Baton (symbol) - Third Reich

Third Reich

During the Third Reich, marshals and grand admirals carried ceremonial batons, specially manufactured by German jewelers. Seven styles of batons were awarded to 25 individuals. Hermann Göring earned two different-style batons for his Field Marshal and Reich Marshal promotions.

All the batons, except Raeder's, were of similar construction: a shaft decorated with Iron Crosses and Wehrmacht eagles. Air Force (Luftwaffe) shafts added the Balkenkreuz ("beam cross"), while Navy (Kriegsmarine) shafts added fouled anchors. Ends of the batons had ornate caps.

The seven styles of Third Reich batons

1. The first baton awarded was to Army Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg. This baton's shaft had a light blue velvet covering material. It is now in the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
2. The first Air Force baton awarded was to Hermann Göring after his promotion to field marshal. While of similar construction to the Blomberg baton (with light blue velvet shaft covering), it incorporated the Air Force balkenkreuz symbols. Additionally, the endcaps were inlaid with many small diamonds. It is now in the National Infantry Museum, Fort Benning, Columbus, Georgia.
3. The next baton awarded was to Grand Admiral Eric Raeder. This baton's shaft had a dark blue velvet covering. This baton differed from other Third Reich batons by having a chainlink pattern sewn over the crosses, eagles and anchors. At war end, the baton was reportedly disassembled and sold in pieces.
4. Nine Army batons were awarded in the summer of 1940 to newly promoted field marshals. The batons' shafts had red velvet coverings and differed only in identifying enscriptions on the endcaps. Eight more batons of this style were later awarded to other field marshals upon their promotions. The first group was manufactured for 6,000 marks (about 15,000 USD in 2008) each. Most of the batons are now in museums or private collections.
5. Three Air Force batons were awarded in the summer of 1940. They had blue velvet covering and the balkenkreuz design, differing only in individual endcap enscriptions. One more baton of this style was awarded in 1943. The 1940 Air Force batons were slightly more expensive to manufacture than the 1940 Army batons.
6. The only other Navy baton was awarded to Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz. It had a blue velvet shaft covering and incorporated a U-Boat symbol on one of the endcaps. It is now in the Shropshire Regimental Museum, Shrewsbury, UK, and was donated by Major General J. B. Churches, who captured Dönitz at war's end and stole the baton.
7. The only reich marshal baton was presented to Hermann Göring in 1940. While similar looking to the other 1940 batons, it incorporated exceptional materials. The shaft was white elephant ivory, not velvet-covered metal. The endcaps incorporated platinum in the inscription banding and over 600 small diamonds. The baton was manufactured for 22,750 marks (about 55,000 USD in 2008). It is now in the US Army's West Point Museum, Highland Falls, NY.