Marine Abzeichen des Wachoffiziers von Dienst

[Gordon Craig]

On 8 August 1957 some new badges for different services were introduced. One of these new badges was the badge for Watch Officers in the Bundesmarine. This badge had existed in the past as early as the Reichsmarine, where it was nicknamed "the fried egg" and was also used in the Kriegsmarine. It is gold in colour and measures 64mm high by 52mm wide. It is worn by slipping the wide pin on the back into the left breast pocket of the service tunic of Officers and Bootsmänner.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,
I didn't have enough time to finish this thread last night so here we are now.

The Bundesmarine measurement of the Watch Officers badge were the same as those of the Kriegsmarine. There were three different methods of attaching the Kriegsmarine badge:
1-pin attachment;
2-spring clip (probably very similar to the BM issue badge);
3-two loops and a cotter-key type pin.

Pictures of the Kriegsmarine badge, and the badge in wear, from Volume 2 "The Kriegsmarine Uniforms and Traditions" by Angolia and Schlicht.

[Gordon Craig]

For unteroffizier in the Bundesmarine there was a white plastic armband to wear when serving as a member of the Watch. It bore the same metal device as the Officer of the Watch and was worn on the right arm above the elbow. Sewn to the inside of the armband was a grey cloth lining to help it stay in place on the sleeve.
Pictured below is one of these armbands in the plastic envelope it is originally issued in.

[Gordon Craig]

This armband was also worn in the Kriegsmarine. It is shown below in wear in a picture which is also from Angolia and Schlicht's book.
The second picture is out of place because I got ahead of my self in posting to the thread. It shows the BM badge in wear while piping an Admiral ashore.
The BM pictures are all from Kunstwadl's book.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

Some more info to add. Marc Sherriff was kind enough to send me pictures of his white armband. He pointed out something that I had not noticed. That the badge was held on by metal loops which passed through the belt and were held on by two small cotter type pins. This is pictured below. The first photo shows the small plastic flap that covered the back of the badge where it protrudes through the arm band. The other is self explanatory.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

Some of you may be wondering why I have included the information on the Kriegsmarine badge. Since there was no swastika on this badge it was no doubt worn on ships by ex Kreigsmarine personnel employed in mine sweeping etc after the war and in the BW until the new badge could be produced and perhaps even after that.
Here are pictures of an actual KM Watch Officers badge.

[Towarish]

Some of you may be wondering why I have included the information on the Kriegsmarine badge. Since there was no swastika on this badge it was no doubt worn on ships by ex Kreigsmarine personnel employed in mine sweeping etc after the war and in the BW until the new badge could be produced and perhaps even after that.
Here are pictures of an actual KM Watch Officers badge.

Nice badge.
I have seen it fairly often in wear when we had a OvWa from the Marine.

Cheers,
Philipp