need help identifying something... from A Bridge Too Far

[zippy_the_wonder_chimp]

What is that item that the German guard is wearing, with the chain? Is this a legitimite WW2 article or "invented" by Hollywood to denote a Field Marshall guard or something,
as he is in the movie.

Thanks,
zippo

 

[Corry]

It is FELDGENDARMERIE NECKLACE worn by WWll german military police & is authentic and not created

 

[Corry]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldgendarmerie

 

[zippy_the_wonder_chimp]

Thanks for the fast reply Corry. I had never seen it before and a co-worker hadn't either.
We were wracking our brains, didn't know how to Google it.

 

[Corry]

I''m a bit of a WWll buff & had seen it before but never knew what it was either... but I'm a master Googler

 

[zippy_the_wonder_chimp]

I''m a bit of a WWll buff & had seen it before but never knew what it was either... but I'm a master Googler

Nicely Googled then! Learned a new word today- gorget. Time for a beer... ^.^

 

[smellie]

Originally the gorget was a piece of plate armour which protected your throat from a sword-thrust. The word is from the mediaeval French "gorge" = "throat".

In the same way, epaulettes, now made of cloth or something stiff, are survivals of the plates which protected your shoulders. Now, they carry rank or other insignia; originally, they were the best steel which could be made: stop a sword or slow down an axe.

Hey, Zippy, welcome back! Haven't seen you around here for some time!

 

[zippy_the_wonder_chimp]

Originally the gorget was a piece of plate armour which protected your throat from a sword-thrust. The word is from the mediaeval French "gorge" = "throat".

In the same way, epaulettes, now made of cloth or something stiff, are survivals of the plates which protected your shoulders. Now, they carry rank or other insignia; originally, they were the best steel which could be made: stop a sword or slow down an axe.

Hey, Zippy, welcome back! Haven't seen you around here for some time!

Thanks for the info SMLE. Good to be back, though it's usually just to pick the brains of our elder statesmen such as yourself.

 

[LawrenceN]

The german military had 2 styles of gorget. One, as mentioned the "Feldgendarmerie" and the other was the "Feldpolezei".

 

[sunray]

"Feldgendarmerie"/"Feldpolezei" is German for Meat Head. snicker.

 

[paratrooper777]

Haha
Havent heard "Meat head" since i was in Pet in the 1980s,
we had our own Airborne meatheads,them we listened to,
the regular ones not as much.

 

[zippy_the_wonder_chimp]

"Feldgendarmerie"/"Feldpolezei" is German for Meat Head. snicker.

heh...

 

[Mk VII]

The 'chained dogs' nickname the ordinary soldier had for these people derived from this article, remnant of a once functional item.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Lot of neat stuff to be seen in there old movies, when things like this hadn't aquired any real value. Remember the planes and thinking, Holy ####.

Grizz

 

[DJdeadlyDALEK]

I have that movie on Blu-ray - great flick

 

[Rule 303]

"Feldgendarmerie"/"Feldpolezei" is German for Meat Head. snicker.

Or, in Canada's other official language, "tete de la viande".

 

[JTF#]

He is a good cop because he got the first class iron cross for guarding the parking lot.

 

[Becks357]

...

 

[canuck98k]

Heh, heh, we're all getting infractions for typing "meathead".


Flieschkopf!

 

[PatLaf]

Or, in Canada's other official language, "tete de la viande".

HAHA, makes me smile..

You like my mother tongue don't you?
I often hear english people say french words like: rendez-vous, bon appétit, à propos, au revoir, crème de la crème, touché or, in this case, gendarmerie.

Allez, avouez-le.. En vérité, vous aimez le français, c'est très "chic" d'inclure des mots français dans les phrases.

I must admit that we often use english words too, so that makes us even!