sabres ?

[phil1942]

Hello, just a basic question here please.
At what rank could a wehrmacht soldier become elligible to receive a sabre ?
They were only for officers and nco's, correct ?
Would an obergefreiter be elligible for one ?

Thanks for any help.

[daggers]

EACH rank also the lowest was "allowed"(had to) to wear the sabre according to the certain uniform (mostly parade or walking out dress) regulation. I do own a lot of period photographs where the lowest grade is wearing a sabre.

[Frogprince]

The short answer is “perhaps” depending on the branch of service.

The long answer is: For the army enlisted lower ranks that were horse mounted, like the cavalry, could carry private purchase dress sabers like their Imperial era predecessors. Likewise enlisted (and junior NCO’s) in the infantry could wear private purchase dress bayonets as did their Imperial era predecessors.

Officers could carry private purchase sabers/swords as a badge of rank irrespective of their branch of service. Likewise ‘Unteroffizier mit Portepee’ (senior grade NCO’s) could carry private purchase swords because of their status as noncommissioned officers with the operative factor here being “mit Portepee”. Junior grade NCO’s could not wear swords unless they were also horse mounted troops.

In fact (as in the Imperial era) government supplied dress blades for use in carrying out their official duties were supplied to not just German Army ‘Unteroffizier mit Portepee’, but to the Kriegsamrine and Luftwaffe senior grade NCO’s as well. As evidenced by the sabers/swords and daggers which have the government acceptance/property markings on them. I hope this helps. FP