German (?) badge question

Zaph

I was on the train this morning and saw a guy wearing a badge on his jacket that was quite unusual. It looked like it was German, about the size of a Wound Badge. I wasn't that close to see all the detail, but it appeared to have a wreath type border with a small eagle and swastika at the top. It was really the centre that caught my attention, what appeared to be a Viking longboat on top of a globe. Anyone any ideas what it might be?

Dr Strange

Hi Zaph,

nice to see you in the militaria forum.

The badge you saw is the Kriegsabzeichen fuer Hilfskreuzer (Auxiliary Cruiser War Badge) as this is the only one that had the Viking ship in it.

It had been awarded to crew members of the ships "Thor" and "Michel".

I always think that wearing a decoration that hasn't been awarded to you is bad judgement. I mean, the guys who got these did something to earn it. Some young guy putting it on his jacket for decoration or whatever is just bad.

Zaph

Nice to be here Preusse. Cheers for the answer, I figured if anyone knew what it was it would be someone in here. Just Googled it and that's the one all right.

I agree, wearing something like that is wrong for the reason you've stated. There's also the whole issue of wearing a swastika, no matter how small, in public. Poor taste, IMO, and not something I would imagine proper collectors of militaria would ever do.

Dr Strange

Zaph wrote: »

Poor taste, IMO, and not something I would imagine proper collectors of militaria would ever do.

Quite right, Zaph.

FiSe

I'm wearing a SS-cap-type eagle on the collar of my jacket as a protest, I have to say, before I get some slaging.
Got it from A-wear Dun Laoghaire a few /3?/ years back where they were selling it as a broche on some girls jeans jackets.
Have written about it to a couple of newspapers and a few radio stations, but got no response whatsoewer.
So I pressume it's OK to run around with this type of regalia in here

arnhem44

FiSe wrote: »

I'm wearing a SS-cap-type eagle on the collar of my jacket as a protest, I have to say, before I get some slaging.
Got it from A-wear Dun Laoghaire a few /3?/ years back where they were selling it as a broche on some girls jeans jackets.
Have written about it to a couple of newspapers and a few radio stations, but got no response whatsoewer.
So I pressume it's OK to run around with this type of regalia in here

An unusual thing to be selling as a broche and pretty poor taste if you ask me,its one thing if you wear these for reinactment and another as a fashion statement,any photo of this???

danpatjoe

FiSe wrote: »

I'm wearing a SS-cap-type eagle on the collar of my jacket as a protest, I have to say, before I get some slaging.
Got it from A-wear Dun Laoghaire a few /3?/ years back where they were selling it as a broche on some girls jeans jackets.
Have written about it to a couple of newspapers and a few radio stations, but got no response whatsoewer.
So I pressume it's OK to run around with this type of regalia in here

Is this the same totenkopf image that the American chain Walmart got themselves in hot water about a couple of years ago? They had to remove from their shops t-shirts with a large image very similar to a 3rd SS Division Totenkopf.



An update on the story...
http://consumerist.com/348776/walmart-nazi-tshirt-watch-week-62

FiSe

It shows total ignorancism of someone who's responsible for purchasing them clothes as well as the staff of above mentioned shop. And it's a UK company, so really don't know what excuse for this they might have...
Anyway here it is:



You can't see the Hakenkreutz on this one, but have another one with pretty nice swastika and much better quality than this one. I have to say that there was a pendant attached on it and I think it was a Purple Heart replica.

Speaking of this Totenkopf thing, friend of mine has a bike shop in Bray and he got a bunch of different biker's badges. Well, there is one Totenkopf emblem, just like that one you have, Danpat, and another one round shape with skull in the middle surrounded by oak leaves and SS motto "Meine......" and yes I found two "lightnings" down at the bottom of the badge.

Somebody should keep an eye on the China export policy, me thinks