German badge question

[robert_sfl]

Just being curious, this badge could possibly depict an aesculapian staff but the man doesn´t look like medical personnel. Originally it was the M71 that made me get the picture.

[squirrel]

Looks like a medical orderlies badge.

[Ralph J. Whitehead]

From what I have in my library I believe it is a medical symbol, could be for the medical staff or veterinary staff. I will have to dig out some reference books to be sure if it relates to both.

Ralph

[Tom W.]

Just being curious, this badge could possibly depict an aesculapian staff but the man doesn´t look like medical personnel. Originally it was the M71 that made me get the picture.

Yes, that's a medical orderly's badge. German medical orderlies were armed. Here are medics in the AsienKorps armed with Kar 98AZ carbines. The theory was they had to protect the wounded, so they were allowed to carry weapons. Usually it was pistols, but I've seen images of German orderlies with hand grenades!

[Khaki]

Hey robert-sfl,

Thanks for posting the photograph of the soldier with the M1871, I having been looking for something like that in another thread.

khaki

[Khaki]

Hello Tom,

Interesting about medical orderlies being armed, I am only guessing but I would imagine that in some of the more remote area's wild animals (wolves) or roaming packs of dogs, may have been a problem with blood 'in the air' so to speak.

khaki

[robert_sfl]

Thanks for the info, lads!

From my knowledge the 1871 was only issued to second line units such as Landsturm or Landwehr, sometimes to recruits but not for front duty. I have some pictures of quite mixed units like the LIR 87 below (showing us their 1871s and 88s, besides some nice ersatz helmets). It would make sense that an orderly might carry one for self defense.

[Tom W.]

Hello Tom,

Interesting about medical orderlies being armed, I am only guessing but I would imagine that in some of the more remote area's wild animals (wolves) or roaming packs of dogs, may have been a problem with blood 'in the air' so to speak.

khaki

From the Geneva Convention, 1906 (emphasis added):

CHAPTER II

SANITARY FORMATIONS AND ESTABLISHMENTS

Art. 6. Mobile sanitary formations (i.e., those which are intended to accompany armies in the field) and the fixed establishments belonging to the sanitary service shall be protected and respected by belligerents.

Art. 7. The protection due to sanitary formations and establishments ceases if they are used to commit acts injurious to the enemy.

Art. 8. A sanitary formation or establishment shall not be deprived of the protection accorded by Article 6 by the fact:

1. That the personnel of a formation or establishment is armed and uses its arms in self defense or in defense of its sick and wounded.

2. That in the absence of armed hospital attendants, the formation is guarded by an armed detachment or by sentinels acting under competent orders.

3. That arms or cartridges, taken from the wounded and not yet turned over to the proper authorities, are found in the formation or establishment.

A bit confusing. The orderlies are allowed to defend themselves but not commit acts injurious to the enemy. This could be why so many of the belligerents decided to not arm their orderlies, while the more legalistic-minded Prussian authorities pointed to the letter of the law and said they were within their rights to issue their orderlies long arms and even grenades.

I read an account years ago that I thought was an apocryphal "frightful Hun" story, in which German troops wearing Red Cross armbands were observed carrying a machine gun to the front lines and setting it up. The author of the account claimed that these were infantrymen masquerading as orderlies, but maybe they were overzealous orderlies who interpreted Article 8 of the Convention to mean that they were allowed to defend themselves with a machine gun.