Tri-color aluminum cockade with twisted rope circles for a Rural Police shako acquired by a US soldier

Identifier
irn84972
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2013.453.18
Dates
1 Jan 1938 - 31 Dec 1938, 1 Jan 1945 - 31 Dec 1945
Level of Description
Item
Source
EHRI Partner

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)

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

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.