I have never found a mention of a dagger in any dress regulations for the Political Leaders, but there is this image from 1938 which always brings the question back to my mind. Ley wasn't a member of the SA, so he wouldn't be wearing one and the SA disc would be visible even in this photo. And it's not an NPEA dagger is it? So what happened?
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Hi Joe -- I believe Ley was an SA-Obergruppenführer -- honorary, of course -- and the uniform tunic he's wearing in this photo appears to be that of an SA-Obergruppenführer. So, if that's correct, then he's wearing the appropriate sidearm: an SA Standard Service Dagger.
Cheers,
Br. James -
Isn't that Karl Kaufmann, Gauleiter of Hamburg, standing in the middle of the photo?
Br. JamesComment
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Robert Ley was appointed an SA Obergruppenfuhrer on January 30, 1937. The man in the middle is not Kaufmann.
Mark CostaComment
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Thanks, Mark...any idea who he is/was?
Br. JamesComment
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Thanks Br. James for correcting my errant eyesight. The man in the middle is the translator as the third man is an Italian official.Comment
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Many thanks, Joe! And it's interesting to note that the translator is not from the German Diplomatic Corps...I wonder if that was because the Italian official was from the Italian version of the SA?
Br. JamesComment
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The translator appears to also be a Blood Order recipient.
Richard VComment
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The translator appears to be a Kreis level PL (black piping on collar tabs). The Italian was the Corporations Minister Lantini.Comment
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Joe,
Thanks for posting this intriguing pic. Ley is a very interesting figure.
Since the first visit of Mussolini to Germany was in September 1937, that would put the photo in the timeline of Ley's honorary SA appointment as Mark pointed out. Lots of photo ops with Italian officials in 1937, and during Hitler's return visit to Italia in 1938.
Do you know when the picture was taken? Anyway, it's a great image.
Nice post Joe, thanks for sharing this one!
JohnComment
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