Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring Hermann Goring was one of the more interesting and flamboyant characters of the Third Reich, traits reflected in his personal direction of the design of both his rank insignia and unique uniforms. His appointment in 1940 as Reichsmarschall of the Greater German Reich made Goring the highest ranking military officer of World War Two, with the rank equivalent of a six-star General. Goring chose a soft, pearl gray as the color for his uniform, departing from the blue-gray uniform scheme of the Luftwaffe. He had endless variations of his uniforms, with numerous different styles and minor alterations and was known to change them multiple times within the same day. Goring also had a preference for wearing white uniforms, a habit ridiculed by the German people while watching newsreels in the theater as they wondered how he kept his uniforms so white when many of them could not even obtain soap to launder their own clothes. To the left is what many consider the ‘typical’ Reichsmarschall uniform of the Imperial style Flyers Blouse in a soft pearl gray with a closed collar. At Goring’s neck hang the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (he was the only recipient), the Knights Cross and the Pour le Merite (commonly known as the Blue Max), an award Goring earned while flying with the Richthofen squadron during World War I.

Reichsmarschall Insignia

Hermann Goring’s left and right shoulderboard insignia for the rank of Reichsmarschall. Notice how the eagles face different directions on each board, so that during wear the eagle would always face forward.

What is interesting about the gold RM shoulderboard rank devices are the lack of detail on the crossed batons in comparison to the silver baton devices on GFM boards (which were finely detailed accurate representations, see Luft GFM or Heer GFM insignia pages). The RM batons are also shorter and do not have an accurate representation of the number of Iron Cross/Wehrmacht eagle/Balkan cross symbols that are on the actual RM baton.

Reichsmarschall shoulderboard for the right shoulder.

1941 pattern Reichsmarschall collar tab for the right collar showing the crossed marshals batons surrounded by laurel leaves. The left collar tab was also a mirror image of this design (as seen on the Goring uniform example above). In an earlier pattern (from August of 1940 until March of 1941), the right collar patch had exhibited the image of a Wehrmacht Eagle with downturned wings.

(private collection)

Construction detail of the Reichsmarschall tab. Age and corrosion has taken away some of the color detail of the silver and gold bullion, but still reveals a high amount of quality in the workmanship and materials used to make the highest rank of World War Two.

(private collection)

A pair of 1941 pattern Reichsmarschall collar tabs. Notice the very distinct brocade background fabric that all of the Goring tabs exhibit. (former private collection, current whereabouts unknown)

Another matched pair of 1941 pattern Reichsmarschall collar tabs.

(private collection)

Goring also had his own special breast eagle designed, which had longer more pointed wings than what was typically found on a Luftwaffe General officer’s breast eagle. Most of the period photos show that the breast eagle always had a white backing, regardless of the color of uniform that he was wearing, but it is known that he also had breast eagles on a backing of dove gray.

(Paul Sack collection)

Reichsmarschall Uniforms

The Undress White Kleiner Rock Tunic for Reichsmarschall

An example of the RM Goring white tunic in the double breasted, open neck, Kleiner Rock style. Goring also wore this style of tunic in dove gray with and without white lapel facings.

(Wolfe-Hardin collection)

Left and right shoulderboards. Note how the eagles face forward on each board so that they are always looking toward the front of the tunic.

Right and left collar tabs. The embroidered detail on these are unmatched and of the finest quality ever seen. There have been many attempts to replicate Reichsmarschall tabs, but none of them have even come close, when compared to an original. It is probably safe to say that nobody will ever be able to reproduce the quality of embroidery and material that the artisans of the era used.

The gold, summer tunic pin-on eagle, in exquisite detail. Note the early droop tail design.

Goring’s original personal Pilots Badge.

An original example of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, captured by the 101^st Airborne in the Berchtesgarden area. Goring was the only WWII recipient of this award.

The Undress White Kleiner Rock Tunic for Reichsmarschall

Yet another example of a RM Goring white tunic in the double breasted, open neck, Kleiner Rock style. Goring’s favored uniform color was white.

(Paul Sack collection)

1941 pattern Reichsmarschall collar tab from the white undress Kleiner Rock.

Reichsmarschall shoulderboard from the white undress Kleiner Rock.

Closed Collar White Flyer’s Blouse for Reichsmarschall

This summer white tunic of RM Goring resides in the Imperial War Museum of London. It is typical of his favored style of tunic and is the design most often associated with the Reichsmarschall.

Hermann Goring’s white summer tunic. The breast eagle is missing but the many loops for his ribbons and decorations are still intact. (photo courtesy of samlerforumet.net)

A close up of Goring’s Reichsmarschall shoulderboard on the flyers blouse tunic. It appears as though the board may have been restored to the tunic at some point due to the poor sewing job on the seam and the fact the retaining button is silver (it should be gold).

(Imperial War Museum collection – photo courtesy Colin Findlay)

Reichsmarschall Headgear

One example of Hermann Goring’s many visor variants for his rank as Reichsmarschall, this one exhibiting a laurel wreath that is hand embroidered completely around the cap band. Notice how the eagle is stitched directly to the visor cloth.

(Paul Sack collection)

Hermann Goring’s visored flyer’s cap. The eagle on this example is also stitched directly to the cap fabric.

(Paul Sack collection)

This example of a Reichsmarschall “crusher” visor was captured from Goring’s train by a 101^st Airborne veteran. Notice how the insignia is not sewn directly to the crown or cap band, unlike the majority of his other headgear.

(private collection)

Goring in his full Reichsmarschall uniform and regalia (his RM baton can be seen affixed to his belt in the lower right).

Reichsmarschall Command Flags

Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Goring Command Flag

Goring several, personal command flags produced. This particular flag was produced upon his promotion to Generalfeldmarschall, and was a very elaborately rendered work of art, showcasing the finest embroidery talents of the period, utilizing a mixture of bullion, aluminum, brocade and yarn.

(Wolfe-Hardin)

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring Command Flag

Hand embroidered example of the special flag produced for Goring’s unique rank of Reichsmarschall, incorporating the crossed, white Reichsmarschall batons motif throughout the design. The embroidered Luftwaffe eagles on the reverse are a bit larger than breast eagles and just as intricately rendered.

(Wolfe-Hardin collection)

Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring Printed Command Pennant

The Reichsmarschall command flag was also produced in a version that was printed.

(private collection)

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