The Nazi Party Gorgets

POLITISCHES LEITER FLAGBEARER

The organization of Political Leaders, while one of the oldest organizations of the N .S .D. A. P. was one of the last to be awarded its two gorgets.

The flagbearer gorget and the Streifendienst service gorget were listed for the first time on April 25, 1939, in the "Uniform Orders for Political Leaders".

It is believed that both these gorgets were to be mass produced and unveiled for the first time at the 1939 Reichsparteitag events during mid-september of that year. Cancellation of the 1939 Reichsparteitag was caused by the outbreak of World War II on September 1st.

The Organizationsbuch Der N S D A P 1940 edition pictures for the first time both gorgets along with the appropriate bandoleers. A flagbearer arm patch, identifying the flagbearer was not worn by the Political Leaders Organization. Both Political Leader gorgets were ready for purchase by the Political Leader groups through local outlets of the Reichszeugmeisterei in late 1939.

The bronze plated neck chains are a series of stamped links made of pot metal, held together by wire loops. The alternate links have an eagle and swastika on one and a wreath and swastika on the other. The length of the complete chain is approximately 24" (70 cm) long and contains 31 links.

The chain and the reverse side of the plate are stamped with RZM and a manufacturer's code such as M1/102.

The cloth felt backing on the gorget is either of a dark green or light tan color.

The flagbearer gorget is worn at all P L functions while displaying the unit flag. A dress bandoleer is worn over the shoulder and the flag pole is supported in a leather cup at the bottom of the bandoleer. The bandoleer is leather, covered with gold brocade, the center is brown and the edges are white for Kreisleitung, while for Ortsgruppen the edges are dark blue. White gloves were a required part of the flagbearer's uniform.

The Political Leader gorgets are by far the largest or most massive in size of any of those used by enter the party or the military organizations. They measure 9" (23 cm) across by 4.5" tall (11.5cm) high. They have a deep concave shape, however this varies with the the firm which manufactured them. They are press-formed out of a lightweight metal with a rolled over edge, which not only does away with the sharp edges, but also serves to help retain the wool cloth backing which is glued to the reverse side of the plate. The upturned, spread winged eagle on the flagbearer gorget is massive and covers a good portion of the breast plate. The head of the eagle faces to the right and is setting on a large round wreath and swastika. A border of oak leaves runs around the entire edging of the plate.

The flagbearer gorget to plated in an antique bronze color ranging from almost a light gold to a dark bronze. Again, these are manufacturing differences. due to the fact they were manufactured by different firms.

STREIFENDIENST

The Political Leaders Streifendienst gorget has the same breastplate as the Political Leader flagbearer gorget, however, the eagle and swastika emblem is about one half the size and is centered higher on the plate. A stamped metal ribbon approximately 18 cm long by 2 cm wide is centered and affixed directly under the eagle. A border of oak leaves also appears on this gorget. A round rosette button is mounted in each of the top corners of the gorget pictured here.

The Streifendienst gorget was plated with identieal coloring to that of the flagbearer gorget and the chain hanger was interchangable between the two gorgets.

The Streifendienst gorget was worn by men on patrol service at party functions or in local town areas.

Deeter and Odegard, "Gorgets of the Third Reich",D.O. Enterprises, 1977

Introduction to Gorgets

The gorget, or 'ringkragen', comprising a metal shield hung by a chain around the neck, was worn during the Third Reich by selected members of uniformed organisations to denote special service or duty.
Two distinct styles of gorget existed, the heart-shaped and crescent-shaped (see Fig 15). both descended from similar regalia used by the Imperial German army. The obverse of each shield bore an appropriate badge and/or inscription, while the reverse was covered in cloth or stiff card and featured a protruding central prong. This prong was hooked through a convenient buttonhole in the tunic during wear, thereby holding the gorget plate firmly in position.

The first official Nazi gorgets wrere produced in the late 1920s for SA standard bearers. It took the form of a heart-shaped nickel-plated shield, sporting a gilded brass sunburst on which was superimposed a disc enclosing an eagle holding a sonnenrad swastika (the same motif as that seen on early SA belt buckles - see Plate 161). The neck-chain was made from tight-fitting nickel-plated wire links, and the backing cloth was of dark-co loured wool. Post-1935 examples were RZM stamped. This gorget was used only when the wearer was actually engaged in the specific function of carrying his regimental feldzeichen or battalion flag. Individually-designed ringkragen were subsequently created and manufactured for standard bearers of the SS, NSKK, NSFK, RAD, HJ, Political Leadership, RLB, TeNo, Polizei, Reichsbahn, DRK, Army, Luftwaffe and ex-servicemen's associations. Each bore insignia relevant to its own organisation.

By 1945, gorgets were being worn as badges of office by numerous categories of uniformed personnel, including military policemen ('Feldgendarmerie' - see Plate 165). train guards ('Zugwache') and those on paramilitary street patrol service ('Streifendienst'). All told, more than 40 different patterns existed in a variety of sizes. Metals used in their construction ranged from tombak bronze to zinc, with finishes ranging from fine enamel to rough paintwork. Indeed, limited resources meant that some gorgets, like those for the Bahnhofswache, were eventually withdrawn completely and replaced by armbands.

Nazi gorgets are not widely collected in their own right, normally being sought merely to supplement other exhibits. The 'Feldgendarmerie' pattern, for instance, can often be found amongst displays of military or police uniform items. Nevertheless various gorgets have been reproduced. Fortunately, copies are easily spotted by virtue of the fact that their quality is nowhere near that of even the latest originals. The following comparison between genuine and fake 'Feldgendarmerie' ringkragen should provide the reader with a general idea of what to look for.

Originals:

(i) The gorget plates were stamped from hard sheet steel or zinc alloy, with smooth semi-rolled edges.
(ii) The National Emblems were each affixed by three round pins or flat prongs.
(iii) Details were crisp.
(iv) The backings were offield-grey wool or stiff card.
(v) The pieces were usually completely devoid of makers' marks. Only a few early originals had their central rear prongs stamped with one of a small selection of company trademarks, the most common being' A' and an "M" inside a diamond.

Reproductions:

(i) The gorget plates are of very thin lightweight aluminium, which can easily be bent by hand. The edges are poorly finished.
(ii) The National Emblems are often glued into position.
(iii) Details are blurred in places.
(iv) The backings are of shiny black PVC-type paper or black felt.
(v) The central rear prongs usually bear spurious RZM or DRGM marks.

Robin Lumsden: "A Collector's Guide to Third Reich Militaria", Ian Allan Ltd., 1987