Helferin Items

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Heimatschuss
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Re: Helferin Items

#100

Post by Heimatschuss » 26 Feb 2010, 02:33

Hello,

today I'd like to show you another type of badge worn by some groups of civilian Wehrmacht employees early in the war. It's the quite stylish badge that was used by civilian elements of the Militärverwaltung (military administrations) of serveral countries in Western Europe shortly after the occupation.

Depending on the military government the inscriptions varied:

- Militärverwaltung Frankreich [France]
- Militärverwaltung Belgien und Nord-Frankreich [Belgium and Northern France [Dunkirk area]]
- Militärverwaltung Norwegen [Norway]

while the other elements remained identical.
Zivilabzeichen 1.jpg
Zivilabzeichen 1.jpg (185.68 KiB) Viewed 9390 times
Zivilabzeichen 2.jpg
Zivilabzeichen 2.jpg (242.58 KiB) Viewed 9390 times
The woman depicted is Ilse Schmidt. She worked for the Kriegsmarine propaganda department in Paris and Bordeaux from November 1940 till June 1941 before moving on to Belgrade. The photos are from spring 1941 (Schmidt, 2002).

References:
Ilse Schmidt
Die Mitläuferin. Erinnerungen einer Wehrmachtsangehörigen.
Aufbau Taschenbuch Verlag; Berlin; 2002
Last edited by Heimatschuss on 26 Feb 2010, 04:31, edited 2 times in total.

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Heimatschuss
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Re: Helferin Items

#101

Post by Heimatschuss » 26 Feb 2010, 03:03

Here's one from the Military Administration of Belgium just posted on the Wehrmacht Awards Forum (http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ ... ?p=3857319)
Zivilabzeichen 3a.jpg
Zivilabzeichen 3a.jpg (69.8 KiB) Viewed 9384 times
Zivilabzeichen 3b.jpg
Zivilabzeichen 3b.jpg (81.66 KiB) Viewed 9384 times
plus another photo sold on Ebay Germany last year:
Zivilabzeichen 4.jpg
Zivilabzeichen 4.jpg (81.08 KiB) Viewed 9382 times
Source: http://www.ebay.de auction No. 140350164853

Really a shame I didn't understand what the insignium was at the time and let that opportunity pass. Congratulations to whoever bought the lot with her!

The road signs clearly visible are rather generic and could be found in any major town in Western Europe under German administration. There's one partially obscured by the lady which seems to be '...l. Verwaltungs. Bez. B'. That could very well be Militär-Verwaltungs-Bezirk B which would mean it's somewhere in Southern France.

Best regards
Torsten


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Heimatschuss
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Re: Helferin Items

#102

Post by Heimatschuss » 22 Mar 2010, 21:17

Hello,

here's a quite unique birthday card to a signals auxiliary which was stationed in St. Germain near Paris. As the text of the water colours says at the same time also a voucher for a bunch of flowers she's going to receive. All her colleagues marching in to congratulate her, headed by Col. Berndt the commanding officer of her bureau.

Source: http://www.ebay.de
Auction no.: 280400178727
Vendor: ufbe
Date: Sept. 28th, 2009 21:47 hrs CET

Best regards
Torsten
Attachments
Nachrichtenhelferin Birthday Card.jpg
Nachrichtenhelferin Birthday Card.jpg (128.54 KiB) Viewed 9245 times

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Vikki
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Re: Helferin Items

#103

Post by Vikki » 24 Mar 2010, 02:48

Nice, Torsten! You should post it in the Helferinnen in Paris thread as well.

~Vikki

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Vikki
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Re: Helferin Items

#104

Post by Vikki » 31 Aug 2010, 06:42

A post with a photo of Heer Nachrichtenhelferinnen by MrPeanut05 was moved to the Female Auxiliaries Photos thread at http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 0#p1502420

~Vikki

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Heimatschuss
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Re: Helferin Items

#105

Post by Heimatschuss » 03 Dec 2010, 00:26

Hello all,

here's another Helferin item (sort of) that I've recently acquired. It's a 1943 pulp novel of 32 pages about a young woman from Brandenburg who joins the Heer-Nachrichtenhelferinnen (Army signals auxiliaries) and gets stationed in Dijon (France). The story doesn't offer much drama but when you read it carefully you notice it's a subliminal attempt to recruit young women for the Wehrmacht.
Nachrichtenhelferin booklet - Cover.jpg
Nachrichtenhelferin booklet - Cover.jpg (160.33 KiB) Viewed 8421 times
Best regards
Torsten

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Heimatschuss
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Re: Helferin Items

#106

Post by Heimatschuss » 10 Jul 2012, 10:34

Hello,

want to work for the SS? Then hurry and reply to this job advert in the Tages-Post from Linz (Upper Austria), July 3rd, 1940 (page 10) looking for a Stenotypistin (shorthand typist).
http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno? ... 10&zoom=33
SS job advert.jpg
Best regards
Torsten
Last edited by Heimatschuss on 10 Jul 2012, 22:38, edited 2 times in total.

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Heimatschuss
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Re: Helferin Items

#107

Post by Heimatschuss » 10 Jul 2012, 14:35

Hello,

here's a photo of another item used by female Luftwaffe personnel. On a number of Luftwaffe airbases as well as other Luftwaffe installations all civilian personnel (male and female) while on work had to wear round metal badges proving they belonged to that facility.
LW mechanic 1.jpg
The badges showed the Luftwaffe eagle and an inscription with the name of the facility but otherwise differed in design. Schlicht & Angolia (1999, p.584) describe two examples from the Fliegerhorst-Kommandanturen in Erfurt and Lüneburg. Unfortunately the inscription on this badge remains illegible even under strong magnification. Just that it's badge No. 11 can be seen.
LW mechanic 1 - zoom.jpg
Here's the example from Schlicht & Angolia (1999, p.583) for comparison:
LW airbase ID badge.jpg
LW airbase ID badge.jpg (39.45 KiB) Viewed 4652 times
References:

Schlicht, Adolf; Angolia, John R.
Die deutsche Wehrmacht. Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933 - 1945.
Band 3: Die Luftwaffe
Motorbuch Verlag; Stuttgart; 1999


Best regards
Torsten

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Vikki
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Re: Helferin Items

#108

Post by Vikki » 11 Jul 2012, 08:42

Nice, Torsten!

~Vikki

Mike Shaner
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Re: Helferin Items

#109

Post by Mike Shaner » 11 Jul 2012, 16:49

Great posts!! Thank all of you.

jnette
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Re: Helferin Items

#110

Post by jnette » 17 Sep 2012, 21:48

These are absolutely wonderful !
I have scoured these pages and pictures hoping against hope to find something relating to my mother. One photo nearly caused me to spit out my coffee as it bore such a striking resemblance to her, but indeed it was not her.
I have but ONE photo of my mother during that time period with the NSDAP plain red armband with swastika.. was hoping to find something else to tell me what department she actually belonged to. All I know is that she was in Italy after leaving her home in Vienna, and that she was responsible for informing families of fallen troops of the deaths of their loved ones. Then taken POW in Italy and I believe taken to France before being released and returning to Vienna.

I'm assuming she destroyed all of her papers and documents before coming to the US, married to my father. I so wish I could find more about her. *sigh* :|

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Heimatschuss
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Re: Helferin Items

#111

Post by Heimatschuss » 14 Jan 2014, 18:31

Hello,

here are some job advertisments for the army signals auxiliaries I've collected over time:
NH job ad 1.jpg
NH job ad 1.jpg (72.48 KiB) Viewed 4156 times
Lienzer Zeitung [Lienz, East Tyrol]; 4.Jahrgang; Folge 35; May 17, 1941; p.8
http://dza.tessmann.it/tessmannPortal/Z ... 1/183682/8

Translation:

German Red Cross - Office County Lienz

Announcement

In the first half of June this year a basic training course takes place in Oberalm (Salzburg) for applicants who are going to be trained as Nachrichten-Helferinnen. Maidens from 18 till 32 years of age who are interested and have the necessary aptness can register for attendance of this course until May 25th.
Address: DRK-Hauptführerin Frau M. Kunater, Lienz, Rosengasse 2, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. each day

This is an interesting ad. At the time the propaganda ministry still didn't want it to be known that the army's female signals auxiliaries were connected to the German Red Cross. There's a directive to the press from them issued July 1st, 1941 after a similar job offer appeared in the newspaper 'Hamburger Fremdenblatt' that this very detail was to be avoided at all cost (Seidler, 1998, p.56). This seems a little bizarre since that relation had already been revealed via a photo story the widely read magazine 'Die Wehrmacht' in Sept. 1940. See http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 1#p1270461

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NH job ad 2.jpg
NH job ad 2.jpg (143.83 KiB) Viewed 4156 times
Die Grenz-Zeitung [Stolp, Eastern Pomerania]; Nr.34, 1943; Febr 4, 1943; p.6
http://bibliotekacyfrowa.eu/dlibra/plai ... nt?id=8295

Translation:

Voluntary National Honorary Service
- Army Signals Auxiliaries -

German women and girls can add in an important position to strenghten the frontline and secure final victory. In the homeland and in all countries of Europe occupied by the Wehrmacht female army signals auxiliaries are doing auxiliary war service. By this national voluntary honoray service soldiers of the signal troops are freed who are needed at the front. The army calls for German women and girls aged 17 to 30 years to volunteer as signals auxiliaries. Assignment takes place according to individul wishes and qualification as telephone operator, telex secretary or radio operator. Special prior skills are not expected from the applicants. Sufficient health, command of German language orally and in writing, aryan descent and lack of a penal record are required though. The training lasts 6 to 12 weeks and is free of charge. This is followed by employment in an army installation. Signals auxiliaries receive free clothing, free accomodation, free holiday travels and pay. Details can be asked at deputy HQ 2nd Army Corps (Commander of Signal Toops II, Department N.H. [Nachrichtenhelferinnen]) in Stettin 10, Kreckower Landstraße 4. Applications including a handwritten CV are to be submitted there too.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NH job ad 3.jpg
NH job ad 3.jpg (112.59 KiB) Viewed 4156 times
Seelower Tageblatt [Seelow, Brandenburg]; Nr.97; Apr 27; 1943; p.4
http://tinyurl.com/konj2j9

Translation:

Improved Conditions for Army Signals Auxiliaries

In the course of extracting soldiers fit for frontline service female army signals auxiliaries are still urgently needed for the areas occupied by German troops in the East and West, North and South of Europe. The female signals auxiliaries are employed in army offices as teletype secretaries, telephone operators and radio operators and free soldiers for frontline service. They receive pay and, providing they're stationed in occupied territores, allowances consisting of free food, free accomodation and extra pay in cash. Applications from volunteers aged 20 to 30 years are received by the office below.

Additionally female civilian employees are needed for the communications service in Berlin. The age range for these is 17 to 40 years.

deputy HQ 3nd Army Corps (Commander of Signal Toops II, Department N.H. [Nachrichtenhelferinnen])
Berlin-Grunewald, Hohenzollerndamm 144

References:

Seidler, Franz W.
Frauen zu den Waffen?
2nd ed.; Bernard & Graefe Verlag; Bonn; 1998

Best regards
Torsten

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Re: Helferin Items

#112

Post by Heimatschuss » 29 Jan 2015, 22:33

Hello,

another sad Helferinnen item again, a death note for a Luftwaffenhelferin who died abroad of an illness .
Death Notice Martha Guendera.JPG
Death Notice Martha Guendera.JPG (66.63 KiB) Viewed 3701 times
Source: Vorarlberger Tagblatt [Bregenz] of July 10, 1944; 27.Jahrgang; Folge 160; p.4
http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno? ... =4&zoom=36

Best regards
Torsten

ilovehistory
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Re: Helferin Items

#113

Post by ilovehistory » 13 Feb 2015, 19:08

Good research!
I like the "Blitzmädel" =)

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Heimatschuss
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Re: Helferin Items

#114

Post by Heimatschuss » 29 Mar 2015, 12:14

Hello,

this is something for one of Vikki's favourite subjects: the helfs of Paris. Here's a page of funny sketches around the signals auxiliaries in the French capital. While the humour is just mild I really liked the the drawings.
Blitzmaedel humor.jpg
Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung of March 20, 1941; 50. Jahrgang; No.12; p.352
Source: http://fuldig.hs-fulda.de/viewer/fullsc ... 26_50/352/

Blitzmaedel cartoon 1.jpg
When the telephone rings! Once ... ...and since the Blitzmädels are doing the connections!

Blitzmaedel cartoon 2.jpg
The Brownies of Paris!

The signals auxiliaries on their way to change shifts.
Early in the morning when Paris is still asleep they ride
with the underground from their accomodation to the office,
work there is never to stop.

Blitzmaedel cartoon 3.jpg
In the Teletype Room

'Thunders! Inge holds today's record
with 550 meters of telex tape!'
Last edited by Heimatschuss on 29 Mar 2015, 12:46, edited 1 time in total.

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