Organisational Badges A.H. Golden Party Badges

[Stan]

Over the years I have picked up a couple of AH GPB's, one 25mm and one 30mm.

What puzzles me is that the large size badge has a button-hole attachment. I have sent photos to "Golden Party Badge Guy" and he reckons that the original recipient was a larger-than-life fellow who wanted to wear the large size badge on his civilian attire.

Patzwall shows this exact same badge on page 44 of his book"Das Goldene Parteiabzeichen" but describes it wrongly as "small size". He acknowledges his error.

Here are some photos of 2 AH GBP's in small and large sizes. Any comments as to why the large badge would have a button-hole attachment would be appreciated.

Stan

[Stan]

Reverse.

[Larry Lipps]

While against regulations, some hi-ranking officers wore their badges on the flap over the breast pocket. While I find it hard to imagine a piece made for non-regulation wear, it's about the best I can think of.

[Bob Coleman]

While against regulations, some hi-ranking officers wore their badges on the flap over the breast pocket. While I find it hard to imagine a piece made for non-regulation wear, it's about the best I can think of.

In my collection I have two tailor made tunics of a Gauleitung Bereichsleiter. When obtained from the veteran's daughter, both had attached 30mm. gold partieabzeichen with the AH. One of the uniforms had the stud style attachment while the other had the horizontal pin. One tunic had a reinforced sewn circle to accept the stud attachement. the other had a reinforce sewn slit to accept the horizontal pin. It seems as though the owner wished to wear the pin mounted flush to his jacket to avoid them tearing off with the wear of standard loops. The grouping was broken up but I have reunited both tunics and the horizontal pin badge together along with a visor cap with embroidered wreath. Unfortunattely, the owner split the set up and the first buyer only took the tunic and the stud atachemnt badge went who somewhere. Maybe, some day I will find it and reunite it with its former tunic. I do know that the badge went to a buyer in Europe through Paul Jarvis.

Bob

[Gold Party Pin Guy]

It's odd, but clearly an original factory-made piece and not a later owner modification.

The pins were notorious for falling off, but having a big one with a buttonholer has limited use without some sort of goofy buttonhole modification to your tunic, since only the small Gold Party Badge was authorized for lapel wear.

[Bob Coleman]

It's odd, but clearly an original factory-made piece and not a later owner modification.

The pins were notorious for falling off, but having a big one with a buttonholer has limited use without some sort of goofy buttonhole modification to your tunic, since only the small Gold Party Badge was authorized for lapel wear.

I have discovered that Stan's pin was one of the two that came with the tunics in my collection. The tunic in question has a round reinforced hole on the pocket to slip the stud through. The other tunic held a badge, which I own, with the horizontal pin. On that tunic, there is a narrow reinforced slit in the pocket so the badge can be worn flush against the pocket. I am sending photos to Stan this evening and if he wishes, he can post them on this thread.

Bob

[Stan]

[attachmentid=48075]

Herewith the photos Bob emailed me last night. As you will see, a slit has been made in the pocket to accomodate the unusual stud fitting. Thank you Bob for solving this mystery!

Stan

[Stan]

Another shot

[Gordon Craig]

Gents,

Thanks for resolving a question that I have abot a tunic in my colletion. I bought a uniform to a senior member of the DAF Werkscharen at The MAX several years ago. On the wearer's left breast, at the botom of the pocket, there was a set of award loops that fit a WWI wound badge perfectly and above that a buttonhole type hole exactly the same as the one shown in the political tunic in this post. I have always been unable to figure out what type of badge would have been worn there. Now I think that I know. Unfortunately, I can not post a picture of the tunic as I have just put the majority of my colection into storage.

Regards,

Gordon

[Koj]

Is it now possible to post some pics of the DAF tunic, Gordon?

thank you

regards

florian

[Gordon Craig]

Florian,

Sorry but I put my collection into stoarge when I moved to Budapest last summer. I'll be going back to Canada this summer and perhaps I can download a picture of this uniform from my hard drive there. If I can, and I remember this request, I'll post the picture for you.

Regards,

Gordon

Edited February 13, 2007 by Gordon Craig

[JoeW]

Couldn't those reinforced holes be used for screw-back EKI awards? What would the two loops flanking the hole be for?

[Gordon Craig]

Joe W,

No the buttonhole slot is qhite different from the round hole used for the screw backed badges. The slotted hole sgown in the picture exhibits much different characteristics than the round hole for the screw type badges. The slotted hole clearly shows that something has been inserted in the hole and turned were as the round holes stay the same shape because the shaft on the badge and the nut device that holds it in place to not p[ut any starin on the hole.

Regards,

Gordon

[Stan]

Joe,

as you will see from previous postings on this thread, the large "button-hole" style AH GPB came from a uniform which is owned by Bob Coleman. Unfortunately for Bob, the badge was removed from the tunic before he bought it and he would very much like to reunite both one day. The badge is in my collection and Bob and I have read research on the original owner who was named "Adolf Kunstmann." Kunstmann received 5 large size AH GBP's in total and exchanged 2 button-hole versions for pin-back versions.

I suppose that the two loops adjacent to the hole in the pocket are there so that the GBP with horizontal pin can also be worn on the tunic.

Stan

[Gordon Craig]

Stan,

Has your research on Kunstmann indicate that he also held a high rank in the DAF? My tunic does not have the loops for the pin on bdage that the one in this thread does and it is not named. It would nice to be at least able to "attribute" my DAF uniform to someone. Especially since these are the only two uniforms that I have seen with these "button holes" in these locations.

Regards,

Gordon

[Stan]

Gordon,

I have re-read all the research info which Bob Coleman sent me and can inform you that Kunstmann was an Oberpostinspektor in the Reichspost. His political rank in Gauleitung Franken was Gaustabsamtsleiter in Nuremberg. Whether or not he was in the DAF I do not know as my area of interest is purely medals and awards. Perhaps Bob Coleman can help?

As a matter of interest, Kunstamann joined the NSDAP in 1925 and left in 1927. He re-joined in 1930 and was not entitled to receive the GBP because of the 3-year break. Letters were sent on his behalf to the Gauleiter of Franken for a retrospective issue which was denied. Kunstmann was advised to try again at a later date and his endeavours were finally rewarded by the award of the AH GBP on 30.1.1943.

Now I have re-read the correspondence I see that Kunstamann initially received 3 large GBP's "mit Knopf" and 3 small GBP's "mit Knopf" for the total price of RM7,50. He returned 2 large size with button-hole studs with a request that he receive 2 large size GBP's with pins in their place.

Stan

[JoeW]

Stan, this is certainly a fascinating history. You report that your documentation indicates Kunstmann exchanged two of the button-hole versions for "pin-back" versions. Did the documentation specify a brooch type "pin-back" or the military style "pin-back"? It is fairly obvious that the "pin-back" for Kunstmann was the broach style as evidenced by his tunic configuration in Bob's collection.

The photo of Bob's tunic is is a bit of a relief to me as I have a 30mm A.H. Goldene Ehrenzeichen but with a brooch style. I assumed that anyone with a tunic would be provided an A.H. Badge with a military style pin. So I have been wondering who would have had a brooch style pin for a large badge. I thought that perhaps some senior BDM officials like Schlotz-Klink would have worn a 30mm badge with a brooch pin on their tunics. But now, I see evidence that a male recipient could choose a brooch style pin instead of the military style.

Edited February 16, 2007 by JoeW

[Gordon Craig]

Stan,

Thanks for the response and the interesting history on Kunstmann. This tunic with the button hole for the AHG plus the loops for the horizontal pin version of the badge just goes to show that regardless of what collctors say is "the only way things were done" because of regs they have read just doesn't hold water. We are constantly finding uniforms like this one, plus pictures, that illustrate all kind of different way badges were worn. The day I bought my DAF uniform at The MAX was a good one for me!!!!!!!

Regards,

Gordon

[Stan]

Joe,

When the Gauschatzmeister, named Hoellerich, returned 2 GBP's "mit Knopf" to the Reichsleitung der NSDAP, he simply requested "2 Ehrenzeichen mit Nadel". He did not specify which type of pin fitting was preferred. I have seen photos of one of these 2 replacement GBP's and it had a horizontal pin.

Stan

[JoeW]

I might add that my brooch pin-back A.H. GPB carries a 30.1.943 date.

It is interesting that these late A.H. badges in cases were simply sent by registered post to the respective office (Gauleitung or Reichsleitung) for distribution to the nominated recipients. The Besitzurkunde were to follow later.

Edited February 16, 2007 by JoeW

[Stan]

Joe,

Can you please post photos of your AH GBP? Otherwise email them to me and I'll post them.

Stan

[JoeW]

I get the camera out this weekend Stan. I have posted already on another thread.

I am curious about Bob's tunic pictured and the DAF tunic mentioned. I can not judge the size as there is not reference in the photo, but what is the distance between the two loops? My 30mm GPB has a brooch style pin that would require a maximum of 15-18mm distance between the loops.

[Bob Coleman]

I get the camera out this weekend Stan. I have posted already on another thread.

I am curious about Bob's tunic pictured and the DAF tunic mentioned. I can not judge the size as there is not reference in the photo, but what is the distance between the two loops? My 30mm GPB has a brooch style pin that would require a maximum of 15-18mm distance between the loops.

Joe-

The space is 18mm. Kunstmann evidently had problems with the "flopiness" in wear of the horizontal pin. That is why he utilized the stud back on his dress tunic and a horizontal slit on his service tunic. Both manners of mounting allowed the badge to be worn flat against the tunic pocket. In the case of the pin back badge, he wore the entire pin mounting inside of the pocket.

Bob

[JoeW]

Bob, I guestimated that to be the approximate width, judging from the EKI positioned on the tunic below the loops. The width looked to be equivalent to the raised EK outline width on the face of the EKI. So you think Kunstmann was dissatisfied with the floppiness of a 30mm badge that has the brooch style pin mounted on the upper half of the badge and would be prone to flopping because the center of gravity is below the axis of the pin. And to correct this he had the special slot made for a stud back arrangement. Seeing your tunic and hearing about the story of the badges, eliminates the necessity of having to explain my brooch pin by finding a suitable female recipient in the 30.1.43 list.

[Bob Coleman]

Joe-

I was able to finally find a file on Kunstmann. Stan also has a copy. Kunstmann was NSDAP member #13,155. However, due to the fact that he dropped his membership for a period of time, he was not eligible for the numbered GPB. The file led to two interesting facts. He never was awarded the EK I. The top badge he wore was actually the S A Sportsabzeichen in bronze. The lower badge worn was a black wound badge from the First World War.

I also discovered that he had sent two sets of his GPB's back to have the pins removed and studs attached. The paper work indicates that all matters dealing with the GPB were handled through the Gau level offices of the NSDAP.

Bob