another fake HJ helmet ?

[easternwarfront]

I managed to dig up my picture about the same type fake HJ decal.

[Anders]

I boldly made the statement that HJ helmets did not have decals on a thread over at German daggers and was very quickly proven wrong by a nice fellow from Sweden.
Here are the pictures I borrowed from that thread.

Ohh I'm beeing called a nice fellow from Sweden, thanks Steve!!

Jim that is a cool helmet
And Doug, I have had that helmet in my hands

[helmet2id]

Ohh I'm beeing called a nice fellow from Sweden, thanks Steve!!

Jim that is a cool helmet
And Doug, I have had that helmet in my hands

Well Anders, I owe this gem to you! Thanks again for making the purchase possible - it has found a permanent place on my shelf. Cheers, Jim G.

[kenbent]

[Jerry]

Hi,

I am no expert in helmets at all. Thus I can't compete with you guys in that field. However, my German is pretty good - being a native German :-)

Anyway, 2 posts in this long thread include pictures of HJ gear and the assumption was that they show a fire brigade's helmets and gear. This assumption is IMHO wrong, the text below the picture reads: "Auch in einem Zeltlager herrscht Ordnung wie auf einer Feuerwache. (Ertüchtigungslager der Reichsjugendführung bei Sperenberg 1938)."

"Word by word" translation: Even in a tent camp rules order like (or as) in a fire station. (Training camp of the Reichsjugendführung near Sperenberg 1938)

I know, that sounds as clumsy as a Google Translate thingie. I posted it on purpose in that way, so you can follow the words more or less one by one.

The important info is: It was a camp organized by the Reichsjugendführung. And it was "neat and orderly" LIKE in a fire station. This definitely means that "wie auf einer Feuerwache" is just a comparison and thus this picture definitely does NOT depict a fire brigade or similar.

A side note: the word "Ertüchtigungslager" would not be used nowadays - connotation to Nazi speak. Ertüchtigung literally means "to make fit" in a more or less military sense (stemming from how it was used in the past). This is frowned upon nowadays in Germany - and more so when it gets to kids.

I hope I could clear up this side issue.

Regards,

Jerry

[kenbent]

Jerry,

This picture proves that the gear pictured on page 2 was indeed the gear of a Hitlerjugend fire squad:



Cheers,
Ken

[Jerry]

Hi Ken,

you may well be right. Thus, the "wie auf einer Feuerwache" refers to the comparison "Feuerwache vs. field camp/training camp" of a HJ fire brigade? The strange helmets with those strange metal things on top (don't know what they might be called) are another sign that you are right.

OK - I learned something there. Your new pic definitely proves you're right. BTW, the text below that new pic is strange to someone speaking "modern German" too - they used the word "Angriffstrupp". Nowadays, this word would never be used for non-military units.

Regards,

Jerry

[kenbent]

Hi Jerry,

Well, I didn't really want to prove anything. But I recalled seeing this picture when I googled 'Hitlerjugend', so I thought I could as well add it to the thread to avoid confusion.

I believe the two pictures are of the same series, this one was found in the Fulda Archives. The credit is indeed in 'old' German, and original to the picture and the era.

Take a look at their uniforms, you will notice that they are exactly the same... No doubt about it, it's a Hitlerjugend fire squad. On the Internet I also found an article stating that the youth was used to extinguish fires at the time, along with some other chores...

Cheers,
Ken

[Jerry]

Hi Ken,

there was absolutely no criticism in my words with regards to the "proof". It was great that you showed this pic because it really tells the story convincingly. I only had my doubts as to the "fire brigade" part because of the comparison in the German text below that picture posted here.

It is always good to learn. And when I am mistaken, I have no problem admitting it,

Cheers,

Jerry

[Gwar]

Posted on a FB page..