|
Members of
SA-Regiment Feldherrnhalle stand guard over government buildings most
likely in Munich, Germany or Vienna, Austria. Close examination
of the original photograph shows that both guards are wearing World
War I model Austrian helmets. This would indicate some
probability that these men are actually members of the seventh
battalion of volunteers organized in Vienna following the annexation
of Austria in 1938. The early model helmets, on the contrary,
indicate that these men may be the first of several volunteers within
the regiment to be trained and stationed throughout Germany. In
either case, this unpublished photograph clearly shows helmet models
that have previously been unknown to historians and collectors.
The photos constitute the discovery of a new helmet configuration.
At this point in time, no original or reproduction Feldherrnhalle
helmets have ever surfaced in World War I models. The decal
configuration indicates the pre-1938 application based on known
regulations. It is highly likely that these helmets have been
over painted in the classic SA brown color prior to the application of
the decals. |
