HJ Badges: the supposed A & B grades?

[juoneen]

I would suspect that A versions would be understood, and B versions obvious..., so the suggestion that there was an A version may be true, just not marked as such.. .I would suggest the number'd versions just may be the "A" version. There were also combat versions more subdued for field wear(proven in photos).

[Seigfried]

Happy Days I've picked up the WAF from Orange Lake!

Well, now that we are all on the same page regarding the HJs 'Golden Leader Sports Badge - what does the 'B' actually stand for?

[Jo Rivett]

...now that we are all on the same page regarding the HJs 'Golden Leader Sports Badge - what does the 'B' actually stand for?

It denotes a B-stück, a "second" piece, replacement. It is also found on other HJ badges that were awarded/won, the other three grades of the HJ-Proficiency badges, the HJ Ehrenabzeichen.

[Seigfried]

[QUOTE=Josef Fueß;6085876]It denotes a B-stück, a "second" piece, replacement. It is also found on other HJ badges that were awarded/won, the other three grades of the HJ-Proficiency badges, the HJ Ehrenabzeichen.[/QUOTE

I know that it means 'replacement' but is it an abbreviation for a German word or an abbreviation for anything, and why 'B' if there is no 'A'?

[Garry M.]

I would suspect that A versions would be understood, and B versions obvious..., so the suggestion that there was an A version may be true, just not marked as such.. .I would suggest the number'd versions just may be the "A" version. There were also combat versions more subdued for field wear(proven in photos).

Ahem... "combat versions more subdued for field wear"? If you can show primary literature mentioning that factories were producing "combat" versions of the HJ leader sports badge I will eat one of mine and suffer the pain of a complete pass-through. Perhaps you mean "badges may have been dulled using dirt or locally procured paint by a few people"?

@ siegfried
The primary literature calls replacement badges "Zweitausfertigung" or "B-Ausgabe". The "B" might stand for "Bestellung" (order) as replacements had to be ordered using a Bestellformular (order form) but that is pure theory by yours truly because none of the regulations governing these badges and the other male and female achievement badges in the Hitler Youth make the same connection.

If the replacements are designated as "B" badges then by default, the original issue of a badge could be assumed to be the "A" version but this is not supported by the primary literature which calls initial issue badges "Originalabzeichen" (original badges). Just as an aside, there is a further designation "IB" that can be found on some of the BDM bronze achievement badge. This is however described in the regulations:

Posts 1 and 10 of this thread

As has been previously mentioned in this thread, the confusion with A and B badges was caused by faulty research in the distant past so to clarify: those competing for the award of the subject badge (HJ-Führersportabzeichen) were split into age groups A and B. However, all successful candidates received the same badge and only replacements were marked with a "B" - this "B" having nothing to do with the A and B age groups.

Anyone interested in specific discussion of the Hitler Youth is welcome to join us over on the HJ Research forum

[Seigfried]

Thank you so much Garry - much of what you have said seems completely feasible and likely probable, it is certainly the most thoughtful explanation that I have read thus far on this topic. I shall certainly give the HJ forum some attention, as I think that one sub-section on the WAF hardly does the HJ justice.