market goes up.”

Then Neff found two small diamonds on one of the rings.

Sometimes a little research is needed to identify an item.

“We had a puzzle box yesterday, but the tools were missing,” Stoneking said. “So we had to identify what it belonged to. We found out it belonged to a Singer sewing machine. We also found a 1904 bread maker that was a gold medal winner from the 1904 St. Louis Exposition.”

Any slight chip or flaw devalues a lot of stuff, especially glassware and pottery, according to Stoneking.

“We see a lot of men's pocket watches,” she added. “Very often they are kept in pristine condition.”

However, usually those type of watches have more sentimental value than monetary value, she said.

“We see a lot of Lincoln memorabilia,” Stoneking said. “I'm sure Mr. (President Barack) Obama will have his day in the collector's world.”

Recent finds at Treasure Hunters Roadshows include an Abraham Lincoln hand-written thank you letter, expressing gratitude for a night's stay while traveling to Chicago.

The Treasure Hunters Roadshow has 5,000 to 6,000 collectors in its database who are contacted when treasures are found at events like the one in Keokuk this week.

“Our treasure hunters make offers based on what our collectors are willing to pay,” says a news release from the Athens, Ill.-based company. “Then when someone decides to sell, they get paid on the spot and our treasure hunters send the item to the collector at their expense.”

“Most of our collectors are antique-oriented,” Stoneking said. “It's a good time to get rid of gold and silver.

“Glassware and pottery has been affected quite a bit by the economy,” she added. “There is an oversupply because a lot of the stuff is put on eBay.”

In fact, online auction services are driving the market now, she believes. With an oversupply of many items, the prices are being driven down in many cases.

“But it's a good time for buyers because items are less expensive,” Stoneking said.

They Keep Trying !

These three "gems" were posted on our web site today by a dealer in Europe. Do these European dealers think all Americans are morons? He also posted a Nazi ring which was so obviously fake I'm not even going to bother putting it here. Four items posted, all fakes. Below is a brief analysis of these items. Don't look for them on our site, they have been remove, the seller's membership cancelled and his money refunded.

This piece of garbage would not fool a 6 year old kid. In fact, it looks like the inscription was done by a 6 year old kid. I can't say for sure, but I don't think the "Florian Geyer" SS cufftitle was ever produced in an embroidered officer version. Only ones I know of are the enlisted type. If there is such a thing as an embroiderd version, it certainly wouldn't look like this.

It looks to me like the wearer of this Luftwaffe helmet ran into some enemy solders armed with wire brushes and rotary buffing tools. A rather poor attempt at giving this helmet an "aged" look. Helmets are one of the toughest things to collect in this hobby.... as far as fakes are concerned. If you are not an expert, be sure you have a friend who is.

I like the touch of putting the HJ diamond on this helmet. Makes it "rare". I can't really tell about the eagle in the condition it's in. All that aside, the thing about this pic that's interesting is the rust. Note how nice and red and fresh it is after 60 years! Obviously recently done "ageing".

Lots of nice stamping on this fake helmet strap. Why fake you say? Look at the holes, they are always oval on real German straps.

The seller of this cap was careful not to show the SS skull too closely, but it was close enough. It's an obvious fake. Surprisingly, from what I can see, the eagle doesn't look too bad. Go figure!

Notice the button hole on the "inside" of the SS cap. What does this tell you? Ok, it should tell you that this cap was made from an old overcoat or jacket. It's possible that they might have done this during the hard days of the war, but let's not forget that fake skull. If the skull is fake we can safely assume the cap is fake.

Don't post fakes on our web site!

Bob Treend, "They Keep Trying", Militaria Blog, 2009

General Assault Badges - A Second Look

There has been a lot of speculation and debate over the existence of Genuine Heer (German Army) General Assault badges with a bronzed finish.

It has been claimed the award was never authorized, manufactured, distributed, awarded or worn during the Third Reich.

It may make some collectors feel important, passing these opinions out as absolute fact. However, because a collector might not locate one of these rare badges in his searching, that does not make these claims true.

The pronouncements of self-proclaimed "experts", have tended to state these things as actual facts too. Where they get this insider information, (since NONE of them was ever there, in any Third Reich situation to verify these claims) is a mystery to me. Still sheep will follow a ram without question, and apparently the louder the bleating, the more the sheep feel comforted by their new found knowledge.

The problem with stating absolutes as empirical truths, and as facts, is that often there is no way to actually prove them. It is also a bit disconcerting to the expert when original examples inconveniently exist despite their claims. Over the years from 1965 until now I have personally examined a couple of dozen examples of this "Never authorized, manufactured, distributed, awarded or worn badge".

I know these pieces to be original to the war era. Out of all the Bronze General Assault Badges I ever saw, I managed to acquire these 5 beautiful examples.

Note that all of these are in near perfect condition with great finishes that are all variants of bronze colors.

Note also that all 5 are totally different from one another, in many respects. So several companies did produce the badge in bronze finish.

It is interesting that, as is typical with the majority of General Assault badges in the basic grade, there are no markings on 4 of the 5 which I own.

I speculate, they may have been considered as the model for Panzer Grenadiers. Obviously, they were manufactured, and some were located and found as war souvenirs. Perhaps they were not distributed, or were not sold or awarded once distributed. They could have all been still in displays at the German Uniform accoutrement stores, at war's end. They may well have still been in the factory storerooms. Once made, no German manufacturer would destroy items that cost him, unless there was no choice in the matter. That could be why most are found in great condition.

The General Assault badge is actually fairly tough to find exceptional examples of. Most are in zinc and often without any finish. Many have missing pins or catches or are corroded. I feel lucky to own the examples pictured below.

I am just a collector who worked hard to find what I have. I know the five bronze finished badges, are genuine items, and made during the war years in Germany. The rest is just guessing and speculation.

For some strange reason we Americans feel we are entitled to perfection, and somehow things are not right if we do not know the bottom line. Apparently even misinformation is better than none or doubt! Sometimes we do not have all the answers, unless we are one of those famous and important experts, who seem to know everything!

Charles Warriner, "General Assault Badges - A Second Look", Militaria Blog, 2009

A Dagger Collector's Nightmare

Recently, on a bright and beautiful Sunday morning I received a call from a Vet who sounded like he had, from his description, a pretty nice SA dagger for sale. After getting directions to his home, I jumped in my car and with high expectations took a run over to see him. We negotiated for a while on what turned out to be a super SA dagger by Emil Voos. We finally agreed on a price and soon I departed with my new dagger in hand. When I got in the car I put the dagger on the seat next to me, as I had done with many other past finds, and thought to myself how great things were going on such a terrific day. Driving along, the thrill of my purchase grew; I couldn't resist picking up my new aquisition to examine it under the bright daylight sun. This however, turned out to be my big mistake of the day.

Suddenly from behind, I heard a siren and noticed a police cruiser in my rear view mirror gaining on me rapidly. I pulled over so he could easily pass, but to my surprise it was "me" he wanted! My first thought was that I must have been speeding, since I was concentrating more on the dagger than my driving. But alas, that was not the case. As the officer approached my car I readied my identification for his inspection. Turning to hand my ID through the window you can't imagine my shock to see not only a very large police officer but one with a very large service revolver pointed directly at me. "Keep your hands where I can see them and step out of the car", he ordered. Given the option that his 38 special offered, I quickly obliged. As I got out, this 6'5" gorilla attired in a blue uniform grabbed me, spun me around and threw me on the hood of my car. While searching me he asked what I was doing with a deadly weapon in the vehichle. For a moment I was dumbfounded; never had I thought of any of my daggers as a deadly weapon. While I stared at my reflection in the hood I tried to explain that I was a dagger collector (being careful not to use the term edged weapons). The more he talked however, the more evident it became to me that he was not vaguely aware of WWII, so the hobby of dagger collecting would surely be alien to him. Having now surrendered all my ID (to include my Sears credit card) to this history illiterate, I still had no success in convincing him of my innocence. Still positioned awkwardly across the hood I grew more apprehensive, worrying if this Gestapo incarnation was going to confiscate my dagger while he waited for the computer at SS HQ on Prinz Albrechtstrasse to clear my name. After thirty minutes of this painful delay a lieutenant finally arrived on this major crime scene, and after hearing the facts (as well as the officer's side of the incident) realized that I wasn't Jack the Ripper nor was I intent on holding up a Seven/Eleven with my massive, razor sharp instrument of terror. Before I was released however, I was instructed to place my dagger in the trunk. I had designs on putting the dagger somewhere else, but conceeded to their wishes and drove off, leaving Helmut and Fritz still puzzled over why my initials didn't match those on my dagger...SA....

Gailen David, "A Dagger Collector's Nightmare", Der Gauleiter, 1985

For Fun...

Development of the SS Uniform

THE DEVELOPMENT

1921-1922

Red NSDAP brassard with white circle and black swastika was worn on civilian dress and the old army uniforms of ex-soldiers and members of numerous pro-Nazi Free Corps.

1922-1923

NSDAP banned.

February 1923

With the re-organisation of the NSDAP an attempt was made to standardize the clothing of the SA. Its members were ordered to wear field grey breeches, grey wind jackets, and the forerunner of the SA cap, a grey ski cap with the black, white and red national comade in front.

May 1923

The Adolf Hitler Shock Troop was formed, and wore army uniforms, NSDAP brassard. and grey ski cap with national cocade above a white metal skull badge.

November 1925

Brown chosen as the colour of the SA uniform. The newly formed SS wore black caps, ties and edging to the brassard.

September 1925

SS Musterbefehl der SS Oberleitung dated 29.9.25, ordered that in future the skull will be worn above the cocade on the cap.

August 1929

Coloured cap bands and collar patches with unit numbering introduced for the SA. By this date the SS uniform had become reasonably standardised.

June-Sept 1930

Brown shirt banned in certain states.

1931

SS awarded their motto MEINE EHRE HEISST TREUE. (My honour is loyalty).

April to June 1932

NSDAP uniform banned throughout Germany, Publication of first SA and SS dress regulations.

May 1932

Introduction of new badges of rank.

July 1934

First SS dress regulations published.

THE TRADITIONAL UNIFORM

The name given to the SS brown shirt uniform after the introduction in 1932 of the new black service uniform. By 1932 the traditional uniform had become reasonably standardised although there were still variations in the colour of both shirts and breeches. During 1933 senior regular SS leaders were equipping themselves with the new black uniform while the part-time rank and file continued to wear the brown shirt. During the summer of 1935 the brown shirt was worn as a summer uniform for the last time, and by 1936 the black uniform had been issued to the whole SS. During the transitional period it was not uncommon to see items of the old and new uniforms being worn together.

DIENSTMUTZE - Service cap

Black cloth SS cap with matching peak. Black leather chin strap for all ranks.Twisted cord around the crown of the cap according to rank; Untersturmfuhrer up to and inc. Standartenfuhrer; Black and silver (Black orwhite) twisted cord. Oberfuhrer up to and inc. Reichsfurhrer-SS . Silver twisted cord.

DIENSTBLUSE - Shirt

Brown cotton drill shirt with 4 black leather and two horn buttons downthe front. Two parallel breast pockets with pleats and buttoned flaps. Cuffslinked with two black leather buttons. Six metal belt hooks attached to thewaistband. Stand and fall collar edged in twisted cord according to rank. SS-Mann up to and incl. Obertruppfuhrer ; 2mm black and white (laterblack and aluminium) twisted cord. SS-Sturmfuhrer up to and intl. SS-Sturmhauptfuhrer ( Later Obersturmfuhrer).2mm black and aluminium twisted cord. SS-Sturmbannfuhrer up to and incl. Reichsfuhrer-SS; 2mm aluminutwisted cord.

ABZEIGHEN - Insignia

All SS insignia worn on the shirt was subsequently worn on the black service uniform. and is described in the section dealing with insignia. There were however two pieces of insignia, that appear to have been worn on the shirt and not on the black uniform. The first was a white linen brassard with HILFSPOLIZEI printed on it in black letters. This was worn by SA and SS men, instead of their NSDAP brassard, when serving as auxiliary police in 1933. The second was a circular white badge 8.5mm in diameter on which was a red cross. This badge was worn by medical orderlies who had not passed the State Medical examination. It was worn on the upper left arm above the brssnard. The rest of the uniform consisted of black breeches and boots, black leather waist belt and cross strap with nickel plated buckles and fittings. The equipment was the Imperial German army pattern and consisted of pack, ground sheet, water bottle, drinking cup, mess tin, and bread bag.

THE BLACK SS SERVICE UNIFORM

Introduced in 1932 with the first SA and SS dress regulations. For a short time the black SS uniform was worn concurrently with the traditional uniform. The cut of the black uniform was the same for all ranks, but the quality of the cloth of leaders uniforms was superior. Leaders often had their uniforms privately made, which accounts for detailed variations in quality and cut. After the setting up of the Reichszeugmeisterei (Quarter Master General) a remarkable degree of standardization was achieved. However impressive the black uniform looked. it was not suited to the increasingly varied roles that the SS was called upon to play. As early as 1935 certain SS units were issued with grey uniforms identical in cut to the black ones.

After the outbreak of war black uniforms were seldom worn.

As SS men had not been issued with overcoats at this date, they were lent police ones, stripped of insignia.

SS SERVICE DRESS LIST. 15.12.34

SS Service tunic. - Black twill

SS Service tunic. - Black cloth

SS Service tunic. - Black gabardine

SS Service tunic. - Earth grey twill

SS Breeches - Black twill

SS Breeches - Black cloth

SS Breeches - Black gabardine

SS breeches - Black twill

SS Breeches - Black cloth

SS Breeches - Black gabardine

SS Breeches - Black corduroy

SS Breeches - Earth grey twill

SS Trousers - Black twill

SS Trousers - Black cloth

SS Trousers - Earth grey twill

SS Overcoat - Black twill

SS Overcoat - Black cloth

SS Weatherproof cape Black pouch for weatherproof cape. - Black

Overcoat lapels - Silver grey cloth for Oberfuhrer and above.

As described in the original German as Stiefelhose as opposed to breeches.The difference was that breeches had a more pronounced curve on the outer seam and were not so hard wearing.

SS-DIENSTROCK - SS Service Tunic

Intl. SS Service tunic in black twill or gabardine for leaders.
SS Service tunic in black uniform cloth for men.
SS Service tunic in earth grey drill for all ranks.
Open single breasted tunic with four matt silver buttons in front. Two parallel breast pockets with centre pleats and buttoned flaps. Slashing slash side pockets with buttoned flaps. Single back vent with two matt silver buttons. Open collar edged in twisted cord according to rank. Turn back cuffs. All insignia was worn on the tunic.

SS-BREECHESHOSE (UND STIEFELHOSE) - SS Breeches

Inch. SS Breeches in black twill or gabardine for leaders.
SS Breeches in black cloth or corduroy for men.
SS Breeches in earth grey drill for all ranks.
Black cloth breeches with lace-up legs. Two front pockets, two back and a watch pocket, front and back pockets fastened with black plastic buttons.

SS-HOSE, LANG - SS Trousers

encl. SS Trousers in black twill for leaders.
SS Trousers in black cloth for men.
SS Trousers in earth grey drill for all ranks.
Long black trousers with white piping down the outside leg seam. Two side and two back pockets fastened with black plastic buttons. Black trousers were fastened under the instep with a leather strap. Earth grey drill trousers were not piped and had grey plastic buttons.

SS-DIENSTMANTEL SS - Service Overcoat

encl. SS Overcoat in black twill for leaders.
SS Overcoat in black cloth for men.

Double breasted overcoat with two parallel rows of six matt silver buttons down the front. Two slanting side pockets with flaps, collar edged in twisted cord according to rank. Leaders with the rank of SS-Oberfuhrer and above had silver grey lapels and piping down the front of the coat. All insignia was worn on the overcoat.

Andrew Mollo, "Uniforms of the SS, Vol. 1", Historical Research Unit, 1968

Hitler Head Medals

The first Hitler heads were what has been called "voting tokens". The earliest one bearing the date "Okt. 27, 1929". They were campaign tokens used by Hitler during his early political struggles to place before the people his likeness and the "hooked cross" symbol. The German word "hakenkreuz", swastika is a pure American indian word meaning "good fortune".

They were aluminum, had a 30mm diameter and the obverse bore a profile of Hitler facing left, as you look at the piece. Above is his name and below is "Der Fuhrer Aus Der Not" or "Leader of the Movement".

The reverses differ a great deal, but almost without exception they exhort the people to vote for Hitler. Some of the pieces give dates of the elections, some give the list number, others just state that he is the man for the job. They are hard to find in excellent condition for many reasons. Their age and the presend and post-war unpopularity of Hitler. Being aluminum many collectors consider them worthless. How many exist is difficult to say, thousands were made, hundreds of the different types were passed out to people on street corners. How many threw then away immediatly, how many slipped them in a pocket to save?

Along with the voting tokens (these type of medals are called tinnys by collectors because so many were made of tin or other cheap materials) were "Gau Pieces". As Hitler gained popularity and momentum he had Gauleiters to help him. A Gau is a Nazi district or precinct in Germany. With the precinct leaders to help pass out the voting tokens he spread his policies throughout Germany. The Gau pieces were basically the same, with few different variations. The obverse has a profile of Hitler, with a flowing coat, coller turned up. Some state "Der Fuhrer Dankt" (The Leader's Thanks). Others say W.H.W. and a date. W.H.W. is for Winter Hilf Werk (Winter Help Work... A charity to help the poor in winter). The actual work done was in trying to get Hitler elected. These Gau pieces were presented to the party members who got the vote for Hitler. They were usually copper or brass and silver plated. Their diameter is 35mm., some were pin backed, others were more likened to a medal, being cased. Most of the Gau medals carried the name of the Gau and seem to be dated 1934 or 1935. So they had to have been presented after Hitler got into office. He was elected Reichskanzler in 1933.

The Gau pieces and W.H.W. pieces overlap the W.H.W. type of Hitler head and is greatly varied. They run from the Gau type to being a personal presentation piece in solid silver. As some of the Gualeiters were very big in the Nazi party. Goebbles was the Gauleiter of Berlin, you can see that when the time came to pass our medals, one had to take into consideration the importance of the individual.

When Hilter attained office the obvious next step in Hitler heads is the commercial type which run from stickpin to statues, from gold to glass. One of my favorites is the crystal intaglio. An intaglio is a reverse sculpture were the back has been scooped out so that the likeness is three dimension when viewed from the front. This particular piece is 37mm by 31mm and is 5mm thick. There is a small hole at the top through which a ring could be placed. It is a bust of Hitler, below is his name. These pieces were made of all the leaders of Nazi Gemany and were in different colors. I imagine they were worn as jewelry by the women supporters of Hitler.

The government made pieces also come at this time, they were pieces with Hitler and Hindenburg, Hitler with Mussolini, Hitler and Chamberlain, also commemorative pieces commemorating Hitler's election, meeting with heads of other countries, dates or importance in the Reich and notable occasions.

James G. Fitch, "Hitler Head Medals", Das Hakenkreuz, 1970