Kreigsmarine Armelband "afrika"

[W. C. Stump]

Here is Konteradmiral Paul Meixner wearing the Afrika Cuff Title and both the Silver and Gold German Crosses. The cuff title is a variant as it has no gold borders. The photograph compliments of Otto Spronk and his research and photographic files. I am seeking information about this cuff title. Any assistance will be most appreciated.

[W. C. Stump]

AFRIKA CUFF TITLE

Here is another picture Otto sent me of the Kreigsmarine Afrika Cuff title. Note that it has the gold borders.

[J Temple-West]

Hi W.C, an Interesting piece... I think you will find that both these cuffbands were of the unofficial variety, a number of strictly unofficial pieces were worn within KM units. The wear of these unofficial bands seems to have been tolerated untill the official "Afrika"with palms cufftitle was Introduced. Naval reg's also providing for the wear of the latter by KM personnel. I can't make out how the 2nd of the bands is constructed, Is It machine woven, or hand-embroided in wire? I would think, seeing that the owner was an officer, that It would be wire..

Hope this Is of some help...

[François SAEZ]

The one on the picture looks to me like a regular blue LW one and not KM.

[W. C. Stump]

AFRIKA CUFF TITLE

In the photo Konteradmiral Paul Meixner, "Chef des Marinekommandos Nordafrika and also Chef der Seetransportstellen in Nordafrika" wearing a KM-Afrika cuff title without the edge-stripes. The cuff title "AFRIKA" replaced the official unit cuff title "Afrikakorps". It was now a campaign honor equivalent to a campaign medal. It was designated to be worn on the left sleeve. Meixner is wearing his title contrary to regulations on his right sleeve, but officers of his rank were seldom challenged for violating the regulations. He is also wearing a variant of the cuff title as it has no gold borders. It may have even been a Luftwaffe title, but not being able to see it in color one can't tell. The title with palm trees could be worn by Kreigsmarine personnel as far as I can determine.

[Stijn David]

KM Africa cufftitle

Hello,


Quite interesting picture and im with Francois on this one => I believe he probably wears a Luftwaffe " Afrika " cufftitle in the picture.

After the introduction of the cuff. with palms KM personel was awarded the normal version and did wear it also, I have to search my archives but im pretty sure I have somwhere a nice picture of a KM KC holder wearing a regular piece.


Cordial Greetings,

[François SAEZ]

If you know how a LW one is made you don't need color picture - also, whatever the picture is in color or not, doesn't change the color of the cufftitle - white letters on a blue band

[J Temple-West]

So, Francois, If you didn't know, what would you say the colours were on this title, now? I think this Admiral was a 'little rebel', Cuff title ( unofficial, if It is a Luft title), on the wrong sleeve!! I don't know.

[W. C. Stump]

COLOR OF THE CUFF TITLES

I have owned the Luftwaffe "AFRIKA" cuff title on an officer's tunic and it was silver in color. I can't see an Admiral in the Kreigsmarine wearing a silver lettered cuff title on a gold trimed uniform. My personal feeling is that he had his uniform supplier add a special cuff title and wore it on the right sleeve and knew that no one would question him about it.

[François SAEZ]

John - please show me a LW AFRIKA (not AFRIKAKORPS) cufftitle with white borders (braid edgings)

Concerning the photo you have reworked, I will not have said it is a LW - As I have stated before, the one on the picture is an AFRIKA LW -

[W. C. Stump]

FOR JOHN

Have you ever seen a Luftwaffe AFRIKA with white borders? I haven't. I sure would like to see the Admiral's uniform for I bet the lettering is gold, not silver as is with the Luftwaffe cuff titles. Being such a high ranking officer he most likely had his uniforms all custom tailored right down to a gold lettered cuff title. I might be wrong, but just from the photo one can say it is LW for sure. this is just my humble opinion.

The Afrika Cuff Titles are covered on the Association site by by COL Scott Pritchett. I found a photograph of a Kreigsmarine officer wearing the AFRIKA cuff title with palm trees. Scott said that the Kreigsmarine cuff titles wre unofficial. He has a reproduced photo of a Kriegsmarine officer wearing the unofficial AFRIKA cuffband in machine embroidered gold thread on navy blue. I guess that explains why the Admiral was wearing a title like the Luftwaffe. It was unofficial and therefore he wore what he wanted and on the sleeve of his choice. Five will get you ten that the cuff title was in gold bullion.

[François SAEZ]

"Die Kriegsmarine - Uniforms & Traditions" - Angolia & Schlicht page 241
Cuff title "AFRIKA": in 1941/42 a cuff title was worn by some navy personnel employed in the North African theater of war. The dark blue 3.3 cm wide band had the hand-embroidered golden-yellow Latin capitals "AFRIKA" (and without border) and was worn on the lower LEFT sleeve of reefer jackets and brown tropical field blouses.

As far as I understand, on the Konteradmiral Paul Meixner' picture

1 - The Cuff Title is on the right
2 - The Cuff Title is without white borders (braid edgings)
3 - only LW "AFRIKA" Cuff titles are worn on the right and are without white borders (braid edgings)

[W. C. Stump]

I know little about AFRIKA cuff titles and less about the Luftwaffe period. However my friend Otto Spronk sent the photographs and said the following:

"Have attached for the thread a nice sample of the KM-Afrika cufftitle in front and back. Note the edge-striping in gold those were not common on KM Afrika cufftitles. Also a nice photo of Konteradmiral Paul Meixner, "Chef des Marinekommandos Nordafrika and also Chef der Seetransportstellen in Nordafrika" wearing a KM-Afrika cufftitle without the edge-stripes.
Another nice feature on this photo; Meixner is wearing both German Crosses in Silver and Gold, although this was forbidden by awarding regulations. The German Cross in Gold preceeded the Silver Cross. Almost everyone sinned against the official rules." It is of my opinion that the Luftwaffe style cuff title Meixner is wearing was produced with gold, NOT silver, thread.

This is a learning thread for me and I hope to learn more as we go along.

[François SAEZ]

With P. Williams and Gordon W., we are actually writting an article on Cuff Tittles of the LW (flying units)

[J Temple-West]

I think that there has been a misunderstanding about my last reply, apologies... the title, shown in my reply, was the same title W.C is asking about only changed into black and white, in order to ask Francois why he thinks it easy to tell the colour of a title only on the basis of it's appearance.. I also think that the title, In the pic, has gold lettering (OMO). I have seen a few examples of both unofficial, field made and commercially made titles and I'm sure that If an officer of this mans standing wanted a title with gold lettering, then this would be obtained...