The Machinegunner Sharpshooters Badge

[ynot]

Going by the last couple of scans, it looks like my long pin theory could possibly be out of the window?

I'm looking forward to you finding more good ones.

Tony

[Don D.]

another badge

Repro badge made for re-enactors.

[Don D.]

Repro badge made for re-enactors.

[Don D.]

A quick question- I know that WW1 vets wore their pilots badges, sub badges etc... when recalled to duty for WW2 but does anyone have a photo of one wearing a machinegunners badge after 1939?
thanks
Don

[Steve Conway]

Hi Don,

One of the items around these badges that Frank H thought was a good indication of picking the fakes was the absence of a period/fullstop at the end of the makers mark address. From memory Frank said the practice of placing a period after the address stopped just prior to WW2 whereas period issued badges would have a period after the address.

I don't know if this is still a view held but I know he discussed this with Brian S.

Regards

Steve

[Chris Boonzaier]

A quick question- I know that WW1 vets wore their pilots badges, sub badges etc... when recalled to duty for WW2 but does anyone have a photo of one wearing a machinegunners badge after 1939?
thanks
Don

I always assumed that it was a branch of service badge, not a qualification badge as such. If so then this branch no longerexisted and it could no longer be worn (Kind of like a cap tally in the navy)

[Don D.]

Thanks guys.
Don

[Brian S]

Don, just found this.

You picked the right one to buy!

[Don D.]

Thanks Brian. I did alot of research via old photos and surfing the net to finnally settle on this one. Thanks for the inspiration.
Don

[Brian S]

Don, I'm surprised you didn't include this photo. This is irrefutable evidence that the one I have did belong to the guy in my photo.

[Brian S]

I like to use the word irrefutable...it's so .

Remember this is a portrait photo and it's extremely blown up. But the holes are all there as is the barrel shape and other characteristics not found on the Juncker fakes.

[Don D.]

Exactly the point I was alluding to when I started this thread. The front leg and the gaps in the rear are the key. I was hoping you would jump in sooner or later.
thanks.
Don

ps. what do you know of other makers for this badge?

[Aave Johns]

[QUOTE=Chris Boonzaier]I would imagine it would have the effect of "no Return" just like the stories of gunners cahined to their guns. If you are wearing this, you might as well not surrender.

Dont forget, these were not guys in a regular infantry company. When Ludendorfs flexible defence system was implemented, these guys were stationed not in the front line but in the checkerboard of hidden machine gun nests and pillboxes behind the first positions. The positions were built to hit the allies by suprise, mostly with flanking fire as soon as they had passed through the first line of defence.

The chances of someone saying "oh, okay, you surrender then" would have been pretty minimal to say the least. At least if captured in the heat of combat.

Chris we are not talking about WW2 here. There is little evidence of summary execution of prisoners in WW1, as a system of honor existed that we probably couldn't fathom these days. There was little ill-treatment of prisoners as the rules of war were more or less stuck too. It was a savage war, but not in the same league as the inhumanity of WW2, which was a clash of ideaology. Even early in Barbarossa older German units were appalled by the fact that when they over-ran Russian units, instead of honorably surrendering as the position/trench was taken they fired into the backs of the German's first wave as they passed by. This led to reprisals which continued to worse crimes, though many units had already been indoctrinated with hate ie SS units, and younger formations that had grown up with Hitlers Nazi propoganda.

Regards
Johnsy

[Chris Boonzaier]

I dont know Johnsy, a number of british books talk about the killing of people trying to surrender, the australians coined the phrase "to late mate" and I am just reading a book by a highly decorated Bavarian, am actually on the page where he describes an attack by the French. paraphrased he wrote "The French come forward, killing all of those who try and surrender. it is only normal, we have been mowing them down during the attack and pelting them with grenades, in such a case it is to late to surrender" (and exactly in situations like that the "to late mate" thing is heard).

There are plenty of books with accounts of such happenings.

Another book, Infantrist Penobstler mentions a case where the day aftr a trench raid they (the Bavarians) find single british stragglers behind their lines. Furious at the losses they suffered they killed them out of hand, unless an officer was there to stop it.

[Brian S]

For absolute clarity this is the


Aermelzbzeichen der MG-Scharfschuetzen-Formationen.

An insignia or badge...