Irish Guards German made?

[High Wood]

I came across this anomaly whilst sorting out my Guards' buttons. If they are indeed German made then they must date to between 1946-1952.

[54Bty]

The letter A is for the German manufacturer ASSMANN & SOHN.

Marc

[High Wood]

Thanks Marc.

Do you know why the MOD were were ordering buttons from Germany when we were still capable of button manufacturing in the U.K.? Was it a common practice?

Simon.

[Markus Bodeux]

Many german manufacturers of military badges, buttons etc were located in the City of Luedenscheid, British Occupation Area.
There was an intensive cooperation between the british administration and the former "third reich" manufacturers, only some month after the war they startet to produce wartime badges and medals again - as souveniers for the allied soldiers. With the help of the british administration. (That was forbidden by allied control commission !)
Later these manufacturers, amoung them Assmann, got also orders for uniform insigna and buttons to equip units of british, belgian, french and even US-occupation forces.
There are a lot of prime sources in the city-museum of Luedenscheid, also a very nice museum with large displays of buttons and insignias produced in the town, from end of the 19th century until today.

Regards
Markus

Edit: I have a comprehensive book about the insignia and button manufacturers of Luedenscheid at home, will look for more informations about the production for occupation forces this evening ........

[High Wood]

Markus,

many thanks for your comprehensive answer to my query.

I am still perplexed, as never having been a quarter-master, I have no idea how many buttons a battalion would keep in stock on a foreign posting. I imagine that production runs must have been relatively expensive for small orders due to the cost of producing a die, and that large orders for Guardsmens' buttons would have been few and far between.

There certainly seems to have been a case for getting Germany's economy up and running. Probably much cheaper than British made badges and buttons from a regular British contractor too.

Simon.

[Markus Bodeux]

That were the reasons, to support the local manufacturers and very low prices in Germany after the war.
I have this book at home, will try to find it this evening ........ too many books ...

Regards
Markus