Field Marshal's Parade Baton: When? Where?

[filfoster]

Here's another topic of little or no interest:
When would a Prussian field marshal of the era 1870-1918 carry the parade baton as opposed to the interimstab cane? Yes, the obvious 'parade', but were there other occasions when FM's would tote their fancy velvet baton? Inquiring minds want to know. Well, not many, maybe.

As a corollary subject, some photos of WWI FM's show them sans batons of any kind, which is a marked contrast to their WW2 counterparts, who seem to have bathed and slept with at least an interimstab. Just saying.

[Hugh]

OK, for the non-initiates - I've seen the velvet baton, but what's an interimstab? Got a picture?

[filfoster]

OK, for the non-initiates - I've seen the velvet baton, but what's an interimstab? Got a picture?

The interimstab was the informal 'everyday' version of the Field Marshal's baton, worn with service dress. It resembled a cane with a fancy, symbolic silvered and gilt headpiece, through which a metallic corded lanyard and tassel, worked in the State colors, passed near the bottom of the headpiece/handle, where it joined the shaft. Each German state that had a military component and a rank list that included a field marshal (Bavaria, Saxony, etc.-usually the sovereign and other kings or Grand Dukes) had their own similar but different versions of this and the parade batons. The Bavarian ones are quite beautiful.

Of course, the various German state kings and Grand Dukes bestowed these honors on each other, and to other monarchs of the German royal clans, such as Ferdinand of Bulgaria, like challenge coins are exchanged today.

Here's a link to Hindenburg holding this gadangus. (HIs interimstab! Get your mind on a higher plane, please).

http://www.akpool.co.uk/postcards/24018393-kuenstler-ak-grabendorff-r-von-hindenburg-in-uniform

Hindenburg and Mackensen were sometimes photographed without a baton but it's a job to find a WW2 German field marshal in front of a camera without one.

Edited February 14, 2013 by filfoster

[Hugh]

Thanks for that. At a casual glance, I'd have guessed that it was a ceremonial dagger. I know the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine both used daggers / dirks, but what about the Wehrmacht?

[filfoster]

By HUGH: Thanks for that. At a casual glance, I'd have guessed that it was a ceremonial dagger. I know the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine both used daggers / dirks, but what about the Wehrmacht?

Not my field and probably a good subject for another thread. As I understand it, subject to correction by the greater minds on this forum, in World War One, Naval officers did wear daggers; there was no Luftwaffe as a separate branch; it was a part of the Heer although there were Navy pilots, particularly commanders of the Zeppellins and the very large 'giant' aircraft like the Zep. Staaken.

WWI German Army officers, I believe, wore only the sword-no daggers- as an edged side arm, with appropriate State portepee. Of course, officers were permitted pistols as functional side arms.

Now by WW2, I suppose covered in another forum, virtually every uniformed German, including a streetcar motorman, had a particular uniform and dagger. We've all seen the fancy coal miners' get ups.

Edited February 14, 2013 by filfoster

[filfoster]

The new Verlag publication "Der Deutschen Generale" (English version available) answers this: Parades, specific ceremonial occasions. This book has fantastic color photos of surviving examples of virtually every aspect of the uniforms of generals of the German states, for the period 1888-1910 or so, before the introduction of the field gray service uniform.