The Marshals Baton Thread!

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Hi guys! Got some spare time and was thinking to restart and old idea about the batons awarded to German Field Marshals during WW2. I reorginzed my archives and files, and will be able to save the pictures here on the WAF.

List of German Field Marshals (Generalfeldmarschall) during the Nazi regime:

20 April 1936 – Werner von Blomberg (1878–1946)
4 February 1938 – Hermann Göring (1893–1946) Göring was later promoted to the even-higher rank of Reichsmarshal and was the only German to have held this rank.
19 July 1940 – Fedor von Bock (1880–1945)
19 July 1940 – Walther von Brauchitsch (1881–1948)
19 July 1940 – Albert Kesselring (1885–1960)
19 July 1940 – Wilhelm Keitel (1882–1946)
19 July 1940 – Günther von Kluge (1882–1944)
19 July 1940 – Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb (1876–1956)
19 July 1940 – Wilhelm List (1880–1971)
19 July 1940 – Erhard Milch (1892–1972)
19 July 1940 – Walther von Reichenau (1884–1942)
19 July 1940 – Gerd von Rundstedt (1875–1953)
19 July 1940 – Hugo Sperrle (1885–1953)
19 July 1940 – Erwin von Witzleben (1881–1944)
31 October 1940 – Eduard Freiherr von Böhm-Ermolli (1856–1941)
22 June 1942 – Erwin Rommel (1891–1944)
30 June 1942 – Georg von Küchler (1881–1968)
1 July 1942 – Erich von Manstein (1887–1973)
31 January 1943 – Friedrich Paulus (1890–1957)
1 February 1943 – Ernst Busch (1885–1945)
1 February 1943 – Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (1881–1954)
1 February 1943 – Maximilian Reichsfreiherr von Weichs (1881–1954)
16 February 1943 – Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (1895–1945)
1 March 1944 – Walter Model (1891–1945)
5 April 1945 – Ferdinand Schörner (1892–1973)
25 April 1945 – Robert Ritter von Greim (1892–1945)

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Baton of the Heer
After 1940, Fieldmarshals received the Marschallstab, made entirely by hand, with gold and silver. They were produced by the firm HJWilms (Berlin) and were about 48 to 51 cm and between 3.2 and 3.8 cm in diameter. The aluminum center tube was covered with a thin cloth of bright red velvet. The tube was covered with 4 rows of 5 eagles and 5 iron crosses alternatively, horizontally, vertically and diagonally. The eagles were gold metal (31, X2, 3 cm), made after the Wehrmacht "Adler" model (Eagle of the German Armed Forces), with the swastika within a wreath of oak leaves. The iron crosses were made of silver and measured 1.6 X1, 6cm, with a black enamel interior. Both ends of the pole bodies were composed of gold and silver metal, shaped capitals adorned with oak leaf motifs and ribbons in relief. At the top of the cane there was a gold metal eagle, and in the bottom, an iron cross in silver and black. The superior side included the inscription, in letters molded and glued Gothic "Der Fuehrer Dem Generalfeldmarschall (surname)", while in the bottom of the cane it read "Zum Freiheitskampf Grossdeutschen des Volkes" ("In the struggle for freedom of the people of Greater German Reich" and the date of granting of the promotion to Fieldmarshal. This baton was limited to special events or state ceremonies.

They were also given the Interimstab, a daily service baton. Measured 78.5 cm, with a diameter at the top of 2 cm and 1.1 cm at the bottom. The upper metal was silver, conical, with ornaments of varied type. Near the base of the capital included a strip for the registration of Gothic letters with the name of the carrier. On the sides of the conical part is inlaid symbols like the iron cross in silver, and 2 types of eagle in gold (with a crown of oak leaves and without crown). The tube was lacquered black wood of 62cm in length, to the other end and to gragona, suspended from a 55cm cord, hung silver abochada of the capital. Both the dragon and his umbilical cord were composed of three interlocking white, black and red.

Generalfeldmarschall Werner von Blomberg
His baton is present at the National Museum of American History (Smithsonian).

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Two more photos of von Blomberg's baton.

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Generalfeldmarschall Werner von Bloomberg was the first to be promoted to this rank, on April 20th, 1936.

There are not many photos of his award ceremony, but some exist of him carrying the baton.

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Generalfeldmarschall Maximllian Freiherr von Weichs
The award ceremony was on February 1st, 1943

His baton is present at the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning/Columbus (Georgia, USA)

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Generalfeldmarschall Gunther von Kluge
The award ceremony was on July 19th, 1940.

His baton is currently at the Münster Museum (Germany)

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Top side of von Kluge's baton.

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It was hard to find photos of him carrying the baton, since he usually used the Interimstab, or "daily use baton".

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Generalfeldmarshall Erwin Rommel
The award ceremony was on June 22nd, 1942.

I think the original baton is in the hands of his son, Manfred.

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(Photo posted by WAF member chen)

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Nice comparative photos of Rommel using his both batons: formal (left) and daily (right)

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Generalfeldmarshall Gerd von Rundstedt
The award ceremony was on July 19th, 1940.

The baton is held at Rastatt Museum (Germany)