The Nazi Party Gorgets

POLITISCHES LEITER FLAGBEARER

The organization of Political Leaders, while one of the oldest organizations of the N .S .D. A. P. was one of the last to be awarded its two gorgets.

The flagbearer gorget and the Streifendienst service gorget were listed for the first time on April 25, 1939, in the "Uniform Orders for Political Leaders".

It is believed that both these gorgets were to be mass produced and unveiled for the first time at the 1939 Reichsparteitag events during mid-september of that year. Cancellation of the 1939 Reichsparteitag was caused by the outbreak of World War II on September 1st.

The Organizationsbuch Der N S D A P 1940 edition pictures for the first time both gorgets along with the appropriate bandoleers. A flagbearer arm patch, identifying the flagbearer was not worn by the Political Leaders Organization. Both Political Leader gorgets were ready for purchase by the Political Leader groups through local outlets of the Reichszeugmeisterei in late 1939.

The bronze plated neck chains are a series of stamped links made of pot metal, held together by wire loops. The alternate links have an eagle and swastika on one and a wreath and swastika on the other. The length of the complete chain is approximately 24" (70 cm) long and contains 31 links.

The chain and the reverse side of the plate are stamped with RZM and a manufacturer's code such as M1/102.

The cloth felt backing on the gorget is either of a dark green or light tan color.

The flagbearer gorget is worn at all P L functions while displaying the unit flag. A dress bandoleer is worn over the shoulder and the flag pole is supported in a leather cup at the bottom of the bandoleer. The bandoleer is leather, covered with gold brocade, the center is brown and the edges are white for Kreisleitung, while for Ortsgruppen the edges are dark blue. White gloves were a required part of the flagbearer's uniform.

The Political Leader gorgets are by far the largest or most massive in size of any of those used by enter the party or the military organizations. They measure 9" (23 cm) across by 4.5" tall (11.5cm) high. They have a deep concave shape, however this varies with the the firm which manufactured them. They are press-formed out of a lightweight metal with a rolled over edge, which not only does away with the sharp edges, but also serves to help retain the wool cloth backing which is glued to the reverse side of the plate. The upturned, spread winged eagle on the flagbearer gorget is massive and covers a good portion of the breast plate. The head of the eagle faces to the right and is setting on a large round wreath and swastika. A border of oak leaves runs around the entire edging of the plate.

The flagbearer gorget to plated in an antique bronze color ranging from almost a light gold to a dark bronze. Again, these are manufacturing differences. due to the fact they were manufactured by different firms.

STREIFENDIENST

The Political Leaders Streifendienst gorget has the same breastplate as the Political Leader flagbearer gorget, however, the eagle and swastika emblem is about one half the size and is centered higher on the plate. A stamped metal ribbon approximately 18 cm long by 2 cm wide is centered and affixed directly under the eagle. A border of oak leaves also appears on this gorget. A round rosette button is mounted in each of the top corners of the gorget pictured here.

The Streifendienst gorget was plated with identieal coloring to that of the flagbearer gorget and the chain hanger was interchangable between the two gorgets.

The Streifendienst gorget was worn by men on patrol service at party functions or in local town areas.

Deeter and Odegard, "Gorgets of the Third Reich",D.O. Enterprises, 1977

The Speakers Organization of the NSDAP

A large number of sub-organizetionswere under the command of the Reichspropagandaleiter. This article will concentrate on one ofthose organizations...the Speakers Corps of the Party. This sub-organization waspart of the Amtsleitung "Aktive Propaganda". The following is taken directlyfrom the 1937 "Organisationsbuch der NSDAP'' and is the most complete description of the Corps. The "Organisationsbuch'' for the years 1936, 1938, 1940 and 1943 have only minor differences in text.

Amtsleitung Active Propaganda:

The Active Propaganda had the duty of organizing all direct propaganda at mass meetings with their huge architectural settings, to the small meetings of the Ortsgruppen, and even the smaller Stutzpunkte. This put the complete propaganda speakers organization of the Party, plus their sub-sections and adjacent organizations, under the control ofthe Amtsleitung Active Propaganda. As well as the constant problems of current political questions, the organization had to indoctrinate the speakers staff with information and distribute the monthly publication, "Unsere Wille und Weg" to all propagandists in the Reich.

The activities of the speakers also called for the design and circulation of posters and leaflets, as well as keeping notes on the meetings as related to the speakers and the propaganda offices. Thus, a total overview of propaganda was known based on the statistics in all the reports from the Kreisen and Gauen.

Hauptstelle Rednerwesen:

The Hauptstelle Rednerwesen, with its sub-section "Rednerorganisation"was in charge of the total Reichs-, Gau and Kreisrednet of the NSDAP, as well as all professional speakers of the sub Party organizations and all adjacent ones as well.

This staff of speakers for the movement was to be supplied with all materials necessary. But it was stressed that the Party material was only to go to valid speakers.

The Rednervermittlung, which was the booking agency for the Reichsredner, Stosstrupprednern of the Anwarter for the Stosstrupp, was the only office authorized to perform that duty. This office also had the responsibility for the Rednerschulung section, whose duties included the education of the incoming political and professional speakers, as well as the continued education of all active speakers. Therefore, a special Reichsrednerschule (Reichs speakers school) was established for this purpose.

Die Parteiredner:

The Speakers Corps consisted of the following:

* Reichsredner

* Stosstruppredner - Anwiirter

* Gauredner

* Kreisredner

* Fachredner (professional speakers) Upon the announcement of a meeting, the description and activities had to be listed. The theme would be: a. The proficiency principle. b. Based on the reputation of the "OldFighters."

Basically there was a difference between the political speaker and the profession alone. The political speaker had the obligation, in public meetings and gatherings, to stress National Socialistideology as well bringing announcements from the government to the German people by way of the spoken word. Political speakers could only be chosen from Party members who had been a member of the NSDAP prior to January 1933, and who were already active speakers or were a Party Leader or were in the SA, SS or the HJ.

Reichs- and Stosstruppredner could only be Party members who had been active for a certain amount of time as Anwarter in the Rednerstosstrupp, and had been a student who had passed his exams in an ideology course at a Gaueducational school.

Party speakers were also "on call" to teach educational courses for the NSDAP.

Party speakers could, if they did not hold a higher rank in another Party organization, be listed by rank based on activity and seniority as follows:

Reichsredner: Hilfsstellenleiter to Hauptstellenleiter of the Reichsleitung.

Stosstruppredner: Mitarbeiter to Stellenleiter of the Reichsleitung.

Gauredner: a. Those who had been active before 14.9.1930 and since then had performed as a speaker or had a special qualification and was a Stellenleiter der Gauleitung. b. Those who could prove they had been active in the Party and had the ability as a speaker and was a Hauptstellenleiter of a Kreisleitung of the NSDAP.

Kreisredner: Had to be a Stellenleiter of a Kreisleitung of the NSDAP.

Fachredner: These were Reichs-,Gau- and Kreis professional speakers. Those of adjacent organizations and sub-organizations of the Party who were active speakers also came under the auspices of the Reichspropagandaleitung. They did not, however, hold a Party rank such as Party Leader. To remain under the auspices of the Reichspropagandaleitung one had to be proficient, have merit, and be a member of the Party.

Ausweise:

Speakers were issued special identification cards by the Reichspropagandaleitung. Illustrated is a rare card of Dr.Albeit Jaeger, who was a Party speaker of the Munich Gauleitunk. He received his card on January 1, 1935. This identification card was valid for either a quarter or half of a year. As shown on the dated stamps, they became valid with the rubber stamp overprint. It is believed that this is the first time such a card has been illustrated in a publication.

Otto Spronk, "The Speakers Organization of the NSDAP", The Military Advisor, 2002

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Hitler's Gold Party Badges

The most valuable Golden Party Badges in the world changed hands in April in Hamburger, Germany, for more than $15,000 They were a 23.5 mm badge and a 30.5 mm badge belonging to Adolf Hitler and numbered "7". Their appearance solved a mystery regarding the numbering of Hiter's badges.

Oh, but you say you had read that Hitler gave Magda Geobbels his personal Golden Party Badge in the bunker just before the fall of Berlin. He did. And that one was made of solid gold, and it disappeared, probably forever, in the flames covering her body in the bunker yard.

These two recently surfaced badges belonged in the collection of Elfriede and Leo Raubal, the children of Angela Hitler, a daughter of the marriage of Alois Hitler (Adolf's father) with Franziska Merlelsberger. She kept house for her half brother Adolf until 1936. Her second daughter, Angela (Geli) was Hitler's great love, who committed suicide.

Before attempting to clarify the differences between real and fake Golden party badges, there are some other discrepancies that need our attention, referring to the number on Hitler's badge and, indeed, his ranking in the Party.

First, on page 236 of Volume l of "Mein Kampf", Hitler states; So I enrolled myself as a member of the German working class party and received provisional membership card with number "7".

The golden party badges belonging to Elfriede and Leo bear the number "7", and have been thoroughly authenticated. They came into the market with a large horde of very personal items belonging to the family, including Geli's personal photo album, itself extremely rare and valuable.

The appearance of these badges solves some puzzles.

In his excellent reference book for Fuhrer and Fatherland, Political and Civil Awards of the Third Reich, Ltc. Angolia points out that party members up to number 100,000 (who had uninteripted service from February 27, 1925 toNovember 9, 1933) received the Golden Party badges on that November 9, the 10th anniversary of the Munich Beer Hall putsch.

Hitler received these two badges. They are numbered "7" and are bronze with fire-gilding and enamelled center. On the plate of the pins is the marking ''Deschler & Son, Munich 9. GES. GESCH.'' and, of course, the number "7".

According to Geil's mother, Hitler donated these badges to the Party several years later (presumably he or Treasurer Schwarz actually gave them to Geli's mother as a memento), and in exchange Hitler received two new Golden Party badges of solid gold. These were almost certainly renumbered "7", one of which he gave to Magda Goebbels during the Golterdmmerung; the other to Frau Hess under far different circumstances, at the peak of his career in the late 1930's. (Frau Hess has sworn Hitler did give her his Golden Party Badge at that time and that it was definitely numbered "1" and not "7".)

These badges had not surfaced for some 43 years and Author Angolia almost certainly did not know of them when he wrote that Hiter never held Party number 7.

(As an interesting aside, Hitler's personal Blood Order badge had no number. It was thought Number 1 belonged to Rohm and Number 2 to Hess, and Himmler had number 3. All according to Patzwail's "Der Blutorden der NSDAP".)

But back to the Golden Party Badges. While most collectors know that Party members up to number 100,000 (who had the uninterupted service) received golden Party Badges on November 9, 1933, and that many other honorary Golden Party Badges were later awarded, the enigma of "real" versus ''fake'' has always been a struggle for them. While the comments below are not meant to be a definite dissertation on Golden Party Badge fakes, perhaps some of the more obvious differences will help you distinguish the genuine from the replica. A well made fake, particularly when you do not have a original with which to compare it, looks very real.

In the photo are three badges. One is fake. Can you identify it? It's the large one at the bottom.

Look very closely and I'll point out some discrepancies (always compare apples to apples... the large badge to the large badge in this instance.)

First, look at the "O" in Solialislische. The real one (in the large badge) is a circle, in the fake it's an oval. Now look at the swastika.Thin in the fake; stubby and fat in the real badge. Also obvious, when you look closely , are problems with the oakleaves. The real badge featured double lobed leaves, with the topmost of one leaf virtually lying over the stem and lower lobe of the leaf underit . (There were two versions of oak leaf patterns, one with pointed leaves and one with rounded ones.) At any rate, look for that overlay, much like a ''spread'' of a deck of cards, one lying over the bottom third of the one below in. In the fake badge the leaves not only look different, they do not appear to be ''overlaid'' with one another. They also appear to have a vein pattern and in fact a ''ridge'' down the center. On the real badge they are smooth. Finally, the fake badge has a ridged ''border'' all the way around it. The real one does not.

A myth exists about the pins on the backs of the badges in that all real badges should have safety type pins. This is not true. The early badges all had horizontal "safety pin" type catches. But these broke easily and later badges had the vertical stronger pin, as does this fake. Most of the honorary badges as illustrated in Angola's book, have the vertical pins.

We do not have a small fake pin for comparison in this photo, but the one in the picture is real. Its leaves are more like darts and they lie on a ridded partern like a closely-tied railroad track.

Mickey Huffman, "THE MOST VALUABLE GOLDEN PARTY BADGES AND THE MYSTERY THEY SOLVED", Der Gauleiter, 1988

Note: The photos above were taken from this article in "Der Gauleiter". Unfortunatley, 1988 was before we had digital photography and reproducing photos was alway a problem in printing the magazine. I did the best I could with them. If you want to see more you can search the net and find pictures of both original and fake badges. Bob

The Leadership of the NSDAP

The Political Leadership Hierarchy and The National Socialist German Workers Party-NSDAP

The Reichsleiter

The highest body of the Party was formed by the Reichsleitern, most of whom held at the same time leading State positions. Seventeen Ministers or Reichsleitern held office, their function included, amongst others, the following:

Police and Ministry of the Interior, Propaganda, Ministry of Armaments and War Production, The Press, Finance, Justice, State Labour Service, Education of Youth, Agriculture.

Each Reichsleiter was responsible to Hitler as President, Chancellor and Leader of the Nazi Party.

Beneath the Reichsleitung the Party was organised into Gaue, Kreise, Ortsgruppen, Zellen and Blocke.

The structure of the National Socialist Party was based on forty-two Gaue (Regions) which included thirty-two in Germany proper and ten in the annexed and occupied territories. An additional Gau - the 43rd - was created to encompass those German nationals living abroad in foreign countries. This was known as the Auslandsorganization (AO).

The Gauleiter

The Gau or Region was the original basic unit of the Nazi Party's geographical organisation as well as the largest unit in the local organisation of the Party membership.

Each Gau was headed by a Gauleiter who was appointed by, and if the need arose was removed, by Hitler. The Gau was created in the early years of the Party's history and corresponded roughly in extent with the Reichstag (German Parliament) electoral districts. It had therefore a traditional as well as a functional importance. This functional importance had been increased by war-time legislation which first gave the Gauleiter the responsibility (under the Central Government) for all matters concerning the mobilisation of labour and subsequently nominated Gaue as civil defence regions, over which the Gauleiter wielded a wide and varied authority (see the section on the National Militia - the Volkssturm).

Apart from these powers, the Gauleiter was a highranking Party official who was usually also the Reichsstatthalter for a Land, and moreover controlled the Gau Wirtschaftskammer (Economic Chamber) which coordinated and supervised every form of trade and industry in the Gau. These additional responsibilities, entrusted to the Gauleiter by legislation, greatly increased the power of the Party and marked a distinct step in the gradual displacement by the Party Gaue of the traditional Linder or administrative regions.

Affiliated formations and organisations such as the SA, the SS, the Hitler Youth movement etc. had their main regional offices at Gau level and acted in close concert with the Gauleiter's office. Each of the forty-two Gauleiters worked under the direction often Landesinspekteure, nine in Germany and one in Austria. Each inspector was charged with the responsibility for carrying out Party policy within the Gaue under his direction and with supervising the work of the Party representatives in State and Provincial legislatures. These officials controlled by the central officers of the Reichsinspection constituted the liaison between the Reichsleitung and the Gaue.

The Kreisleiter

Each Gau was divided into a number of Kreise or 'Circles', each headed by a Kreisleiter. The Kreisleiter was the lowest of the paid officials of the Party. He was directly responsible to his Gauleiter and who, on the recommendation of the Gauleiter, was nominated to this post by Hitler. The Kreisleiter's office was independent of the administrative machine and he had no direct control over the Landrat (Prefect or Head of a Distict) or the Oberburgermeister of the very large town or the Burgermeister of the smaller towns, although his influence was considerable.

The Ortsgruppenleiter

Beneath the Kreisleiter was the unpaid Ortsgruppenleiter or Local Group Leader appointed to the position by the Gauleiter on the nomination of the Kreisleiter.

Each Kreis consisted of a varying number of Ortsgruppen. The Ortsgruppenleiter had control over an Ortsgruppe with a population averaging approximately 40,000 and whose territory comprised one or several Communes or, in a town, a certain district. The Ortsgruppenleiter had an office of his own and controlled up to 3,000 Party members and the organization was designed to be small enough so that he could be personally acquainted with all the members.

Most of the affiliated organisations already referred to had their lowest level representation in the Ortsgruppe and often had their local office in the Ortsgruppenleiter's headquarters.

They were expected to co-operate with the Ortsgruppenleiter who, however, had no disciplinary jurisdiction over them.

The Ortsgruppen were the smallest units in the rural areas but were sub-divided in a large metropolitan centre into Street Cells and Blocks (Zellen und Blocke).

The Zellenleiter and Blockleiter

The Zellenleiter and the Blockleiter were Party officials of the lowest rank. The latter was responsible for forty to sixty households, whether or not they contained Party members;the former controlled four or five Blocke with the assistance of Social Welfare (NS-Volkswohlfahrt -NSV) and Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront -DAF) officials.

People living in the area controlled by a Zellenleiter were encouraged to consult him, rather than higher Party officials, on any personal or technical problems. The Blockleiter was appointed to keep an eye upon the activities and political attitudes of the families under his control and to keep a card index system, containing Haushaltskarten, providing detailed information about them. Regular reports were sent from the Blockleiter to the Zellenleiter who in turn reported to his Ortsgruppenleiter and so on up through the chain of political leadership. Any unrest was dealt with swiftly and at source. Small wonder therefore that the Party found it necessary to state on repeated occasions that the Blockleiter was not employed as a Party spy.

An accurate assessment of the total membership of the NSDAP is almost impossible. By December 1943 the Party claimed that their membership included some 6,500,000 male members and 85,800 full-time officials; however a reasonable estimate of the numbers of members towards the last year of the war would have been more in the region of 7,000,000. It should not be forgotten that whilst membership of the National Socialist Party was not compulsory for the average German there were considerable advantages to be enjoyed by being a Party member. For those Germans who sought advancement in public or professional fields, Party membership was a necessary qualification for all higher governmental and professional appointments.

Brian Leigh Davis, GERMAN UNIFORMS OF THE THIRD REICH 1933-1945, Arco Publishing, 1980

The Coburg Badge

Ranking right up there with the Blood Order in important Third Reich political badges is the Coburg Badge... a simple looking badge in bronze with a little village on top of a wreath and a sword placed tip downward across the face of a swastika within the wreath. The wreath contains the words "MIT HITLER IN COBURG".

Be careful of the Coburg Badge! It withholds several secrets and because of some of those you might end up with a fake when you thought you bought a real one. Even the "authorities" have a little disagreement about this badge.

The first "mystery", and it is a minor one, is where the Coburg badge fits in the scheme of things within the hierarchy of Third Reich medals. David Littlejohn in his book ORDERS, DECORATIONS, MEDALS AND BADGES OF THE THIRD REICH, states categorically that it ranked "higher than the Blood Order". R. Kahl, in INSIGNIA, DECORATIONS AND BADGES OF THE THIRD REICH, makes the same statement.And it's true. All of us who have seen pictures of the Nazi leaders strutting down the Munich streets with their Blood Orders and their Blood Flag will continue to wonder how the Coburg Badge could rank higher, but it really did!

In November of 1936 Hitler gave new "orders" for the "Orders and Awards" of the Third Reich. According to ORDERS, EHRENZEICHEN UND TITEL, by Hanns Dombrowski, published in 1940, the NSDAP awards are listed in this order: 1. Coburg Badge; 2. Nurnberg Party Badge of 1929; 3. , SA Treffen at Brunswick; 4. Golden Party Badges under 100,000; 5. The Blood Order; followed by the Gaubadges and the Golden HJ Badge.

Hitler caused the Coburg Badge to be struck in 1932 to memorialize an event that took place ten years earlier, on Saturday, October 14, 1922, and to honor the participants.

One of the finest books, if not the finest, on the early Nazi years is I KNEW HITLER, by Kurt G.W. Ludecke. Ludecke was a sort of "public relations" man for Hitler... he later came to the U.S. as special envoy for Hitler in an effort to woo U.S. Germans to the Nazi cause and later escaped with his life during the Blood Purge of 1934.

On that day in 1922 Hitler was invited to "German Day" in Coburg and asked to bring a few friends. I have written before that Hitler, if nothing else, was an exceptional opportunist. He rented an entire train and filled it with 800 of his followers (virtually the whole Party) and even bought his own 42 piece band, planning to take the town by storm.

Ludecke is ecstatic when he writes about what happen in Coburg. Remember, in 1922 Hitler was a nobody on the German national scene; only his fanatical little band of followers thought anything would come of the "little man with the silly mustache. Most Germans had never even seen the swastika! According to Ludecke, "amassed burghers and wide-eyed Jews almost fell out of the express trains which passed them." Hiring the train was a huge bluff, the Nazi party had no money. Every man who climbed on the train bought one or more tickets, often with his last marks.

Coburg was a town which had long been dominated by Marxists. And the Marxists, of course, wanted no part of the Nazi "foreigners". When the Nazis arrived at Coburg, a uniformed policeman told them they could not march into the city with bands playing or flags flying. The words were music to the "opportunist" ears. Hitler pushed aside the policeman and they marched into the center of town, all flags flying, all instruments blaring. A crowd of thousands threatened to bar their way. No one was sure who these fanatics from Munich were. Suddenly some of the crowd (mostly Marxists) ,began to throw things and a furious fight ensued for perhaps 15 minutes. In time most of the crowd began to join the Nazis and before long they had won over the townspeople. Here, at last, they saw a savior" from the Communist repression. The town officials, of course, were not impressed or happy.

The next day as the Nazis triurnphantly boarded the train, Hitler was told the "Reds" would not run the train back to Munich. Again, Hitler saw an opportunity. He told the officials that he and his group would run the train themselves, but they would first kidnap every Communist they could find and would take them back to Munich on the commandeered train. What would then happen to the Communists was left to everyone's active imaginations. The Communists capitulated, the train ran. Hitler won!

And now to that badge and its secrets. No doubt that it is a heavy, solid bronze badge.

Ltc. John Angolia in his book FOR FUHRER AND FATHERLAND.. POLITICAL AND CIVIL AWARDS OF THE THIRD REICH says it was made of "massive bronze and was slightly convex, while later versions were thinner and flat." Forman's GUIDE TO THIRD REICH GERMAN AWARDS AND THEIR VALVES only mentions one version of the bronze medal (presumably the "massive convex" one mentioned by Angolia.) Littlejohn does not mention a "thinner" badge at all. HOWever, all authorities refer to another Coburg badge made of silver with a red swastika. Littlejohn says it's authentic; Forman gives it a price of $2000 and Angolia states it was probably a private purchase.

Forman lists the price of the bronze Coburg badge at $1,250. I have seen them on tables of reputable dealers for somewhat less than that. The problem, of course, is knowing if they are real. The fakes I have seen have "villages" on top that simply do not match the real ones. I saw one recently that was "thin" all right. It resembled a large, cheap tinnie. The asking price was $400. I passed.

Robert McCarthy, who has a fine example of a real Coburg badge, mentions that you should look for a small RZM on the lower reverse of the badge. Steve Wolfe says that the thinner version does exist, but without the RZM and that there is very little difference between the two versions.

Even thought "thinner" badges were apparently manufactured, my "authority quotient" would feel more comfortable with the heavier "massive" bronze medal, and with the RZM mark.There were only 436 of these badges awarded which makes originals fairly rare.

Mickey Huffman, "The Curious Case of the Coburg Badge", Der Gauleiter, 1989

Visor Caps of the NSDAP

VISOR CAPS OF THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP OF THE NSDAP

Prior to 1933, Political Leaders of the NSDAP wore the SA style kepi. The kepi was totally light brown with fixed turn-up sides, and a single round metal button at the lower front. Centered at the top front was a metal political style ational emblem. Affixed by two side buttons was a cap cord with one (centered) or two (off-set) cord knots. An identical kepi, but in blue-black was worn with the blue-black service uniform.

A visor cap was introduced in late 1933 for wear by Political Leaders of the NSDAP. It was identified as a "Wehrmacht-Schnitt (Armed Forces style) or as "Schirmmiitze" (visor cap). Regardless of the political level the top of the cap was light brown. The cap band was light brown at the Ortsgruppe level, and dark brown for Kreis, Gau, and Reich levels. The visor was made of black leather, but this was gradually changed to brown. The chin strap was made of twist cord in the same color as the collar insignia authorized for wear by the respective political leader, i.e., silver or gold. The strap was secured by metal side buttons of the same color. The insignia worn on this pattern visor cap initially consisted only of the early pattern (with pointed wings) silver metal national emblem as introduced in 1929. Early regulations prescribed that the national emblem be positioned in the front center bisected by the juncture of the cap top and cap band seam. This was soon repositioned at the top center of the cap top. Shortly thereafter, a cockade consisting of a black wool center surrounded by an aluminum ring, which in turn was surrounded by a red plastic or fiber ring, was introduced.

A system of cap piping about the cap top, and around the top and bottom of the cap band was introduced to identify the political level to which the respective political leader was assigned. The colors were as follows:

Blue (Blau): Ortsgruppe level Black (Schwarz): Kreis level Red (Rot): Gau level Red (Rot): Reich level Note that the first cap piping colors utilized red for both the Gau and Reich levels. However, sometime in 1936/37 the color for the Reichleitung was changed to match the color of the collar patch piping (golden-yellow).

The visor cap underwent minor changes in 1936 in that the national emblem of the 1929 pattern was replaced with a larger eagle with rounded wings, and the cockade was changed to the pattern with the black swastika in the center surrounded by a silver/aluminum rim with an outer rim of red plastic or fiber.

The chin cord and cap band remained the same, however the fabric of the cap band for Kreis level and above was changed to medium brown velvet. The visor was standardized in color to a brown leather or fiber material. The piping reflecting the political levels remained unchanged except that the Reich level was changed from red to golden-yellow (Goldgelb). However, personnel holding the title of "Reichleiter" utilized the gold piping rather than the golden-yellow.

A new style visor cap was introduced in 1938 with the introduction of the new form insignia. The cap bands at all levels were dark brown velvet. The visor was brown fiber material. The chinstrap was golden-yellow twist celleon. The national emblem was changed to the final larger form, and the cockade was surrounded by a gilt-colored metal oakleaf wreath. However, it was not uncommon for higher ranking political leaders to have the wreath done in hand-embroidered gold wire. The piping colors were revised for the final time as follows:

Light blue (Hellblau): Ortsgruppe level White (Weiss): Kreis level Dark Red (Dunkel Rot): Gau level Golden-yellow (Goldgelb): Reich level

This pattern visor cap remained in use until the end of the war.

J.R. Angolia: "Cloth Insignia of the NSDAP and SA", 1985, R. James Bender Publishing

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N.S.D.A.P. Organizations

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE LARGER PARTY ORGANIZATIONS

NSDAP: The National Socialist German Worker's Party was the seat of all power of the Nazi Party. It had an elaborate hierarchy of central, regional, and local headquarters with departments for all its manifold interests at all levels. Through the octopus-like aparatus of the NSDAP a close watch on all aspects of German life and the activities of its citizens was possible. The NSDAP High Command in Munich included bureaus (Amter) which more or less paralleled the Ministries of the national government in Berlin.

The heads of the principal activities were called Reichleiter, numbering about 16 at the end of WWII. These, together with the Gauleiter who headed the 43 Party regions (Gaue), constituted the top leadership of the Party. Under them were vast numbers of Party functionaries known as political leaders (Politische Leiter) who had their own complicated system of ranks and uniforms and were well suited to organizing and guiding residents within Germany.

To train the corps of political leaders in Nazi ideology and methods the Party established a system of special schools, including four "castles of the order" (Ordensburgen) for highly select students and a large number of regional and district training "castles" (Gau- and Kreis-Schulungsburgen.) Besides its regular regional and functional subdivisions the Party included four special branches (Gliederungen) - the SA, SS, NSKK, and HJ - and a number of affiliated formations, each of which was a self-contained organization with its own particular mission, regional structure, ranks, uniforms and significance to the war effort of the nation.

SA (Sturmabteilunqen SA) Brownshirts: The SA was the oldest semi-military organization of the Party. It was designed as the Party's instrument for the training and indoctrination of its members and for supporting its domestic political aims in public. Many of its members were common thugs and criminals who were empoyed to attack all persons not in agreement with the Nazi scheme of things. The SA, after having served its purpose in ramming the Nazi Party into power, was itself purged in 1934. The SS under Himmler gradually took over SA functions which were left. Thereafter the SA sank into relative political unimportance.

SS (Schutzstaffel) The Protective Guard of the NSDAP: The SS was an independent branch (Gliederung) of the Nazi Party led by the notorious Heinrich Himmler. The SS gradually grew from a purely protective guard to an army in itself, with many subunits and resposibilities. It administered all police activities including courts of political justice, concentration camps, and internal security. The Waffen SS grew from the parent organization as a full-fledged fighting unit, and in the early days of the war, had the cream of German manhood in its ranks. The SS was responsible for the training of youth in the Hitler Youth organization, the storm troops (SA), and most of the other Party organizations and activities. The SS had the absolute power of life and death over every German and foreigner who lived under the flag of the Third Reich. No other organization in history has been more feared nor held in such awe by so many people. The SS insignia of skull and cross bones was a fitting symbol for this legion of terror.

RAD (Reicharbeitsdienst) The Reich Labor Service: This group arose from a Party organization set up in 1931 and known as the NS-Arbeitsdienst for the purpose of easing unemployment. It grew in importance and a law in 1935 made service in RAD, now separated from the Party and made into a State organization, compulsory for all young Germans. The peacetime mission of the RAD was to renew the interest in the dignity of manual labor, physical hardening, political indoctrination, and the performance of important public works projects.

ORGANIZATION TODT: OT was formed by Dr. Todt in 1938 to build the western defenses known in Germany as the Westwal1. In wartime its Einsatzgruppen (Work groups) were employed as construction units in almost all defensive construction works, especially those in France, Italy and the Low countries.

NSKK (Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrkorps): The National Socialist Motor Transport Corps was organized under this title in 1931 to increase the mobility of the SA storm troops. After 1933 the NSKK turned the mission of its members mostly to the training of drivers for the armed forces and assisted in the design of new types of vehicles for the Wehrmacht.

TN (Technische Nothilfe): The Technical Emergency Corps was often referred to as the TENO. TENO was a branch of the Order Police (Ordungspo1iezi) made up of engineers, technicians and skilled and semi-skilled specialists in construction work, public utilities operation, communications, metal salvage, and other related fields. Most members were men over military age.

General requirements were those of the SS and police. Founded in 1919 as a strikebreaking organization the TENO was retained after 1933 as a force of the state to cope with emergencies and dangers to the public. During WWII this force performed hercu1ear service cleaning up after Allied air raids.

HJ (Hitler Youth)(Hitler Jugend): All German youths between the ages of 10 and 18, if qualified physically and racially, were recruited for the Hitler Youth. The HJ was responsible for the pre-military training and political indoctrination of all future soldiers of the Reich. Girls belonged to a branch of the HJ known as the League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Madel-BDM) and join the Party Women's Organization (NS-Frauenschaft) upon reaching the age of 21. The HJ for boys was divided into the Hitler Jugend proper (for boys from 14 to 18) and the Deutsches Jungvolk-DJ, for boys from 10 to 14.

NSF (NS Frauenschaft):National Socialist Women's League.
The NSF was organized to train other women in the Nazi female organizations in the fields of propaganda, press relations, personnel organization, office administration, welfare, nursing and red cross. Graduates of the NSF moved on to administer many important functions relating to the use of women in war production. The age group of the NSF ranged from 18 to 30 years.

NSFK (NS Flieqerkorps):National Socialist Flying Corps.
This organization incorporated all existing sport and commercial aviation interests into one Party-controlled organization in April 1937. The mission of the NSFK was the pre-military training of prospective members of the Luftwaffe (Air Force), post-military training of its reservists, and general furthering of air-mindedness among the German people. Its regional organization was like tha" of the SA, based on Gruppen and Standarten. Membership was voluntary but a new member could not be a member of the SS, SA, or NSKK at the same time.

OTHER NATIONAL SOCIALIST ORGANIZATIONS

NSDA; National Socialist German Doctor's League

NSBDT; N.S. League of German Technicians

NSL; National Socialist Teacher's League

DAV; National Union for German Elements Abroad

DRK; German Red Cross

NSBO; National Socialist Farmer's Organization

NSV; National Socialist People's Charities

DSDF; NS State League of German Nurses

NSD Studentenbund; NS Student's Bund

RDF; State League of German Families

DAF; German Labor Front

SD; Security Service

Unattributed (probably Rudolf Kahl): "The Military Press" c. 1968