DAF-Honour pin in Gold

[JoeW]

Stan. Perhaps I need to clarify the statement. I did not intend to write that branch factories could not be awarded the Ehrennadel when that factory was declared a Musterbetriebe. Every factory, main and branch, participated in the competition. But if the main factory won, it did not automatically mean all branches were entitled to the same recognition and Ehrennadels. I found some archive correspondence between DAF offices concerning a request by the Krupp main factory that was the Musterbetriebe for Ehrennadels for the branch factories. The DAF wrote the Ehrennadels were for the winning factory, not branch factories too. I do not know of the ownership arrangement of the two factories with Duerkopp name.

Sorry for the confusion I created.

[Volksturmer]

Stan,
You are correct - the Bielefeld plant of Dürkopp made bicycles and sewing machines. They even had to turn over the sewing machine work to Koch in 1930 for lack of business.
With the NS take-over in 1933, they started making weapons as well. I do think they kept making bicycles. A branch was opened in Kunsebeck in 1933 that only made weapons and had 2000 workers. The Barthel family took over the majority of shares in 1933. The Bielefeld plant eventually became the biggest producer of roller bearings for Panzers until the Allied bombers decimated the plant. I don’t know how the two branches were divided by the different weapons they manufactured - flamethrowers, rifles, bayonets, machine guns for aircraft, etc.

Joe, thanks for clarifying how the branches could also compete for the Musterbetriebe award apart from the main branch.

If the Kriegs-Musterbetrieb designation included a Gold DAF flag with the addition of a small black Maltese cross, that makes me wonder if the Honor Pins were awarded to these war-essential factories as well. Does the Patzwall article on this subject tell what the criteria were for winning the Kriegs-Musterbetrieb designation?

Another factor - some of the German companies were huge - like Rheinmetall-Borsig, whom the Allies thought was the biggest arms company in the world at one time. Another example is I.G. Farben, which had several WeWiFùs appointed, just to put how big it was in perspective. I wonder if any of these big companies won the Kriegs-Musterbetrieb award, and if so, was it possible that more than two pins were bestowed?
There again, Krupp wasn’t exactly tiny. It took up all of Essen.

[JoeW]

Stan,......................................
If the Kriegs-Musterbetrieb designation included a Gold DAF flag with the addition of a small black Maltese cross, that makes me wonder if the Honor Pins were awarded to these war-essential factories as well. Does the Patzwall article on this subject tell what the criteria were for winning the Kriegs-Musterbetrieb designation?
................................

The Kriegs-Musterbetrieb flag included the silver Kriegs-Verdienst-Kreuz in the corner. The award was often presented to factory owners and foremen, as well as workers who made suggestions resulting in efficiencies in production.

[Volksturmer]

Thanks Joe.

I know I have posted more than my fair share on this subject, and I will nip it in the bud, but here’s one last:

Another scenario for the possible award of the DAF Honor Pin is this:

When a company was awarded the NS-Musterbetriebe award, it was a point of honor that they qualified each year to maintain the high standards to regain the award.

For example, when the coffee company, Melitta, won the award in 1941, they were quoted in a newspaper article, "Westfälische Neuste Nachrichten,” issue of 6 May 1941 under the headline "The Golden Flag of the Melitta Works – The First National Socialist Model Company of the Kreis Minden" - "... In view of the Golden Flag, which the Führer gave, the management and the following united to the solemn vow to continue to make sure that the flag should never leave the company again! The company and its work always belong to the guide! All work should also apply in the future to the creation of the construction of the Great German Reich of Adolf Hitler...." In 1942 and 1943, the Melitta works were again awarded the National Socialist Model Company.

Bochumer Verein, extremely important to the war effort, to quote another example, was awarded the NS-Model Company designation on May 1, 1937, due to their ‘exemplary’ attitude towards the ideas of National Socialism – ‘shaped by the Director General, Walter Borbet.’ They won this award, year after year, until the end of the war. Adolf Hitler paid a visit to the Bochumer Verein in 1935, where he had Albert Vogler, Fritz Thyssen, and Walter Borbet show him the Hoentrop work. These are names of industrial giants. Walter von Blomberg and Hermann Goring visited the plant in 1935, which led to the signing of extensive contracts for weapons production in the following years.

Judging from this – the yearly award of the honor, and the striving to maintain the NS-Musterbriebe designation, makes me believe, IMO, that the DAF Golden Honor Pin really Must have been awarded to more than the original Director and Obmann (chairman), as the personnel and structure of these companies were changed, year after year, due to the exigencies of war, even as the award was regained, year after year. Many of these companies had multiple chairman (I.G. Farben is a good example).

A change in foreman, director, or chairman, would lead to another Gold DAF honor pin awarded, IMO.

Therefore, I think that the existing numbers of DAF Honor pins are well qualified to have been awarded, and I am surprised, actually, that we don’t see higher numbers on these DAF Honor Pins. This is IMO only.

Joe, do you have the verbiage which specifies that only two persons gained this award, or the specifics or translation from the documents you found regarding Krupp and this issue? Do you believe that the information in your possesson limited the further bestowal of more than 2 of of these beautiful golden honor pins, or do you believe it was possible that more than 2 were awarded per factory?

Fascinating subject!

John

[Stan]

Fantastic research John.

I think that we have all learnt a great deal since this thread first started.

Stan