S.A. Standarte 53 Nachrichtendienst

[David North]

Here is a slightly peculiar 1933 sporting event badge for SA Standarte 53 Nachrichtendienst who were based at Solingen and I assume, were part of SA Gruppe Westfalen.

I think Nachrichtendienst refers to intelligence gathering, however I need some help here.

What I find particularly odd is how the facial features of the SA man have been depicted !

Regards,

David

[David North]

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[David North]

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[wilhelm Saris]

Hey David,

Standarte 53 is Solingen-Gräfrath within brigade 72 (Wuppertal-Barmen) and is not Westfalen, but Niederrhein. Anyway according my earlier mentined OSAF address-list from 1935. In 1933 the Standarte got its Deutschlanderwache-Standarte, named "Solingen".
Nachrichtendienst one can translate as an intelligence-service. In general it is known as Signals-SA (Nachrichten-SA, operating with radio's and which included units, serving with dogs - Hundewesen). Upon the collar-patch the signals-symbol (Blitz) was worn.
According the "Handbuch der SA" from 1939 (actually dated October 26, 1938) the Nachrichten-SA in first instance was busy with the so-called Fernsprechwesen (telephone-services and exchange) and they learned Morse-code.

About the men's face: I would say what a "total" failure!

[David North]

Dear Wilhelm

Thankyou for your as always informative response and please accept my apologies for the slight delay in thanks, acknowledgement and response

I still flounder at times with an accurate correlation of towns and cities within the embrace of a particular SA-Gruppe and so and as you say, Niederrhein is for Solingen. Düsseldorf - yes, of course !

The title Nachrichten is one that I tend to associate with say a signals and communications specialisation , however I was not sure how this somewhat generic term sat within the system within the SA, circa 1933. Again, many thanks and of course, we do indeed have a recognition of that particular groups skills by the display of a lightning bolt (Blitz Abzeichen) on one of the said collar patches.

Perhaps best left not spoken the aesthetics of this peculiar little badge.

Regards and best wishes,

David