original Werkluftschutz Sachen sleeve insignia

[bittaker]

anyone who have any thoughts about this piece that i got from Weize?
i have seen the one shown in this thread https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/cloth...schutz-410554/
i do not have any knowledge if these have been faked yet?!!
thank you.
Stig

[harryamb2]

looks ok to me.

[Fiver64]

Here is a photo of the uniform on which your patch was worn. New to the forum (hello all) and finding the topics quite interesting.

Thought I’d share a bit of my own family history regarding WLS. My grandfather, Bruno Muller, (in photo) was the Werkluftschutzleiter (and son of the owner) for the “Zahnraderfabrik Max Muller,” in Leipzig (Saxony). The factory made various war-effort items including bogie-wheels and gears for tanks and other vehicles.

In a conversation with author Jack Angolia (back in the late 90’s), he mentioned that there were no known photos of a complete Werkluftschutzleiter uniform. At the time, I had 3 photos of my grandfather posing (full body shots) in the complete uniform, from all angles. I still have them somewhere, and Jack jumped at the chance to acquire the photos, though I don’t know if he ever did use them in any book. The attached photo is the only one that I have readily at-hand. Thought you folks might find it interesting. The left sleeve had the state and the WLS emblem.

Anyway, my grandfather told me a little story about the uniform. He said that it was private purchase only, expensive, and very few folks ever bothered to buy them. He described it as, “very dark blue…almost black,” which ended up causing problems later.

As the allies closed in on Leipzig in 1945, he said he was worried about being possibly mis-identified as SS, since (being a factory owner) he was a member of the party. He told me that he burned the uniform and buried the remains in the back yard. Instead, he thought he could convince the allies (who were now actively rounding up suspected SS and party members) that he was just a lowly soldier. He said that he found an abandoned Heer Unteroffizier tunic and had his photo taken. He intended to show the photo to the allies as proof of, “just being a regular soldier.” Our family still has the photo of him wear the corporal’s tunic, which was way too small and obviously unconvincing.

Anyway, it didn’t work. He was rounded up and spent the next 9 months in various internment camps (including Dachau) until his true history could be established. He lamented that he only made the situation worse by creating the false story. I did inherit his various sports medals, etc., but I regret the burning of the uniform. Would have been nice to have!

[kirby]

Here is one I have owned for 20+ years. Looks about the same except for the backing material. I doubt they are faking these but you never know. I have seen a few at the SOS and the Max and they all looked about the same. There is an bullion officers version. I have only seen one of those but the dealer was asking over $1000. A rare patch but way more than I thought it was worth.