Type II Veterans Gorget

Product Description: This Type II Veterans Gorget is a super impressive piece of regalia, intended for wear by a flag bearer in a Nazi-era association for military veterans. The front of this gorget is extremely clean, with full original luster. The silver-colored front is emblazoned with a brass device that features detailed representations of Imperial military standards as well as Third Reich era veterans flags. At the center of this device is a separately applied enameled emblem, with a Nazi swastika inside an Iron Cross, a veterans organization symbol. The black and translucent red enamel on the organizational emblem are perfect. This Type II Veterans Gorget is complete with its original chain, which is complete and full length. The chain links alternate between Iron Cross and swastika emblems, and show only minor wear. The reverse of this gorget is complete with its original black velvet style backing, which has no mothing. The chain is retained by 2 sheet metal clips, one of which is neatly marked with the number “3,” presumably a manufacturer code. This is a gorgeous piece, loaded with eye appeal, and in excellent condition.

Historical Description: Gorgets were originally part of a knight’s armor during medieval times. Long after suits of armor were abandoned, the gorget continued to be used in many European armies as a form of military insignia. In the Imperial German Army until 1914, gorgets were worn as a special mark of distinction by certain elite units. Following WWI, German paramilitary and police organizations used gorgets for standard bearers, as insignia, and to denote personnel assigned special tasks. Following the Nazi rise to power, there was a vast increase in the number of uniformed organizations, and a variety of new gorgets were instituted for use by these civil, political and paramilitary organizations, as well as by the military. Standard bearers of most organizations, who were entrusted with carrying flags at rallies and in parades, wore gorgets. Other gorgets indicated assignment to guard or security forces. The military police personnel of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS had their own gorgets as a part of their uniforms and were nicknamed “chained dogs” by the troops, due to the chain used to suspend the gorget around the wearer’s neck. Because gorgets were never general issue to all personnel of any organization or military branch, they were manufactured in limited numbers, and are generally scarce to encounter today.

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