57er stick pin in wear........

[oradour]

Ladies and Gents, I received a small collection of photographs (not reprints/copies), showing what appears to be some sort of inter-services open day or recruitment day, either from 1963 or shortly after, it shows BW men from all three services, Luftwaffe, Heer and Marine. I have attached the photographs for your perusal....the set included a post card studio portrait of a WW2 veteran in civilian garb, displaying on lapel of his jacket a 57er stick pin. It is rare IMO to see photographs of such stick pin devices being worn (hence this post)......the pin shows the EK I, EK II, wound badge and Fallshirmjager qualification badge. It would appear the man joined the BW at a later date than the sudio portrait..as I feel that he would of been in uniform for his staged/posed studio photo, as was the norm at the time....as he appears a little younger than in the two smaller photographs in which he appears in, he is the the Luftwaffe NCO (Stabsunteroffizier) shown positioned centre in photo 8 and third standing NCO in photo 9 (close ups of photos 4 & 5). Strange he did not continue his career in the Fallschirmjager (then part of the Heer in the BW) perhaps his loyalty was to the Luftwaffe !
Prost ! Steve.