Quiz Time - SS Marked Badge

[Steve T]

Following on from Prosper's FJ Forum Quiz, here' s another from a completely different arm of service.

* What is this badge?
* Is it real or fantasy piece?
* If it was instituted, when and by whom?
* What is the grade of this badge and how many grades are there?
* If real, who manufactured this badge?

Not that it helps much but its not a new badge on the scene, I have owned it for about 12 years now.

[Joseph D'Errico]

Any chance of seeing the reverse?At a glance it looks to be a period peice. Just because you might not find the referance on this right away I wouldn't dismiss this as a fantasy piece. Almost looks like a shooting award of sorts. I would say it's a keeper until furthur research .
Thanks
Joe

[Hannibal]

I believe this is a 1st class SS shoting badge and the reverse should be marked 'Des Gesch". I think this badge was instituded in 1937. I hope my information helps.

best regards

[Steve T]

hooting award

Joe,
Hmmm, pretty close there! Lol I realise it was a typo, but funny.

It's a Quiz Joe. No reverse.

I have had the item 12 years now so it has been a 'keeper'.

[Prosper Keating]

I'm only getting half the image. From what I can see of it, it does seem to be a shooting award and I would agree that it is an SS shooting award, given its pseudo-military appearance and its high quality. It's too butch-looking to relate to any of the other, rather effete party organisations. But I'm not going to cheat and go to my reference books cos this is a quiz.

PK

[Frank Heukemes]

Dear Steve,

1) SS-Schützenabzeichen
2) Real piece
3) Instituted 1937, probably by Himmler
4) Grade is Scharfschütze, there are 3 grades in total (2nd class, 1st class and Scharfschützen, much like the HJ-shooting-badges. Sometimes a fourth grade, "Meisterschütze", is mentioned but it is dubious if it exists.
5) Has an SS logo on the back and Ges. Gesch., so I think it is some SS owned maker, not one of the ones we usually deal with.

Cheers, Frank H.

[Stijn David]

to join FRank

Hello,


To join Frank => i think it wil be the famous SS jeweller Otto & Caroline Gahr who produced your badge


Cordial Greetings,

[Joseph D'Errico]

I need spell check and coffee when replying to these,Ha,Ha.
Also I think Frank used a book , Just kidding Frank.
Thanks Joe
Yeah wasn't a hooter award, not many nice hooters in the SS. Ha,Ha.

[Steve T]

Hi all,

Hope you enjoyed the picture. I tried to find something in my collection not discussed on the Forum previously. It's an interesting badge albeit, one with little documentation. It is also very rare and commands a very high price, (in my opinion) for something that is scarcely documented.

* What is this badge?
The badge is indeed a shooting award. It is the Sharpshooter Class SS-VT Shooting badge designed by Professor Karl Diebitsch.

* Is it real or fantasy piece?
I suspect it is a real - though to my knowledge, very little information exists. I felt it was real 12 years ago when I bought it at less than 1/10th of what I have seen them sell for in recent years.

* If it was instituted, when and by whom?
Draft institution order dated November 1937 by RFSS Himmler.

* What is the grade of this badge and how many grades are there?
Sharpshooter Class SS-VT Shooting Badge. Three grades, 2nd , 1st and Sharpshooter

* If real, who manufactured this badge?
Workshop Gahr, Munich.

OK, I’ll refer to 'Uniforms of the SS - Volume 4 - SS Totenkopfverbände 1933-1945' by Andrew Mollo (institution detail and manufacturer) and 'Otto und Karolina Gahr - Die Silberschmiede der NSDAP und der SS' by Arthur Meyer and Heinrich W. Schild. (Badge is pictured)

In October of 1936 the leader of staff district 'Elbe ' wrote to the Chief of the SS Main Office asking if SS members returning from service in the armed forces were allowed to wear their marksman's lanyard. The reply was the lanyard could not be worn but the shooting badges of the Reichswehr awarded to members of the SS before June 1st 1935 could be worn on the left cuff of the service tunic.

A draft institution order of the Reichsführer-SS dated November 1937 described the 'Schützenabzeichen der SS-VT' to be awarded to other ranks for shooting proficiency with rifle, light and heavy MG. The badge was to be worn on the right pocket and awarded in 3 classes, 2nd Class (without oak leaves), 1st Class (with two oak leaves) and Sharpshooting Class (with 3 oak leaves)

The class of the Sharpshooting Grade was to be engraved on the top oak leaf wreath.

The badge was manufactured by the workshop of Otto and Karolina Gahr in Munich. According to Mollo the badge was never introduced. Also Mollo, at his book print date, mentions two examples of this badge exist in private collections, both being in hallmarked silver. No picture or drawing of the badge is shown by Mollo.

This badge and the two others I have seen for sale in the last decade have been made in feinzink and heavily silver plated. I say silver but in the period I have owned this badge it has not tarnished at all. As mentioned in above posts, the reverse has the intertwined runes within an octagon as seen on many SS items such as the SS 1936 model dagger which Diebitsch also designed. The badge also carries the patent applied for mark.

If anyone can bring some further information to the thread or cite any period or other references I would be interested to know, thanks!

Ah so, Frank does have the most correct answers so he wins the prize! And the prize is, start the next Quiz!