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JEWELER MADE WWII LUFTWAFFE FIELD MARSHALL’S BATON

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:900.00 USD Estimated At:1,800.00 - 2,400.00 USD
JEWELER MADE WWII LUFTWAFFE FIELD MARSHALL’S BATON

NAMED TO GENERALFELDMARSCHALL WOLFRAM RICHTHOFEN. An exceptionally attractive jeweler produced example of Richthofen’s baton produced in the mid-1980s by the company in Hamburg, Germany that produced original batons during the war. The baton consists of a silver gilt shaft wrapped in blue velvet. The velvet shaft has 4 columns of icons that consists of 20 NSDAP eagles, 10 Iron Crosses & 10 Luftwaffe Bar Crosses also known as Balkenkreuz. The finials on either end are octagonal in form & are decorated with oak leaves at the upper edge. 1 End features a Luftwaffe eagle & the other shows a lg. Balkenkreuz. The top band below the finial reads, “Der Führer dem Generalfeldmarschall V.Richthofen". The bottom band above the lower finial reads, “Zum Freiheitskampf des Grossdeutschen Volkes 17. Febr. 1943”. The baton measures approx. 19 1/2" in length & 2 1/8" across at the finials. The velvet shaft is 15 1/8" in length & 1 1/2" in width. Wolfram Richthofen was the cousin of Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron. He was born on October 10, 1895 in Barzdorf, Germany. He joined the Army in 1913 & served during the entire First World War on both the Eastern & Western Fronts. Hermann Goering formed the German Luftwaffe in 1933 & Richthofen immediately joined the ranks. He served with the Condor Legion in Spain & was appointed Chief of Staff to Hugo Sperrle. He was appointed Major General in 1938 & returned to Germany in the spring of 1939. Richthofen served during the Polish Campaign & was instrumental in forming the Blitzkrieg tactics that would define Germany’s offensive posture during the war. He went on to serve in many important capacities in the German high command throughout the war. He earned many of Germany’s highest honors & became the youngest Field Marshall in the German Army. He died of a brain tumor in July of 1945 at the age of 49. CONDITION: the baton shows nearly no wear & the slightest tarnish at the finials. PROVENANCE: Lifetime Collection of Dennis Ottaway. (02-16000/BF). $1,800-2,400.