Mr. Boot Returns!

It has been a few months since my last post.  I have been on an extended hiatus while I take care of academic responsibilities and travel.  Pink and I have recently returned from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and prior to that we visited Ireland, and took an extended stay in New Zealand as well!  It almost goes without saying that I have had less time than usual to blog.

Above:  Small map of Ireland.  We landed in Dublin and spent most of the trip just south of Galway, and to the east of the Aran Islands.  Great country to bicycle in.

Today I have responded to a few comments from visitors and followers, and fixed a couple links that were not working in previous posts.  Although I have not been writing here lately, I have been keeping an eye out for unusual topics to write articles about, and I am hoping to have some very interesting blog pieces for this year.  Whenever I travel I try to find people, places, or things that are relevant to Mr. Boot's Axis blog.  Sometimes this is relatively easy (visiting Fjell Festning in Bergen Norway for example), other times this can be very challenging (for example: try finding NSDAP artifacts in New Zealand!).

 Above:  A small map of New Zealand.  We landed in Aukland (North Island) and spent most of our time traveling around the South Island.  New Zealand is about the size of the state of California, but the rugged terrain can take a lot of time to traverse.

Despite the example given above I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon some Axis memorabilia in Christchurch New Zealand.  The Air Force Museum of New Zealand had a lot of exhibits on R.A.F. bomber missions over Europe, but they also had a few nice display stands full of Japanese and German military gear.

Above:  Some items on display at the Air Force Museum in Christchurch.  To the left can be seen a Luftwaffe officers cap.  Below this is a (Wehrmacht?) backpack, and belt.  In the middle we can see a Luftwaffe dress dagger, below this is a Luger pistol, a Japanese bayonet, an aircraft control column,  and a Japanese officer's sword.  To the far right and above is a Japanese airman's head piece and binoculars.  Lying along the bottom of the display are various pins and pennants, as well as a Luftwaffe MG15.

Above:  A closeup of the Luftwaffe dagger.

Many of the items on display have seen better days, and I would love for the curators to do some restoration here.  Nonetheless I was pleased to find another case of artifacts near the one displayed above.  It is interesting to consider that some of these items have come a very long way from Europe, to be resting on an island in the south pacific ocean.

Above:  To the left a German Stahlhelm, helmet liner, boots and K98 rifle. To the right a Japanese helmet and Arisaka rifle.  In the middle and on the floor are various first aid packages, religious artifacts, pipes and silverware.

It's good to be back home for now, but the travel bug is starting to bite me again already.  In the meantime expect regular updates again from Mr. Boot's Axis blog, and let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to hear about as a reader.  Happy holidays, and haben Sie einen schönen Tag!

Winterhilfswerk: Winter Relief for the Unfortunate!

Above:  Top members of the NSDAP, including Joseph Goebbels and Adolf Hitler, enjoy an eintopf meal durring the Winterhilfswerk drive.

The Winterhilfswerk (Winter Help Work) program was the most famous charity effort undertaken by the NSDAP.  One goal of the National Socialist Party in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s, was the elimination of poverty and homelessness.  As a means to make certain that Germans who were not financially well off could survive the cold season, the Winterhilfswerk was developed by the Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt (National Socialist People’s Welfare Organization).  The WHW program whose motto was "None shall starve nor freeze" proved to be quit successful.

 Above:  An off-duty soldier donates to the Winterhilfswerk.

This annual drive took place in Germany from 1933 to 1945 through the months of October and March.  Donations of coal, food, clothing or anything else useful to a family were accepted at WHW stations throughout the country.  During the drive, each of the various branches of the National Socialist Party were assigned alternating weekends to go out into the streets and collect donations.  Each organization would have its own gift to exchange in return for a donation, and each gift was only available for that particular weekend the group was taking donations.  Greater donations were awarded with nicer gifts.  Basic gifts included things like small decorated informational booklets (an example here), or holiday cards.  Nicer gifts included small toys, badges or lapel pins.  The pins illustrated various themes of life in Germany and its various regions.  Famous historical figures, images of nature and various animals were also common illustrations.  These products varied widely in composition.  Some being made from wood, others from glass, paper, metal, Terracotta or plastic.  At least 8000 of these various pins and trinkets were produced before World War Two came to a close in Germany, and they are highly collectible today.

The Hitlerjugend and Bund Deutscher Madel were the most active in collecting for the WHW drives, and members from both organizations would regularly go from door to door asking for donations.  In keeping with the socialist concepts of community over the individual, the total donations each individual was able to raise were not reported.  Only the total raised by the relevant organization of that region.  Donators were given cards to place on their window in order to not be bothered by the next group of collectors.  Wearing the current pin of the week would keep collectors away as well.  Failing to donate on the other hand, might get your name posted in the local paper as "someone who forgot"! 

 Above:  Two women offer donations to an SS officer on a snowy day.

The highlight of the drive would occur on National Solidarity Day (December 3rd)
when high ranking party officials would take to the streets and ask for donations themselves.  Famous figures including Hermann Goering and especially Joseph Goebbels, were noted for taking part in this annual event.  Another popular aspect of Winterhilfswerk was the eintopf (a special kind of cheap stew).  A family would eat an eintopf meal for dinner one night per month during the drive, and donate the money they saved doing so to the WHW.

Above:  Volunteers sort donations to the WHW.  Most of those in the photograph appear to be canned and dry goods.

The Winterhilfswerk drive was not only useful for bringing aid to Germans in need, but also for continuing to unify the nation and people.  The concepts promoted by the WHW drive helped develop trust between people and state, and provided an easily identifiable example of Volksgemeinshaft to the German people, and the rest of the world.  

Symbology: The Fasces

Above:  One of many possible examples of a Fasces.

The Fasces was the chosen symbol of the Benito Mussolini lead Italian National Fascist party (Partito Nazionale Fascista or PNF).  The PNF sought to reclaim the glory of the Roman Empire through social and political revolution, and the acquisition of territory both in and around the Mediterranean Sea, including significant portions of Libya.  The Fasces was chosen to represent this organization not only because of the nature of its symbolism, but also on merit of its ancient status and Roman affiliations.

The Fasces originates in the oldest cultures of the Mediterranean, and probably migrated to Italy through ancient cultures such as the Etruscan civilization.  The Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire used the Fasces as an indicator of power.  A Lictor (social servant with authority) would own a number of Fasces indicative to his rank, and often display them ceremoniously at state functions.

Above:  Italian torpedo bombers (perhaps the Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero, or "Sparrowhawk").  Each displaying a trio of stylized Fasces on the wing.

The Fasces is comprised of 12 sticks or rods fastened together into a tight bundle, with an axe fastened to one side of the bundle.  Individually the rods are weak, but when fastened together they are nearly impossible to break.  This arrangement easily promotes the socialist concept of "strength through unity."  The Roman culture attached an axe to the Fasces to represent the authority of the state, specifically the states power over life and death imposed through the application of the death penalty.  While within the city limits of Rome Lictors kept the axe blade turned inward so as to be hidden within the bundle, symbolizing that the Roman people maintained power over life and death through state functions and assemblies.  Outside the boundaries of Rome or in a state of emergency, a Lictor might display his axe outward from the bundle, indicating that he has full authority to enact capital punishment if need be.

Above:  The Lincoln Memorial.  Notice the Fasces under each of Mr. Lincolns arms.

Many western governments and organizations have incorporated the Fasces into their iconography.  The United States of America uses the Fasces extensively.  Many unit insignias for the United States military bear the Fasces.  A few other examples include the Mace of the United States House of Representatives, which is occasionally used to maintain order among unruly house members.  The state seal of Colorado displays the Fasces, and so does the statue of George Washington at the Virginia state capital.

It is from the Fasces that the term Fascio was established in the early 20th century, which is a colloquial term for a small political party.  It is from among these various Fascio of that same era that the PNF rose to prominence, and from the PNF itself we have the term Fascism, a reference to the "fastened" power of people and state.  Today the Fasces remains a potent symbol for many western cultures, and exists as a link between the principals of the ancient Roman state, and our own modern principals of both democratic and authoritarian government.

Image: Guitar in Normandy

Normandy 1944, near Buron:  The man on the left side of this photograph is Untersturmfuhrer Franz-Joseph Kneipp of III./SS-PanzerGrenadier Regiment 25 (12th SS Hitlerjugend Panzer Division).  He sits on the edge of a trench and plays guitar for other members of the unit during a lull in the fighting.  On the right is Battalion Adjutant Kurt Bergmann, and just out of sight to the left is Battalion Commander Obersturmbannfuhrer Karl-Heinz Milius.  Kneipp is wearing a Waffen SS Plane Tree pattern tunic (Platanenmuster), while Bergmann is wearing a Splinter Pattern tunic (Splittertarn).

Unser Rommel!

"Unser Rommel" (Our Rommel) is a stirring song written during the early 40s, inspired by the feats of the German Afrika Corps under the leadership of famous army general Erwin Rommel.  Sent into North Africa to assist a failed attempt by Italian military forces to control the Mediterranean region.

Above: Rommel speaks to soldiers from his famous command half track "Greif" or Griffon.

For nearly two years the Afrika Corps, who's motto was "Chivalrous in War, Vigilant for Peace". Fought a brilliant campaign against an enemy composed of not only greater numbers, but greater quantities of machinery and material as well.  Rommel, already famous for his exploits in the first World War and the invasion of France in 1940, would achieve the title "Desert Fox" from friends and enemies alike, for his successes against the multinational force set against him in the blistering deserts of North Africa.

I have linked an example of this song from YouTube to my blog for your listening.  Unfortunately I have had some difficulty finding information on who composed this piece, but lyrics in English are provided in the video.  Enjoy!

Image: Sanität

Somewhere in France, 1940:  A combat medic from the Wermacht medical service (Sanitätsdienste), applies bandages to the wounded foot of a German solder.  The large canister sitting to the wounded mans left, and still attached to his combat harness, is a gas mask container.  The worn metal container hanging on the center of his back is his mess tin.  In the background can be seen an officer conducting a conference with a handful of men, while two more soldiers have their faces in the dirt.  I presume these two men are either seeking cover or handling something delicate.  The black line running to the right of this photograph is more than likely for telecommunication, allowing the officer here to coordinate with the greater battle being fought around him.

Panzers!

    Recently I found an archive of episodes for the series "German War Files".  This is an excellent series I recommend to all students of the German military of the 1930s and 1940s.  While the narration is often drowned out a bit by the unbalanced newsreel audio, the footage and information provided are wonderful, as well as the accompanying musical score.  I have linked the episode "Panzer: Germany's Ultimate War Machine" to my blog for your convenience.

    In addition to propaganda and newsreel footage, a number of training films are also included on this particular episode. "Kampfpanzer beim Einsatz" begins at time index 10:30 and familiarizes the viewer with some of the procedures and tactics used by the Panzer V crews (Panther), and those used by Soviet infantry.  "Lerhfilm Number 480" (training film number 480) begins at time index 20:07.  This excellent film illustrates the preparation, execution, restitution of lines, and withdrawal of a German mechanized infantry counterattack.  I highly recommend Lerhfilm 480 to anyone desiring a more detailed look at German small unit combined arms tactics.  

Total running time for this episode is 51:53.