Seenotdienst cap badge

[wizardman]

I recently got this off a good friend and forum member...havent seen too many of these. now if i could just get a hat to go with it

[StuG III]

A first for me, but I do like it. Hope you get a cap soon.

Tom

[harryamb2]

a rare cap badge nice find

[Landser I]

Looks interesting, I haven't seen any uniforms with naked swastikas before. Looks like an early pattern.

[wizardman]

Just found one that sold with a hat for 5000 Euro!!!, hat might have to wait

[AZPhil]

Lake Emergency Service. Did I translate that correctly wizardman?
A first time for me also seeing this type of cap badge.
A very interesting badge and looks to be in great condition

Semper Fi
Phil

[wizardman]

Air-Sea Rescue Service, mate

[HPL2008]

Lake Emergency Service. Did I translate that correctly wizardman?

Err... no, Phil: Der See = the lake, die See = the sea. In this case, it is the latter.

The Luftwaffe's Seenotdienst [Maritime Emergency Service] ran rescue vessels whose responsibility was rescuing downed aircrew from the seas.

It was established in late 1935 and originally operated in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. After the outbreak of war, its area of operations was greatly enlarged and eventually encompassed the waters off-shore of England, the French coast, the Atlantic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

It was part of what could be called the navy of the air force:

The Luftwaffe had quite a number of seagoing vessels crewed by Luftwaffe military personnel and/or civilian employees. This cap badge is for the latter group. Unless I am mistaken, it was not exclusive to the Seenotdienst, but worn by crews of other Luftwaffe-run ships and boats, as well.

Apart from the rescue vessels, these included supply boats, coastal ferries, Flak platforms, air traffic control ships and such.