What does Etats Feldwebel Mean

[Blackhorse]

I cannot seem to find any definition of this particular term I have come across. I understand Stabs Feldwebel..but what exactly is an Etats Feldwebel? This concerns the Garde Jager in the Vosges, by the way.

[speedytop]

Hi Blackhorse,

There are two words for this rank, "etatmäßiger Feldwebel" and short "Etatmäßiger". This was the highest NCO rank.

That is the rank, and the funktion is "Kompaniefeldwebel", short and usual "Spieß" > "Company Sergeant Major".

Please see here:

http://www.worldwar1.com/sfgrank.htm

But that is partly wrong. In the German Army we didn't have a "Regimental Sergeant Major", and a soldier with the rank "Feldwebel" is not automatically a "Kompaniefeldwebel", only the "Etatmäßige".

You can see here the additional two stripes (double band of lace) for the "Etatmäßige Feldwebel" (Spieß).

Uwe

Edited June 10, 2017 by speedytop

[Blackhorse]

So would the rank be similar to an American First Sergeant?

[speedytop]

No, at that time the "Etatmäßige" was higher, like a Sergeant Major. In Prussia it was the senior NCO in a company, the superior to all other NCO and EM in a company.

Uwe

[Bayern]

The Etatmasige Feldwebwel was called Leithammel (ram ) and in second world war Ruckgerat (spinal chord ) der Armee. 

[Odulf]

In the British and Commonwealth Armies to be compared to Warrant-office Class II (Company Sergeant major, CSM), the key of communication in the old Army between officers and "rank and file" (as officers did not address lower rank directly, nor the opposite).

[Chris Boonzaier]

On 11.6.2017 at 01:04, speedytop said:

 a soldier with the rank "Feldwebel" is not automatically a "Kompaniefeldwebel", only the "Etatmäßige".
 

Hup.... I learn something new everyday. So a Feldwebel in a Komp could very well be a Zugführer and not Komp Feldwebel... that is nice to know, I thought Zugführer were almost always Vize Feldwebel.