GAU ESSEN, Large swastika, Croatian, Rumanian Buckles: SS Related ?

[Marc verstraete]

Next pictures are the recto verso of the scarce “Deutschen Mannschaft in Rumanien” buckle.

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Like the previous Croatian buckle, this is not a “classic” SS buckle but can be associated with the SS or the SA.

I know, a few people are only agreeing to call SS buckles the “PURE” Arian German SS buckles with classic motto and inset but personally I make a subdivision of all the foreign Allgemeine SS and collaboration buckles as most of them where supervised by the SS, used the same uniforms and runes or where later integrated in it anyway.

(For those who remember, I have a Flemish “lion” collaboration buckle found together with a SS officer buckle, ID tag, personal belongings in a helmet that was dug up in former E. Germany.)

As for the “Gau Essen” buckle, I mentioned this buckle only as it falls into the category of buckles that are absolutely original but where close to nothing is know about.

The term “SS Gau Essen” is only a term used by the collectors to designate this buckle. Pesonaly I also have doupts this buckle is "Pure" SS and have never said I was "Pure" SS! I belive firmly it is SS related! I have my own theory on these buckles as I found evidence they where around during the pre war period. A friend and myself bought the complete estate of a SS officer last year and a “Gau Essen” buckle was found together with other buckles, lots of documents, picture albums, cloth, uniforms, caps, ect…. This does indeed not make this buckle a proven “SS buckle” but at one point there was something going on in the Gau Essen with the Police, the SA and the SS together……… As for the commercial move…. If this buckle ends up one day to be attributed to the SA, Police, or any other organisation than the SS, the value will not change, as there are only so much of them. Assmann only had a few boxes of them after the war and that is it. There will never be enough of them to satisfy all collectors, especially if proven on day to be from a specific organisation…

Marc

[Marc verstraete]

Variations of this buckle exist. As on the " In treu fest" buckle,Catch and prongs are not always the same.

[David North]

Croatian &quot;Prinz Eugen&quot;

Marc

Thankyou for providing the reverse image of the buckle and I have to admit, not at all what I anticipated.

I must say that for this buckle and also, the equally interesting D M in Rumanien, I cannot contribute one jot.

What I was wondering though is whether anybody can supply an image of the Prinz Eugen belt buckle being worn, from the publication earlier mentioned by Robin?

Regards,

David

[buckle1]

Marc,


Is the reverse of the buckle with the id tag the Croatian? If it is it is quite different from the two I have seen. Did you cover the center on purpose? Would be nice to see the back in full. Very nice buckles and very, very rare, both of them.
PS, please email or call about the Reichsheer buckle.
Bill

[Kevin Rea]

Hello Marc,
You mentioned Danish SS or fascist buckles. Do you have pics of these? Any pics of the Schalburg buckle?
Much obliged in anticipation,
Kevin

Variations of this buckle exist. As on the " In treu fest" buckle,Catch and prongs are not always the same.

[Harold Brouphy]

Kroatien buckle

Mark
If I see what I think I see, the catch on your buckle looks brass, mine is aluminum.
Why did you cover the reverse of the buckle with yellow paper?
The methods of construction are identical on both buckles.
Harold

[StevenD]

Have these been around or did they appear on the market recently..I just started seeing these in the last few years along with some other Kroatien ES pieces such as the wound badge which is purpoted to be a fantasy piece based on period specifications for such a piece? Are these buckles documented in any references? The prong bar is correct for a WW2 Croat made piece, but the catch is a style I have not seen before.

[Marc verstraete]

Picture of the other buckle I have in my collection. The catch on this one is Aluminium but the buckle is zinc!! What about a picture of yours Harold??

These buckles (SS In Treue fest) have been in collections for a long time. The ones I have seen showing up are always the same who change hands from time to time. The one from Harold on his display at the shows, the one from Manions five years ago, and the few in other collections. There must be more of them out there but only recently people started to look at buckles differently and having a second look at something they did not think was worth something.

My first one came from the original A. Mollo collection and the second one from the oldest collection in Belgium. Both buckles are traceable at least 40 years back. The unification of Europe and the free travel to the former east country’s also opened the door to new finds.

Marc

[Marc verstraete]

Variations of this buckle exist. As on the " In treu fest" buckle,Catch and prongs are not always the same.

Both buckles with different catch.

[Marc verstraete]

SS Large swastika

Topic on the first SS buckles with large swastika. Who has pictures?

Marc

[Marc verstraete]

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[Marc verstraete]

Buckles in Other private collections

[Robin Lumsden]

Marc.

That's a very nice and rare buckle, used by various groups (SA, predecessors of SS, and some Freikorps) during the 1922-ish period. Photos show several Nazi and neo-Nazi uniformed groups wearing it in a very random fashion.

But I can't understand the 'LAH 30/4' stamp. If that's meant to refer to the Leibstandarte, the buckle was well discarded before the Leibstandarte was set up.

I think the stamps may have been added much later.

Regards,

Robin.

[Marc verstraete]

I know Robin, The marking is strange… It’s one of these buckles…??
but I do have a picture of the 1929 party day where the SS wears this buckle. (Even officers)

No information’s on them and all the ones I see are different!!

Marc

[Jean Pierre Redeuilh]

Marc.

But I can't understand the 'LAH 30/4' stamp. If that's meant to refer to the Leibstandarte, the buckle was well discarded before the Leibstandarte was set up.

I think the stamps may have been added much later.

Regards,

Robin.

Indeed, I fully agree. The SS-Stabswache Berlin saw its formation only by March 17th 1933. It first and officially received its name of "LAH" in the night of the 8 to the 9th of November 1933. At this time, SS Buckles in their known design were already on all SS belly.