Catholic FAD buckle?

[Storm78]

Hi
I Need some help with this one. My friend find this buckle in a ground, in Poland. Does anyone seen this kind of buckle before ? Who knows this buckle and what group / branche was wearing it?
Thanks in advance!

[anders1940]

I dont like it one bit.

[Guido L.]

It would be very helpful to have better images.
How about a picture of the reverse side?
What is standing on the top of the roundel? I can't read it exactly.

Best,
Guido

[Storm78]

New photos from my friend:

[Storm78]

Hmmmm, does anyone seen this kind of buckle before ?

[gary-ashbridge]

I would not be so quick to discount this buckle. To me it could be a prototype of a buckle for the Stalhlelm Arbeitdienst (ST.A.D) produced sometime between February 1933 and August 1933. During this time the Stalhelm Arbeitsdienst were being merged with the N.S.D.A.P. run organisation, the Verein zur Umschulung Freiwilliger Arbeitskrufte, or V.z.U., to make a new unified Labour Service or A.D. This service was renamed later in 1934 as N.S.A.D. and then finally again as R.A.D. which most of you will know.
Most collectors talk about the labour service pre 1935 as being called the F.A.D. but this was merely an umbrella organisation set up by the German government in 1931 for interested organisation of all sorts to take part in to get the unemployed into useful work programmes.
In 1933 many buckles were produced most using the letters F.A.D. in their design the one actually chosen was the one already being used by the V.z.U. This design was of a square edge spade with an ear of wheat set at 45 degrees either side which is what is also featured on this buckle.
I will be interested what people think of my comment.

[Milan Gard]

looks like 100% original ground dug and oiled

[Luciusdegeer]

The chalice with the cross most certainly points towards one of the many miltant catholic organisations, typical in Germany before the Machtsergreifung of the NSDAP.
There were indeed more Arbeitsdienst-like organisations in Germany before 1933. The idea of an Arbeitsdienst is originally not national-socialist at all, but more conservative-nationalist and religious...
Where exactly in Poland this item was found? Perhaps in the former German provinces(Schlesien, Pommern or Ostpreussen?
Which faker would go to these lenghts to reproduce a buckle that nobody even knows?

L

[Storm78]

My friend find this buckle near Gdańsk ( Danzig)

BR
Storm78

[gary-ashbridge]

I can now confirm that the buckle in question is from the Danzig Labour Service (Danzig Arbeitsdienst) and dates from 1932 or 33. What I found was the emblem of this service which shows the coat of arms of Danzig in the handle of the spade (a crown with two small crosses vertically below) with ST. H.D on the head of the spade. This matches the buckle almost perfectly. This is indeed an original very rare buckle previously unknown. Due to the fact there would of been so few members of the Danzig Labour Service explains why it has not turned up before.

[Ric Ferrari]

Hello,

having a reverse pic would be nice.

Ric

[Lampwick]

A fabulous find. Congrats to your friend.