Tri-color aluminum cockade with twisted rope circles for a Rural Police shako acquired by a US soldier
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 1.375 inches (3.493 cm) | Width: 2.500 inches (6.35 cm) | Depth: 0.750 inches (1.905 cm)
Creator(s)
- Harold B. Goldberg (Subject)
Biographical History
Harold B. Goldberg (1922-2011) was born in Brooklyn, New York to Samuel and Rose Goldberg. Samuel and Rose were born in Russia and immigrated to the United States before the birth of their children. Samuel worked as a presser in a tailor shop. Harold had six siblings and the family spoke Yiddish and English at home. As a young adult Harold worked as a mail carrier and attended City College in New York. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The following day the United States declared war on Japan, and on December 11, Germany declared war on the United States. On October 31, 1942 Harold was drafted into the U.S. military. He entered the army on October 31, 1942 as a private, and received serial number 32613738. He served in Europe until the end of the war. Harold then returned home to New York where he married his wife Rita in 1952. The family lived in New York for the rest of their lives.
Archival History
The cockade was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by the family of Harold Goldberg.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the family of Harold Goldberg
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
Schutzpolizei [Protection Police] shako aluminum cockade with concentric, braided ovals in silver, black, and red brought back from the war by Harold Goldberg, an American soldier who served in Europe, circa 1945-1946. A shako is a military style cap with a visor and a high, rigid crown. The cockade would be attached vertically to the front top center and extend above the cap. This type would have been worn by the regular police in larger towns and cities. It was part of the uniform dress regulations introduced by Himmler after his appointment as Chief of the German Police in 1936, giving him control over all police agencies in Germany: the Ordnungspolizei (Order Police), the Schutzpolizei, and the Gemeindepolizei (Local Municipal Police.]
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Oval, vertical, die-stamped aluminum cockade, or cap ornament, with an outer edge of 5 stepped, concentric rows of silver washed, twisted rope patterned piping, a single inner row in black, a wider inner row in white, and a flat, recessed, narrow red painted center. The recessed, aluminum back plate is attached with folded tab clips around the edge and center rivets. It has an elongated, looped wire prong inserted into 2 holes at the plate bottom to secure it to the cap. A maker's mark is stamped on the back.
Subjects
- Jewish soldiers--United States--Biography.
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
- Soldiers--United States--Biography.
- Souvenirs (Keepsakes)--Soldiers--United States--Biography.
Genre
- Object
- Military Insignia