Garry

Admin
Joined
Jun 5, 2009
Messages
8,472
Thanks Received
3,049
Location
Germany
I was just reading a section of the regulations concerning the Lehrerbildungsanstalten which describes how the LBA were organised. The uniform and insignia are also mentioned but there is no mention of shoulderboards with the embroidered 'LBA'. LBA students were organised into a Stamm which came under the control of the local Bann and the regulation states that the students were to wear shoulder straps showing the respective Bann number and of course the 'Lehrbildungsanstalt ........' cufftitle.

Does anyone know more about the 'LBA' straps that we see around as it seems odd that they exist but are not mentioned in this regulation. I'm not putting them in doubt of course, I'd just like to know more about them.
 
This is what Jeff Hammond wrote me regarding these straps and the cuff title. Jeff's been collecting and researching HJ for many many years. He sent me copies of the photos he mentions in the message and I posted a couple of them on the forum.

'Perhaps the most interesting and unusual HJ shoulder boards I have in my collection are some LBA ones. I think they were for a teacher training school. I forget what the LBA stands for in German, but I have it around here somewhere. In any event the shoulder boards were modified by hand to change them from red with red numbers (309 on one and 334 on the other) to silver-white LBA with silver-white piping used to replace the original red piping. They have a clearly homemade look. I also got a LBA Zangberg cuff title with them. Well amazingly a couple of years later I found a group of Ausweis size photos for sale on ebay or somewhere where everybody was wearing LBA shoulder boards that have the same type of homemade look. I don't know if there ever were regulation RZM LBA shoulder boards made. Many times I have looked for photos of rare things in use, but this is one of the very few times I have found some.

I have some printed images of these shoulder boards and the cuff title as well as of the Ausweis size photos. I printed them about two years ago before I moved, and then I have been looking for them ever since. As it turns out I found them in an envelope yesterday along with a few other things I lost at the same time.

Perhaps you already have some LBA shoulder boards, but in any event these are interesting. I will drop a set of the photos in the mail to you today.
'

Here's some of what the Saris book has to say on the subject.

'During thier time at a college, the boys (Jungmannen) had to wear the HJ uniform and the girls (Jungmaiden) the BDM dress with the Gebiet triangle of where the college was located. It is almost certain that the HJ shoulder strap worn were as for the Bann at that location. Students (boys or girls) could be recognized by the cuffband worn the the "Leherbildungsanstalt" ( and occasionaly the name of the location). During the spring of 1941 it was anticipated that there would be insignia changes. Later that year, special shoulder straps with white piping and the LBA abbreviation were introduced and worn mostly by the schule nucleus, the Stammmanschaft, which was the teaching and supervisory personnel. White was chosen as 'in Anlehnung' which was an imitation of the NPEA and AHS schools. The ranking system was as for regular HJ. Teachers and supervisors who were HJ leaders wore related NPEA uniforms, mostly the Gelandeanzug.'

Saris cites 'Schwert and Spaten' Nr. 5 dated May 1941 page 61 'Scholtz' and pp 279 and 281 as the source of the information. That may explain why it's not addressed specifically by the RZM and why we see these in a 'homemade' style. Also of note in the photos the I recieved from Jeff Hammond his straps match the ID photos perfectly, but I have been asked not to share the straps photos publicly. They can be seen in the Saris book however on page 486.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Darin. The regulations I'm reading go into great detail on the LBA system and are interestingly dated November 1942 which means that the information they contain should include the straps alluded to by the Saris reference but actually they don't. Seems very odd that this would be missed or not mentioned.

Yes, Wim hesitantly suggests that LBA students 'almost certainly' wore the shoulder straps (and the appropriate area triangle) of the Bann under whose control the respective LBA stood. I can confirm that the 1942 regulation shows this to have been the case. As I mentioned above, the LBA students were organised into a Stamm and this Stamm was placed under the control of the Bann in whose area the LBA was located so the straps would have shown that Bann number. This information suggests strongly that the 'LBA' straps were not official items.
 
I agree Garry, I don't think they are "official" items either. All of them I've seen would make an RZM inspector cringe I think! It's one of those HJ insignia anomalies that show up from time to time IMHO.
 
The LBA was introduced relatively late in the period (ordered by Hitler in 1940 and officially announced in May 1941 with the official regulation published in Nov 1942) and it's a confusing area anyway I think because the LBA did not come under the direct control of the HJ. Hastily introduced straps make sense with that in mind.

Once I have them scanned in I'll upload the lists of LBA as at 1942.


Edit:

The lists are here: http://www.hj-research.com/forum/f42/lehrerbildungsanstalt-list-1942-a-2453/#post19806
 
This is interesting Garry. This set I have are converted from a set for Bann 257 Alfeld. The lists show the first schule as Alfeld. Perhaps these straps were used at that location, it could be possible IMO.

You don't have permission to view attachments.
 

Attachments

    You don't have permission to view attachments.
Hi Darin,

Those straps show the changes perfectly don't they. Boy is enrolled at the LBA Alfeld and initially wears shoulder straps denoting affiliation with the local Bann in accordance with the then prevalent instructions. At some point the students are authorised to wear 'LBA' straps and the straps are reversed and re-used. I wonder if the boys did the sewing themselves?
 
It would be great to see a set of documents showing a member being part of the Bann Alfed Striefendienst and then later being enrolled in the L.B.A. Schule at Alfeld. That would seal the deal for me.
 
Back
Top