German Army, Jager Regiment, Brandenburg Division, sleeve insignia with embroidered oak leaves acquired by a US soldier
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 2.375 inches (6.033 cm) | Width: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm)
Creator(s)
- Harold B. Goldberg (Subject)
Biographical History
Harold B. Goldberg (1922-2011) was born in Brooklyn, New York to Samuel and Rose Goldberg. Samuel and Rose were born in Russia and immigrated to the United States before the birth of their children. Samuel worked as a presser in a tailor shop. Harold had six siblings and the family spoke Yiddish and English at home. As a young adult Harold worked as a mail carrier and attended City College in New York. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The following day the United States declared war on Japan, and on December 11, Germany declared war on the United States. On October 31, 1942 Harold was drafted into the U.S. military. He entered the army on October 31, 1942 as a private, and received serial number 32613738. He served in Europe until the end of the war. Harold then returned home to New York where he married his wife Rita in 1952. The family lived in New York for the rest of their lives.
Archival History
The badge was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by the family of Harold Goldberg.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the family of Harold Goldberg
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
German Army dark green wool badge with a spray of oak leaves brought back from the war by Harold Goldberg, an American soldier who served in Europe, circa 1945-1946, during and after World War II. The patch was worn on the upper right sleeve by Jager (light infantry) Regiments, Panzer-Grenadier Division, known as the Brandenburg Division. For most of the war, this was an elite commando unit specializing in saboteur campaigns. In July 1944, several Division members were implicated in the failed assassination plot on Hitler. It was redesignated as a conventional unit and sent into action on the Eastern Front in December 1944, where the German Army was collapsing under the Soviet advance.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Oval, dark green wool patch machine embroidered with a sprig of 3 light green oak leaves with yellow/green veins on a brown stem with 1 acorn. It is framed by a yellow/green twisted rope oval. The narrow wool border is a uniform width, with short, diagonal slits on the right side.
Subjects
- Jewish soldiers--United States--Biography.
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
- Souvenirs (Keepsakes)--Soldiers--United States--Biography.
- Soldiers--United States--Biography.
Genre
- Military Insignia
- Object