I came across this picture on Ebay by total chance. I'm interested in the lanyard, it does seem to match the red/white colours of the swastica armband. I had a previous thread questioning if this type of lanyard in red/white existed, so i was quite excited seeing this picture.
The Kameradschaftsführer lanyard was worn from left pocket button to a shirt button at the same level so on that basis this can't be a red/white lanyard. However, odd things did happen and the date of the photo would be useful to know. Prior to 1939 the lanyard denoted rank and after that it denoted the wearer's appointment. With the latter in mind this lanyard may be green/white showing that this chap "commanded" a Gefolgschaft despite only being in the lower rank of Oberkameradschaftsführer. For that to be true the photo must be very late because orders extant in 1943 show that a boy of his rank could not normally have held such an appointment. He would have needed to be a Scharführer at least. Late in the war there were however some very wierd situations where boys of his rank and indeed lower ended up in charge of a Gefolgschaft/Fähnlein. On balance I would say that this boy has a green/white lanyard but if the photo is pre-1939 then yes, this photo may indeed be showing a non-regulation red/white lanyard in use. All I can give in the way of a date based on the photo is that it is definitely post-March 1938 because that was when the rank of Oberkameradschaftsführer was first introduced.
many thanks, we are in luck apparently august 1942 is written on the back so I guess that is when the picture was taken. I guess it could be green and white lanyard, so what does that tell about the situation?
Thanks for the date Mike. Well, impossible to know this boy's circumstances of course but a case for either of the following scenarios could be made:
he is wearing a non-regulation red/white lanyard in the wrong position on his shirt showing him to be an Oberkameradschaftsführer in charge of a Kameradschaft.
or:
He is wearing a green/white lanyard in the correct manner showing that he is an Oberkameradschaftsführer in the appointment of Gefolgschaftsführer. This despite the fact that orders in effect at the time the photo was taken would normally have prohibited this.
Based on your photo, I would still go for the second scenario because there are accounts showing that boys of low rank were given higher appointments later in the war. Perhaps more information on these non-regulation red/white lanyards will surface in time.
