Article about: Hello all, The time has come to bite the bullet and show this one... Again, I got this one many years ago from a (seemingly honest) chap, who came upon it in a house-clearance, along with my
Hello all,
The time has come to bite the bullet and show this one...
Again, I got this one many years ago from a (seemingly honest) chap, who came upon it in a house-clearance, along with my (original) Luftwaffe Tropical Feldmuetze.
I really want it to be original too, of course, but I have never found any reference to this style of font, with fine diagonal ridges.
The tag would, theoretically, be for a camp guard or staff member and has clearly been broken in half at some point and then reassembled and secured with a sheet metal backing. The chain is exactly as found.
I really like it and hope you do too, though I’m braced for the worst...
My thanks for your comments and very best wishes,
Bob
Oh, that’s wonderful news!
The fact that this came from a trusted source, direct from a house clearance, via a gentleman from whom I acquired a good few items, always made me think it could be real...
It is wonderful to have this confirmed after so many years.
Thank you so much for the link, BlackCat, and your kind comments Dschop.
It does seem strange that the inmates of Stalag-Luft I should have received such high quality discs, as opposed to the standard square types.
I have always been intrigued by the story behind these two items (the disc and Luftwaffe Tropenmuetze), coming from the veteran’s souvenirs.
I don’t imagine such records exist, but is there any way to identify the wearer of this disc?
Many thanks again for your comments and advice, Gentlemen.
Bob
You have the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and they can provide info about the wearer if the emarke. It's just that you have to be next of kin, or else you will not get the info.
That is the big drawback with all these archives...
If you’re not next of kin (which I am clearly not), the door remains firmly shut, bolted and has large pieces of crooked wood nailed across it.
Dead end before you start.
It almost makes you wonder why these places even exist.
It’s so sad, with all this history and information languishing unread in a locked room.
I understand why this ruling exists, to protect the privacy of the families, but I cannot help but wonder how many families search for these documents.
You have the Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt) and they can provide info about the wearer if the emarke. It's just that you have to be next of kin, or else you will not get the info.
Regards, Rik
Rik, as this item belonged to a POW the WaSt in Berlin won't have this information. It's possible the international Red Cross might have some database lists of numbers from this camp, but it was huge so it's not an easy task. I'm guessing the inmate was an Englishman if you got this in the UK Bob?
Keep hoping mate! As long as you like...
(That’s a ‘no’, by the way).
Thanks for the link, looks interesting. I’ll have a good rummage through that later.
I’m still not convinced it is a POW tag, however. It seems a tad fancy to give to a prisoner, when they would ordinarily receive the standard (and surely standardised) square type. Furthermore, this is of the military style, and you know what these Germans are like about ‘rules’.
I have no evidence, of course, but I still favour the idea that it would be for regular camp staff personnel.
As you know, many of the guards themselves were transferred in from other units, older reservists, or while recuperating from wounds, and might possibly retain their original tags, although it may be that these tags were issued to them upon joining the Stalag.
The half tag that was found amongst the veteran’s effects (per your previous link), might not have actually been worn by him, rather acquired as a souvenir after liberation.
Mine, sadly, came with no history whatsoever, other than again having been found amongst the veteran’s effects.
Ultimately, it makes no difference who wore it. Either way, it’s a fabulous piece of history and I am open to pursuing any possible line of research.
EkM for Stalag-Luft Barth-Vogelsang
.
by Dschop
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