Mystery Insignia (to me anyway) - ID request
Good day everyone,
I do not usually post on this area of the forum, but have had this striking piece of insignia for several decades and have never been able to identify it. I was given the badge in the very early 1980s, when at college.
As you see, the three-piece insignia bears a beautifully enamelled central disc and measures approximately 92mm in diameter.
I hope (and am sure) someone here will be able to solve this little mystery...
My thanks in advance and very best wishes to all,
Bob
Any ideas?
It was a veteran bring-back, given to me by the grandson of a Polish soldier who served in Italy, then on into NW Europe, prior to settling down in the UK...
(Not that any of that helps).
Hoping for answers,
Bob
Bob,
Personally I would think this was a fantasy item. The silver background star is identical to a number of fake Grand Cross of the Iron Cross etc type items that can be seen, especially on ebay.
I have certainly never seen anything like what you have and to me personally, it looks like something someone has knocked up from bits lying around in a drawer.
Of course, this is just my opinion.
Jamie
The prongs on the reverse look too untidy for this to be aceeptable - but if it was given from a veterans family then perhaps he put it together himself. Attaching such evidence to this item gives it provenance, even if it is a "fantasy/fake" item. The reason why the old Polish gentleman did this is otherwise lost to history.
Thanks for your comments gentlemen, though to me it seems remarkable that, if it were just cobbled together from bits, all the holes line up so perfectly to put everything in the right place.
I see what you mean about the prongs, being rather on the wobbly side, however.
Everything is nice and tight though.
It was suggested to me, many years ago, that it may be the centrepiece from a party standard bearers gorget the coloured disc (perhaps) denoting a region, though I have found no photographic or written evidence for this.
Cheers,
Bob
Last edited by Kohima; 06-20-2018 at 04:05 PM.
If the symbol is okay, is difficult to say, but the star and red eagle disc
was the symbol for the flags from the "Landesfeuerwehrverband" from
Oldenburg and as such in use in about 1933/1934. It is thought that with
such flags a specific gorget was worn with the same symbol.
Here a photo from my in Germany published gorget-book. No photo was
found stating the actual use, nor was documentation found, mentioning
the symbol. It is known that at least two flags with such patch are in
collections. The gorget was first shown in "Gorgets of the Third Reich"
by Deeter & Odegard.
Wonderful Wim!
To be honest: when I first saw the gorget I was convinced it being fantasy/4th Reich,by Anderson
but when I heard of the Oldenburg flags my opinion changed. The symbol upon the
patch said enough. We still have a lot to learn about the TR-period. There is still a
lot to be uncovered! Even so many years after the end of WWII.
You're a treasure Wim.
Thank you so much, Wilhelm!
Spot on.
Excellent work and a very old mystery thoroughly cleared up for me!
I hope I can someday return the favour.
Many thanks again,
Bob
Similar Threads
Posting Permissions
.
Bookmarks