Army Mountain Guide Badge (Germany)

Army Mountain Guide Badge
Abzeichen für Heeresbergführer
Wehrmacht badge awarded 1936–45
TypeProficiency badge
Presented byNazi Germany
Federal Republic of Germany
EligibilityExperienced Army mountain guides
Established10 August 1936
Bundeswehr version
Badge on General's tunic. Senior officers sometimes received honorary awards

The Army Mountain Guide Badge (German: Abzeichen für Heeresbergführer) was a German military badge awarded to experienced Gebirgsjager mountain guides in Nazi Germany.

An Army Mountain Guide Badge of a different design is also awarded by the current Federal Republic of Germany.

Eligibility and appearance

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The Army Mountain Guide Badge was established in August 1936. It was worn by Gebirgsjäger troops in the German Wehrmacht who had trained as mountain guides and then acted as a guide for one year. The badge was not awarded after 1945.[1]

It was an oval tombac-plated iron pin-back badge, measuring 51.8 mm by 42.9 mm. The centre has an edelweiss flower in silver with a gilt centre, on a green enamel background. A surrounding white enamel band bears, on its lower portion, the word 'Heeresbergführer' in gothic script. The reverse is plain except for the pin fastening and, in most cases, the name of the manufacturer. In uniform, it was worn on or below the left-hand breast pocket,[2] although it was sometimes seen worn on the right side of the jacket.[3]

A badge of a different design was awarded in Nazi Germany to police mountain guides.[4]

Bundeswehr version

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Gebirgsjäger troops of the current German Bundeswehr who qualify as mountain guides receive an army mountain guide badge,[5] to be worn in the middle of the right breast pocket.[6] The badge is worn while the holder serves as a guide or on other mountaineering duties, with eligibility ceasing for those not so involved for two years.[5] After twelve years the badge can be worn in uniform permanently, irrespective of the work undertaken.[7]

A machine embroidered oval cloth badge, it displays an edelweiss in front of two crossed ice axes, on a green background. Surrounding this is a grey wreath with the wording 'HEERESBERGFÜHRER' on its lower portion.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Lucas 1980, p. 209.
  2. ^ Angolia & Schlicht 1986, p. 18.
  3. ^ Confirmed by contemporary photographs, e.g. of General Dietl.
  4. ^ Littlejohn & Dodkins 1968, p. 215.
  5. ^ a b German Federal service regulations 1996, p. Appendix 8/3.
  6. ^ German Federal service regulations 1996, pp. 557–558.
  7. ^ German Federal service regulations 1996, p. Appendix 8/4.
  8. ^ German Federal service regulations 1996, p. 563.

Sources

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  • Angolia, John R.; Schlicht, Adolf (1986). Uniforms and Traditions of the German Army 1933-1945: Vol. 2. R. James Bender Publishing, California. ISBN 0912138343.
  • German Federal service regulations (1996). Dienstvorschriften Nr. 14/97. Bezug: Anzugordnung für die Soldaten der Bundeswehr. ZDv 37/10 (in German).
  • Littlejohn, David; Dodkins, Colonel C. M. (1968). Orders, Decorations, Medals and Badges of the Third Reich. R. James Bender Publishing, California. ISBN 978-0854200801.
  • Lucas, James (1980). Alpine Elite: German Mountain Troops of World War II. Jane's Publishing. ISBN 0531037134.
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