Edelweiss

[thorin6]

I picked up an Edelweiss badge at an estate sale this weekend, but it’s different from the one’s I have seen in the past, and different from the one my father brought back from Europe after WW2. In the picture below, the one on the left my father brought back (and picked up sometime in late 1944/early 1945). It looks pretty much like the one’s I saw when I did an internet search and is unmarked. The one on the right is the one I picked up for a couple of bucks at the estate sale, and it looks quite different and is marked, as shown in the pictures below. In my internet search I found a couple of Edelweiss that looked like this, and one listing characterized it as an SS Edelweiss, although I’ve never heard of such a thing. A couple of other points; the one on the left has five holes for attaching it to a background, tunic or such. The one on the right doesn’t seem to have any attachment points or a pin.

Would appreciate any insight as to what each one means, i.e. who would wear it and where on the uniform/hat would it be attached.

Thanks in advance.

 

 

[thorin6]

The picture of the marking goes with the Edelweiss on the right above, the unmarked picture goes with the Edelweiss on the left and is the one my father brought back.

[Proud Kraut]

Thorin, the left one is used with the Bundeswehr Bergmuetze/Barett worn by Bw Gebirgsjäger units. It has no pins and is usually sewn on.

 

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergm%C3%BCtze(Bundeswehr)

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/BW_Barettabzeichen_Gebirgstruppe.png

[thorin6]

Thorin, the left one is used with the Bundeswehr Bergmuetze/Barett worn by Bw Gebirgsjäger units. It has no pins and is usually sewn on.

 

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergm%C3%BCtze(Bundeswehr)

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/BW_Barettabzeichen_Gebirgstruppe.png

So are you saying that the one on the left is not WW2? My understanding is that my father obtained it during WW2.

[Proud Kraut]

If your father obtained it during WW II it is for the Wehrmacht Bergmuetze. I did some more online research and learned that the Bw one (I did know before) looks exactly like the Wehrmacht one you depicted on the left. Obviously countless variants (metal and cloth) do exist. In any case these pieces with holes were sewn directly on the cap.

[thorin6]

If your father obtained it during WW II it is for the Wehrmacht Bergmuetze. I did some more online research and learned that the Bw one (I did know before) looks exactly like the Wehrmacht one you depicted on the left. Obviously countless variants (metal and cloth) do exist. In any case these pieces with holes were sewn directly on the cap.

Thanks,

t6

[SARGE]

There are several styles of these metal Edelweiss that were used during WWII. There is a separate Polizei style and the SA wore them on their kepi as well. Yours has a NSDAP RZM marking on it so I suspect it may be one of those Party insignia. Here is an example of a commercial pin back Edelweiss that was on a Gendarmerie winter mountain cap when I bought it. Technically, it is not the correct police style insignia but I left it on the cap as it came with it.

[Brig]

The one on the right is a variant that was used by the SA and the Austrian HJ on collar tabs. SImilar badges were also used by RAD groups Alpenland, Oberdonau, Wien-Nieder-donau, & Sudmark as a traditions badge, however those tend to have wider petals, but I imagine these could have been worn, as well

 

A comparison of wartime and post war Edelweiss below

[thorin6]

Thanks for all the comments.