Hello Darin and all others that be interested,
I will try to give a full “story” about this quite nice insignia. You will anyway find some information what is not told about by Angolia in his HJ, nor NSKK-book.
The insignia was announced on December 15, 1934. In the “Verordnungsblatt der Korpsführung NSKK”, issue 3 (number 2, about Motorsportliche Ausbildung der HJ – A II/4544/34) from that date a publication was included about an agreement between Hühnlein, the NSKK-Korpsführer and von Schirach, the Reichsjugendführer. In this order all ins and outs about motor-sports training for the HJ-Motorsportscharen were mentioned. This youth was seen as later NSKK-members. Training took place for leading guys at the Motorsportschule der HJ (as far as I remember first located at Arnsberg and since early 1935 at Nürnberg), supervised by the NSKK, which took care for buildings and equipment. For more training the Motorsport-schools from the NSKK were a back-up. When being 18 such guy, when he had passed well all trainings, he was transferred to an NSKK-unit. Excluded were those that remained leaders within the HJ motor-units (these units needed good leaders also). For boys, which was transferred to the NSKK, a special insignia was planned, which showed the earlier HJ membership. This was also noted in the “Verordnungsblatt der Reichsjugendführung (HJ)”, nr. II/25 from December 1, 1935. Page 7 gives much notes.
It is for sure this insignia already was developed in late 1934 (maybe November) anyway, as it was already included in the “Anzugsordnung des NSKK” from January 11, 1934. A picture plate showed the insignia. The full text will be included here as an image, as it gives the official sizes. The first version of insignia had a metal symbol. This is in fact mentioned, as it is said: “the silvered wheel with national emblem, is worn in the same way as is done with the black NSKK-diamond”. These black diamonds, known as “Kraftfahrerraute” had a metal symbol in those days for the Motor-SA and NSKK.
In the “Anzugsordnung des NSKK” from December 1, 1936 it was noted about the HJ-version: “die aus der HJ ausgeschiedenen und in das NSKK überführten Hitlerjugend tragen eine besondere Raute”. This is in fact the same as what was said January 1935. There is one remark: the insignia can have a white metal symbol, but was also allowed to be worn in an embroidered version (leaders) and a woven version (enlisted ranks).
Very important is what happened in 1939. It is speculated that in late 1938 the version with a different eagle was developed, which was then used since about spring 1939. BUT….. in the “Verordnungsblatt der Korpsführung NSKK”, issue 4 from April 1, 1939 it is noted with nr. 73 on page 46: an eagle was introduced, to be worn by the NSKK upon the right upper arm. About the various types of diamonds was said: this diamond, to be worn upon the left lower arm, is in the future only allowed to be worn by those leaders and men that have a driver’s license 1, 2, 3 and 4. The version for the NSKK motorboat-units was worn continuously, but new regulations were expected when a license for driving motor-boats would become a must. The version with black-white piping was allowed to be worn by the winners of the Reichswettkampf for the duration of one year. When a unit won two years one another then they were allowd to wear the special insignia for three years (decided in September 1938 after the annual matches). The most important however was that the diamond for leaders and enlisted ranks, which were transferred from the HJ into the NSKK, was not further worn. It was literally said: “entfällt” (falls into decay). So, before the start of the war, this special insignia for former HJ-members was of no use and value anymore within the NSKK!