Battle of Jutland Memorial Plaque.

[Scout]

Am I correct in assuming, that this is a plaque commemorating a memorial trip made by the German Automobile Club in honour of the Battle of Jutland and also the ships taking part in the battle?

I assume, its was trip in the vicinity of (the merged cities of) Wilhelmshaven-Rüstringen?

The number '19,' I assume is the number of the administrative region North Sea?

BTW Im not the owner of this plaque, Im neither selling nor buying - just interested

[drmessimer]

Scout: You are right on all counts. The DDAC was the Deutschen Damen-Automobilclub which functioned under the umbrella of the NSKK. The plaque was given to every DDAC member in the 19th subdivision of the North Sea club district who took part in the 1935 motor caravan to Wilhelmshaven-Rüstingen. The plaque measures 102mm by 71mm, roughly 4 inches by three. The history of the DDAK and its relationship to the NSKK is found in Dorothee Hochstetter, Motorisierung und Volksgemeinschaft: Das Nationalsozialistische KrafrfahrKorps (NSKK) 1931-1945, Oldenbourg: Institut für Zeatgeschichte, 2005. Dwight

[Scout]

Thank you very much for confirming.

Are you sure the DDAC is the Deutchen Damen-Automibilclub and not 'Der Deutsche Automobil Club?'

[drmessimer]

Scout: It is indeed Deutsche Damen Autoclub founded by Bertha Benz et al on 18 May 1926, as described in the following quote from Mercedes Benz Magazine, "Kein Wunder also, dass Bertha Benz später auch Ehrenmitglied des Deutschen Damen Automobil Clubs (DDAC) wurde, der am 18. Mai 1926 in Berlin von Lucy Elisabeth Freifrau von Linsingen und sechs weiteren couragierten Damen gegründet wurde." Dwight

[Scout]

Scout: It is indeed Deutsche Damen Autoclub founded by Bertha Benz et al on 18 May 1926, as described in the following quote from Mercedes Benz Magazine, "Kein Wunder also, dass Bertha Benz später auch Ehrenmitglied des Deutschen Damen Automobil Clubs (DDAC) wurde, der am 18. Mai 1926 in Berlin von Lucy Elisabeth Freifrau von Linsingen und sechs weiteren couragierten Damen gegründet wurde." Dwight

Great pic. Thanks for info.
Either many websites got it wrong or the club later changed name, because many sites have it down as 'Der Deutsche AutomobilClub.'
I wonder why a ladies club would celebrate the memory of the Battle of Jutland - but I guess, it was just in the spirit of the time to be patriotic/a nationalist whether you were a man or a lady.

'Hence its a small wonder that Bertha Benz also later became an honorary member of the German Ladies Automobile Club, which was founded on the 18. May 1926 in Berlin by Lucy Elisabeth Freifrau von Linsingen and six other brave ladies.'

Of course she is called Bertha!

That is one behemoth of a Benz! Beautiful. Although not the size of a MB 770.

[drmessimer]

Scout: The DDAC is still active and has its own web site at DDAC | Home. During the years 1933-45, the DDAC and all other automobile clubs were gathered under the NSKK Gleichschaltung umbrella, but most retained their original names. The main automobile club in Germany was and still is the Allgemeine Deutsche Automobile Club (ADAC) Dwight

[Scout]

Thanks for info.
Have you any other info on these memorial trips - would it have been a bunch of ladies - no pesky husbands - driving a pre-determined route?

[drmessimer]

Scout: Digging deep into Messimer's Trove of Worthless Knowledge; The auto caravans were propaganda events to promote "awareness and interest" in motoring, not that the common worker could afford the "sport." The caravans in this particular case were entirely women, mostly very wealthy, properly esccorted by the press and NSKK outriders. The caravans were well orchestrated spectacles that were typical of all TR era public events. By-the-way, those particular plaques are fairly common on the collectors' market in Germany and are selling for around 60 Eur. Dwight

[Horst]

Dwight - Great information relative to the Deutsche Damen Autoclub - thanks for posting.

Horst

[Scout]

Scout: Digging deep into Messimer's Trove of Worthless Knowledge; The auto caravans were propaganda events to promote "awareness and interest" in motoring, not that the common worker could afford the "sport." The caravans in this particular case were entirely women, mostly very wealthy, properly esccorted by the press and NSKK outriders. The caravans were well orchestrated spectacles that were typical of all TR era public events. By-the-way, those particular plaques are fairly common on the collectors' market in Germany and are selling for around 60 Eur. Dwight

Thank you.
Most excellent info and so far from being 'worthless knowledge,' that I cant even see the advance warning sign for worthless knowledge from here.

As for worthless knowledge: I had an ongoing competition with a friend. Every time we would see each other at work on our different work hours, we would have a running joke about who could best the other at what we called completely useless knowledge.
I won the day, he called me out and claimed, that I didnt know the old name for the French Michelin tire figure in ads that hadnt run in my country for decades.
I dug and I dug and finally it emerged from the depths of who knows where. To this day, I dont know how I came up with it in front of the guy. No internet, no life line, no nothing.
Certainly hadnt thought of decades old french tire commercials for years and years.
Then I had a question. I asked him, what the the name of the famous mountain was, that the GI stormed on Iwo and what the meaning of the name was.
He failed and never wanted to play again

'Knowledge aint useless!'