I have been doing some research on this DRK mountain badge, which has been discussed many times previously on this and other militaria forums. This badge is on display at Lofoten Krigsminnemuseum in Svolvær (Norway). However many experts believe it to be a fantasy item.
Yet there are a number of reasons to suggest that this badge was a real item:
1) The badge is of exceptionally high quality;
2) Only limited numbers exist in collections. Surely if it were a fake we would see this badge everywhere, especially on online auction sites like Ebay;
3) Some of these badges show signs of considerable wear, the likes of which could not be easily reproduced on a fake;
4) The request for unknown badges is not high enough to warrant the production of such an exquisite badge. Most exquisite copies are of the expensive and popular medals that people are looking for. Most fantasy items are of poor design and construction;
5) It is of correct period material and manufacture. Compare this badge with other more well known DRK badges from the era and it matches perfectly. The material is the same. The pin clip construction is virtually identical. The Ges. Gesch. mark is the same.
6) This item has all the hallmarks of a private purchase, in which case it may not be a "military" item in the strict sense, which could account for some of the discrepancies that some people have pointed out. Most militaria experts would be trying to view this badge in light of other military issue items, whereas this may be a purely civil badge.
However the badge is not without problems either, the main one being the central swastika, which seems out of place and unnecessary on this badge. And this raises the suspicion that the item may be nothing more than a fantasy piece. Other questions are inevitably raised by this:
1) If not strictly military, then to which formation did it belong? Most Skijager badges have only one ski on an angle. Most HJ Ski badges have two skis crossed. This one has two skis upright, which makes it look more like a Bergführer badge in some respects.
2) If it is genuine, why is there no RZM mark on the back? It seems reasonable to suggest that if the political symbol had been superimposed on a civil organisation it should have required RZM approval. This raises other questions: Was the badge a private, and therefore unofficial purchase? Was this badge made in the very early days of the Nazi era, making it of pre-1935 manufacture? (It is important to note here that the RZM only became mandatory on political items in 1935, apparently to prevent the large-scale production of unauthorized items bearing the Swastika! In which case, this DRK badge may be one of the early pieces which "slipped through the net".) The badge appears to be Austrian and its design and manufacture is very close to the badges of the AlpinVerein and Bergführer, so it could well be an early piece which later failed to meet the approval of the Reich. Or perhaps this badge was a one-off private production which was then abandoned for whatever reason.
3) There is no proof that it existed in photos from the era, but there is also no proof that it did not exist. This matter could easily be resolved if someone could produce a period photo showing this badge in wear.
I am certain that a similar badge without the Swastika (which coincidently
many experts say is the genuine one) was actually a pre-war DRK badge.
What does worry me most about this badge is that it shows a Swastika yet
there is no RZM mark on the back. Yet I guess we could also argue that the
Red Cross was not a political organisation, therefore it did not require RZM
authorisation. And there is the other possibility that I have already raised, that this badge is pre-RZM era.
So if real, was it worn by the HJ, SS, SA Gruppe, or a special issue to the Skijager regiments, hence the skis, or only issued as a private purchase to certain Bergführers who qualified for the DRK?
However, HJ Skijager badges nearly always show crossed skis, whereas
Skijager badges generally have only one ski on an angle. This badge has two
skis, straight up and down, which is odd! I can certainly understand why
some experts think it is a fantasy item, but then again, it looks far too
good to be a fake. Most fakes look cheap, this one looks professional and exquisite and is of period design and construction. Also, the pin clip attachment looks right for the period, when we compare them with other DRK badges.
If anyone feels they can add to an understanding of this badge, please join in.
Regards
Ian
Yet there are a number of reasons to suggest that this badge was a real item:
1) The badge is of exceptionally high quality;
2) Only limited numbers exist in collections. Surely if it were a fake we would see this badge everywhere, especially on online auction sites like Ebay;
3) Some of these badges show signs of considerable wear, the likes of which could not be easily reproduced on a fake;
4) The request for unknown badges is not high enough to warrant the production of such an exquisite badge. Most exquisite copies are of the expensive and popular medals that people are looking for. Most fantasy items are of poor design and construction;
5) It is of correct period material and manufacture. Compare this badge with other more well known DRK badges from the era and it matches perfectly. The material is the same. The pin clip construction is virtually identical. The Ges. Gesch. mark is the same.
6) This item has all the hallmarks of a private purchase, in which case it may not be a "military" item in the strict sense, which could account for some of the discrepancies that some people have pointed out. Most militaria experts would be trying to view this badge in light of other military issue items, whereas this may be a purely civil badge.
However the badge is not without problems either, the main one being the central swastika, which seems out of place and unnecessary on this badge. And this raises the suspicion that the item may be nothing more than a fantasy piece. Other questions are inevitably raised by this:
1) If not strictly military, then to which formation did it belong? Most Skijager badges have only one ski on an angle. Most HJ Ski badges have two skis crossed. This one has two skis upright, which makes it look more like a Bergführer badge in some respects.
2) If it is genuine, why is there no RZM mark on the back? It seems reasonable to suggest that if the political symbol had been superimposed on a civil organisation it should have required RZM approval. This raises other questions: Was the badge a private, and therefore unofficial purchase? Was this badge made in the very early days of the Nazi era, making it of pre-1935 manufacture? (It is important to note here that the RZM only became mandatory on political items in 1935, apparently to prevent the large-scale production of unauthorized items bearing the Swastika! In which case, this DRK badge may be one of the early pieces which "slipped through the net".) The badge appears to be Austrian and its design and manufacture is very close to the badges of the AlpinVerein and Bergführer, so it could well be an early piece which later failed to meet the approval of the Reich. Or perhaps this badge was a one-off private production which was then abandoned for whatever reason.
3) There is no proof that it existed in photos from the era, but there is also no proof that it did not exist. This matter could easily be resolved if someone could produce a period photo showing this badge in wear.
I am certain that a similar badge without the Swastika (which coincidently
many experts say is the genuine one) was actually a pre-war DRK badge.
What does worry me most about this badge is that it shows a Swastika yet
there is no RZM mark on the back. Yet I guess we could also argue that the
Red Cross was not a political organisation, therefore it did not require RZM
authorisation. And there is the other possibility that I have already raised, that this badge is pre-RZM era.
So if real, was it worn by the HJ, SS, SA Gruppe, or a special issue to the Skijager regiments, hence the skis, or only issued as a private purchase to certain Bergführers who qualified for the DRK?
However, HJ Skijager badges nearly always show crossed skis, whereas
Skijager badges generally have only one ski on an angle. This badge has two
skis, straight up and down, which is odd! I can certainly understand why
some experts think it is a fantasy item, but then again, it looks far too
good to be a fake. Most fakes look cheap, this one looks professional and exquisite and is of period design and construction. Also, the pin clip attachment looks right for the period, when we compare them with other DRK badges.
If anyone feels they can add to an understanding of this badge, please join in.
Regards
Ian
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