Ship Captain's Badge of Inland Waterways

[Bob Hritz]

I picked up this unusual badge and seem to remember reading about it in a reference book. Does anyone remember where it was pictured. I believe a board member had one of these badges. I am looking for more info on these.
Bob Hritz

[mgidhagen]

Hi Bob,
As far as my poor German takes me, this could be some kind of proficiency badge for a pilot on the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal (today called "der Nord-Ostsee-Kanal"), i.e. the Kiel Canal, running from Kiel to Brunsbüttel. (At least it seems to say "K.-W.-Kanal-Lotse".) I am sorry that I can't provide any more information... Btw, the hinge, pin and catch look like the "Hermann Wernstein-type", don't they?
/Mike

[Bob Hritz]

The badge is the captain's badge for the inland waterways and canals. I understand they were civilian captains and the badge was property of the Reich, hence the serial number. I was interested if there are many different ones in collections. I have never seen another. The badge is large (55mm x 40mm) and the pin/hinge/catch sure looks like the Wernstein pattern.
Bob Hritz

[mgidhagen]

Truly a nice and interesting badge, although it is civilian...;-) However, I would still maintain my belief that your badge was rather given to a specifically trained river pilot of the Kiel Canal than being the badge of any inland waterways captain - at least if I have interpreted the inscriptions right...?
Just a theory...
/Mike

[Bob Hritz]

Hello Mikael,


You may be correct. I am just trying to remember where I read about badges such as these. It certainly many have been more than a river/canal captains badge, but I do not know more and am searching for information. It is fun finding something I have never seen in 35 years of searching for militaria.
Bob Hritz

[Chris Boonzaier]

I dont want to rain on the parade, but concerning the engraving of the B52 on the back.
Its done with a modern engraver, the kind that turn electrically, like a drill bit. This was not used in the 3rd Reich.
All the best
Chris

[Chris Boonzaier]

Hi Kai,
What makes you think this was done by hand ? the stripes from left to right in the furrows are from a rotating engraving head. This was a style never used in that period as far as I know, and is usually a sure sign for a post war engraving. Not only with German, but from any nation. I cannot say anything to the authenticity of the badge itself, but I would not accept that stlye of engraving in any pre 45 piece.

Bob, if the origin is 100% waterproof, I may wuilling to change my mind, but it would be like predating the invention of the television.

[Kai Winkler]

Hi Chris,
I am not the best specialist in how was made engravings but I know that this badges are real and that the numbers are allways engraved in a very simple technique.
I think the reason for the simple technique engraving is that the badges would ordered without the numbers and they get their numbers after a river pilot gets his licence.
What I dont understand is the "B" before the number of Bob's badge because my badge only have a number. Are their any different river pilot licence exist?
To the technique you think the engraving was done I only can say that you are maybe right and I be wrong but this technique is simple as well and instruments in the style like this you need to do this engraving I think would be used by dentists at this time and before.
The germans have rules for all and everything but the reality looks allways different, at this time and today!

[Luft62]

Regarding the "B 52" on this badge...

I used to have an IAB which had "AW 4" engraved on the rear of the wreath in a very similar type of engraving - done with a hand-held electric engraver.
I also had a Wound Badge in Silver - solid body - with "AW 9" engraved on it in a similar manner.

The "AW" stood for "Andrew Wilson" (or something similar) - I had bought these items in response from an ad in the newspaper and the vendor was a guy in his early twenties who picked these up when he was about 12. He had engraved them to mark them as his (each item individually numbered for cataloging!) - it didn't occur to him what he was actually doing.
I have also seen a German Dress Bayonet with "German Dagger" engraved along the edge of one of the bakolite grips.
Perhaps something similar happened to this badge after the war as part of a larger collection (ie. "B" for "Badge")?
It's amazing what some people do to some things - especially when they don't realise their value.
I wouldn't have thought that some post period engraving (hand engraved by an electric engraver) would be something that would play a large part in dismissing an item as being non-original.

Regards,
Tim

[Bob Hritz]

This is not machine pencil engraving. It looks like a rocker engraving done with a hand graver chiseling a small bit at a time.
Bob Hritz

[Ken Jasper]

Bob,

Based solely on the photo, I agree with your thoughts about the engraving. Congratulations on a great find.
Ken

[Lorenzo Brown]

I have to agree with Bob. An electric engraving head leaves a much finer, more concentric groove pattern than pictured here. This one looks done by hand.

[VerKuilen Ager]

Bob,
In response to your original question: you are probably recalling an article on this badge by Angolia in Volume 1, #1 of Bender's The Military Advisor. He identified it as a "Ship Captains' Badge of Inland Waterways" (not a Pilot). The badge pictured in that article differs in that the waterway is different and the reverse pin is of a different shape. It's tough to tell positively, but the engraving style of the number appears to be similar.