Review of the Army Paratrooper Badge chapter in the recent Tucker / Previtera book on Military Badges of the Third Reich.
I am going to try to look at this in two ( 2 ) sections. The first regarding the images, the second regarding the content of the text.
1. IMAGES
1a. Omissions.
1st pattern badge in aluminum (cut out talon)
1st pattern badge in aluminum (reinforced talon)
FIK pattern badge in 800 silver
FIB pattern badge in 800 silver
1943 pattern badge in feldgrau cloth
1b. Present Images
2nd pattern badge in aluminum / marked (reproduction)
2nd pattern badge in aluminum / unmarked (reproduction)
1943 pattern badge in feinzink (original)
1938 pattern badge in bluegreen cloth (original)
Case marked “Heeres = Fallschirmspringer Abzeichen” (reproduction)
2. TEXT
• On the first page of the chapter, after correctly stating that the FIB was incorporated into the Luftwaffe, the text goes on to say that, after the transfer “some of them still wore their army qualification badges with pride”. This statement could perhaps be misleading. In fact ALL former members of the FIK/FIB wore their original issue army badges until they were officially awarded the Luftwaffe badge on December 18, 1943. Even after being awarded the Luftwaffe version of the badge, very few chose to wear it in place of their army badge.
• The book mentions that the “beard” (under the Wehrmachtadler’s beak) and the “rearward pointing claw” are “traits in determining authenticity” .This again could be very misleading. For one thing, many reproductions produced over the last two decades include both of these features, and some original badges, the 1st pattern in aluminum and both the 1st and 2nd pattern silver badges, did not have “beards”, with the anomalous exception of one 1st pattern (full cut out talon) badge recently found that had its “beard” only partially tooled away.
• The book states that “holes were drilled in the reverse of the wreaths to secure the catch“. This is true of fakes such as the ones pictured but simply untrue of original badges. In fact the “C” form catches on original badges were soldered directly to the reverse of the wreathes of aluminum and silver badges, and soldered to a round plate soldered in turn to the reverse of the wreath in the case of the 1943 feinzink badges.
• “Aluminum badges may have been manufactured through 1941 as replacements” , “Zinc badges may have been produced prior to 1943 as replacements” These statements are certainly meant to leave the door open to an argument that would support the existence of odd, unusual, and non-conformance badges. I would though, be interested to hear exactly what the evidence is that would support either of these two statements.
• The author correctly mentions that badges in 800 silver were 1. "private purchase" (Queen/Keating “Silver Badges” paragraph one, line one) and that 2. "Since few were willing to pay for these badges, army paratrooper badges made from silver are extremely rare" (Queen/Keating “Silver Badges” paragraph two, line three). Unfortunately though he mentions only that they were made from the same dies as the first pattern aluminum badge. He doesn’t mention which first pattern (the reinforced talon) and he doesn’t mention that the badge was also produced for the FIB using the second pattern dies (but with the “beard” tooled out, etc.etc.)
• The presentation case for the badge. There was no such thing as the “Heeres = Fallschirmspringer Abzeichen” The prewar cases for the badges in aluminum (as the pictured case purports to be (dated 1938) ) were marked simply “Fallschirmschutzen = Abzeichen” or just “Fallschirmschutzen”. This just would not have existed pre war. At that time the badge did not even have an official “Heer” designation. Although in soldbuchs (which were first issued to army paratroopers on Sept. 2, 1939) you will see cases where the word "Heer' exists in parentheses (Heer) after the word Fallschirmschuetzenabzeichen, but this was not official until the June 1, 1943 reinstatement which renamed the badge “Fallschirmschuetzenabzeichen des Heeres” You will notice even on the official Verleihungsurkunde for the badge, it says simply Fallschirmschuetzenabzeichen.
I am going to try to look at this in two ( 2 ) sections. The first regarding the images, the second regarding the content of the text.
1. IMAGES
1a. Omissions.
1st pattern badge in aluminum (cut out talon)
1st pattern badge in aluminum (reinforced talon)
FIK pattern badge in 800 silver
FIB pattern badge in 800 silver
1943 pattern badge in feldgrau cloth
1b. Present Images
2nd pattern badge in aluminum / marked (reproduction)
2nd pattern badge in aluminum / unmarked (reproduction)
1943 pattern badge in feinzink (original)
1938 pattern badge in bluegreen cloth (original)
Case marked “Heeres = Fallschirmspringer Abzeichen” (reproduction)
2. TEXT
• On the first page of the chapter, after correctly stating that the FIB was incorporated into the Luftwaffe, the text goes on to say that, after the transfer “some of them still wore their army qualification badges with pride”. This statement could perhaps be misleading. In fact ALL former members of the FIK/FIB wore their original issue army badges until they were officially awarded the Luftwaffe badge on December 18, 1943. Even after being awarded the Luftwaffe version of the badge, very few chose to wear it in place of their army badge.
• The book mentions that the “beard” (under the Wehrmachtadler’s beak) and the “rearward pointing claw” are “traits in determining authenticity” .This again could be very misleading. For one thing, many reproductions produced over the last two decades include both of these features, and some original badges, the 1st pattern in aluminum and both the 1st and 2nd pattern silver badges, did not have “beards”, with the anomalous exception of one 1st pattern (full cut out talon) badge recently found that had its “beard” only partially tooled away.
• The book states that “holes were drilled in the reverse of the wreaths to secure the catch“. This is true of fakes such as the ones pictured but simply untrue of original badges. In fact the “C” form catches on original badges were soldered directly to the reverse of the wreathes of aluminum and silver badges, and soldered to a round plate soldered in turn to the reverse of the wreath in the case of the 1943 feinzink badges.
• “Aluminum badges may have been manufactured through 1941 as replacements” , “Zinc badges may have been produced prior to 1943 as replacements” These statements are certainly meant to leave the door open to an argument that would support the existence of odd, unusual, and non-conformance badges. I would though, be interested to hear exactly what the evidence is that would support either of these two statements.
• The author correctly mentions that badges in 800 silver were 1. "private purchase" (Queen/Keating “Silver Badges” paragraph one, line one) and that 2. "Since few were willing to pay for these badges, army paratrooper badges made from silver are extremely rare" (Queen/Keating “Silver Badges” paragraph two, line three). Unfortunately though he mentions only that they were made from the same dies as the first pattern aluminum badge. He doesn’t mention which first pattern (the reinforced talon) and he doesn’t mention that the badge was also produced for the FIB using the second pattern dies (but with the “beard” tooled out, etc.etc.)
• The presentation case for the badge. There was no such thing as the “Heeres = Fallschirmspringer Abzeichen” The prewar cases for the badges in aluminum (as the pictured case purports to be (dated 1938) ) were marked simply “Fallschirmschutzen = Abzeichen” or just “Fallschirmschutzen”. This just would not have existed pre war. At that time the badge did not even have an official “Heer” designation. Although in soldbuchs (which were first issued to army paratroopers on Sept. 2, 1939) you will see cases where the word "Heer' exists in parentheses (Heer) after the word Fallschirmschuetzenabzeichen, but this was not official until the June 1, 1943 reinstatement which renamed the badge “Fallschirmschuetzenabzeichen des Heeres” You will notice even on the official Verleihungsurkunde for the badge, it says simply Fallschirmschuetzenabzeichen.
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