Red Cross Enlisted Dagger & Frog
Price: Sold
Description: This exceptional Red Cross hewer is a real beauty and features a superb 10 1/2″ long, broad squared, blunt tipped, nickel/silver plated, forged steel blade with deep, wide fullers and a staggered, saw-toothed edge. The leather washer remains in-situ at blades ricasso. The cast alloy cross guard, languets, and pommel all have a matte, nickel/silver plated finish that remains 100%.. The obverse, vertically oval languet has a raised, smooth outer edge encompassing an embossed second pattern, (Circa 1938-1945), DRK style national eagle. The hewer has molded, black, bakelite grips held in place by two, countersunk screws. The obverse grip features a repeating, diamond grooved pattern and the reverse grip is plain. The hewer comes with its original, black lacquered steel scabbard with matte, nickel/silver plated top and bottom fittings. Both the top and bottom fittings are secured to the scabbard by two, small, dome headed screws. The scabbard’s black finish and nickel plated fittings all remain 100%. Just a beautiful example of this dagger. Complete with its original frog. Hard to upgrade this one.
Background: The DRK, “Deutsches Rotes Kreuz” (German Red Cross), a voluntary civil assistance organization originally instituted in 1864, was officially acknowledged by the Geneva Convention in 1929, and in December of 1937 it was legally recognized by the NSDAP, becoming controlled by them a year later under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior’s Social Welfare Organization. Due to its non-combatant status, it had to conform to the international Geneva Convention, which directed that its members not carry any weapons, including edged weapons. As a result, the DRK Subordinate’s hewer, introduced in 1938, was designed with a squared tip to preclude its classification as a weapon, allowing its wear in the field. It was worn by the ranks of “DRK-Anwärter” to “DRK-Haupthelfer”.
