Horst Sabac el Cher:
“Show me the regulation, and I’ll show you the exception.”
Proud young ShB member:
“Show me the regulation, and I’ll show you the exception.”
Former Freikorps in the Stahlhelmbund
Landes-verband Gross Berlin which included Regiment Reinhard, formed from the former Freikorps, Freiwilligen-Brigade Reinhard, Regiment Potsdam, formed from the former Freikorps Potsdam and Sportvereins Olympia, formed by former members of Schutzregiment Gross-Berlin and Freiwilligen-Brigade Reinhard.
Deutscher Verein für Leibesübungen Olympia / Sportvereins Olympia
Founded in May 1920 by former members of Schutzregiment Gross-Berlin and Freiwilligen-Brigade Reinhard who had not entered the Reichswehr and who had not been disbanded as a result of participation in the Kapp Putsch.
The general goal of the organization was to unify cadres of former Freikorps and Einwohnerwehr fighters to continue military training under the guise of a sports club. Sportsvereins Olympia consisted of a stable core of militarily experienced active members (about 2000 men) and a pure training section (first operating under the name of the Reinhard-Jugend and later as Jugendbund Olympia) with limited membership of between 500 to 1000 men.
Sportvereins Olympia together with the Wiking-bund (formerly Marine-Brigade Ehrhardt) were ordered disbanded in 1926 and remnants drifted into the Berlin Stahlhelmbund and SA.
Regiment Reinhard
Regiment Reinhard 'specialty' sleeve badge worn on the Stahlhelm tunic for a brief period in the mid-1920s.
The "R" insignia was mentioned in the dress-regulations from May 1925:
Anzugsbestimmungen für den Gau I ("Gruppe Reinhard") des Stahlhelm
Landes-Verband Gross-Berlin.
The small version officially had to be worn on top of the cap, beneath the
regular Stahlhelm insignia (Beschreibung Mütze); upon the left upper arm the
larger version had to be won, sewn on (Beschreibung Windjacke).
The earlier shown photo, shows the use of both of them: cap between steel-helmet
and cockade; left upper arm.
With this photo from May 31, 1929 the one with the headgear was no longer worn:
The "Reinhard" badge was worn at least until ultimate 1933.
With the date September 23, 1933 Hitler authorized the steel-helmet organization
to wear the early pattern NSDAP eagle with the headgear.
Last edited by Wilhelm Saris; 05-19-2017 at 08:36 AM.
Question for bolewts58:
the R with steel helmet on cloth isn't this a speciality-patch for Radfahrer
from the Bund der Frontsoldaten (so all bicyclists) ?
I have seen it mentioned in my masses of Stahlhelm-material.
It is anyway mentioned in the order from the High Command (Verfügung
Bundesamt) from 1932 (Bk/IIa 1625/32).
It was not mentioned in the earlier mentioned dress-regulation from 1925
for "Reinhard".
You're probably right, come to think of it. It has been identified by most Freikorps and Stahlhelm collectors over the years as Regiment Reinhard and was sold originally by Weitze as that. So, I just went with this prevailing idea. But, logically, since Regt. Reinhard continued to use their Freikorps insignia, it doesn't make sense that they would have also had this. The only question is, why was it made as an embroidered cloth badge similar to Preliminary Reichswehr regimental sleeve badges, when all other Stahlhelm specialist badges were toned silver metal badges on blue cloth sewn to a backing plate? Also, this is the 1925 specialist badge chart which shows this badge at the end. It does make sense that there would be a Radfahrer specialist badge. I just wonder, if that's what it is, why is it so different from the others and what is the spoked wheel badge in the bottom row? I always though that was for Radfahrer.
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