34. NSKK: Obersturmmann, 1943, Guard Uniform.
35. NSKK: Truppführer, 1939, Service Uniform.
36. NSKK: Sturmführer, 1935, Winter Full Dress Uniform.
The origins of the NSKK (Nationalsozialistischen Kraftfahrkorps) can be found in two distinct motor vehicle organisations; the Nationalsozialistischen Automobil Korps (NSAK) and the Motor-SA (MSA). The NSAK was founded on 1 April 1930 and as part of the SA its first leader was the Supreme SA Leader Hauptmann Franz Pfeffer von Salomon. The purpose of the NSAK was to mobilize all National Socialist motorists or motor enthusiasts into motoring units whereby the use of their vehicles enabled the SA and other Party formations to be more mobile and to encourage the Party membership to become more motor-minded. AdolfHiihnlein took over the leadership of the NSAK from von Pfeffer when the latter was removed from his post as Oberste Sturmabteilungenführer (OSAF) at the end of 1930. Hiihnlein re-organised the NSAK into Motorstandarten, Motorstaffeln and Motorsturme and the membership of the organisation increased correspondingly. The name of the NSAK was officially changed to that of NSKK as from 1 May 1931. The Motor-SA (MSA) was officially founded on 15 May 1931 but this formation claimed to trace its ancestry back to the small fleet of motor bikes, cars and lorries which the Munich Nazis acquired after 1922 and which, under the leadership of Christian Weber, were used for the purposes of transporting their shock troops and propaganda material. Party members were encouraged to loan to the MSA their own vehicles for varying lengths of time. These were organised into SA and SS Motorsturmen and Motorstaffeln. On 23 August 1934 after the great re-organisation that took place throughout the SA, the Motor-SA was absorbed into the NSKK, losing its separate identity and coming under the leadership of the then NSKK SA-Obergruppenführer Adolf Hünhlein, later to become NSKK-Korpsführer. With the NSAK becoming the NSKK and the Motor-SA being absorbed into the NSKK three years later, after 30 June 1934 the NSKK was declared a separate branch of the Party, independent of the SA and under the command of the Führer. By this time the membership had grown to 350,000 men and by the end of 1938 it counted some 500,000 members organised within Germany into five Motor Obrrgruppen, Nord, Ost, Slid, West and Mitte. Each of these upper groups contained four to five Motorgruppen, which in turn included five to six Motorstaffeln. These were each in turn sub-divided into six Motorsturme with Truppen and Scharen as sub units. Membership to the NSKK was on a voluntary basis. The dependence of war and modern industry on mechanisation and transportation increased the importance of the NSKK. In peace-time the primary function of the NSKK had included the teaching of Nazi ideology, promoting the understanding of the internal combustion engine together with motor mechanics in general and driving instruction all in anticipation of mechanical military campaigns as well as assisting the Police to enforce traffic regulations. During the war the NSKK became a major asset for the Party within Germany and throughout all German-held territories. Its primary war tasks included: the pre-military training of men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, as well as the Motor-HJ, to ensure the provision of recruits for the motorised and armoured units of the Armed Forces. Training of Army pioneers and assault engineers in the handling of assault boats, a task undertaken by instructors from the Marine-NSKK. Organising NSKK Transport Companies which moved supplies for the Armed Forces and other formations, such as the Organisation Todt (see No. 211-213 and 215). These companies provided courier and other road communication services; the training and forming of Transport Companies consisting of non-German personnel, in the main of Dutch, Flemings, Walloons and Frenchmen; and finally assisted the Police by forming traffic control and transport control squads. The wartime leader of the NSKK was NSKK-Korpsführer Erwin Kraus. Once the NSKK had become a separate organisation independent of the SA the rank insignia introduced into the NSKK surprisingly underwent only one change between 1934 and 1945. With only a few exceptions (Nos. 31 and 35 being just two) collar patches for the NSKK were black in colour. White metal insignia, including buttons were worn by all ranks including that of NSKK-Korpsführer. Two items of distinctive headdress were used. The black cloth side-cap which after 1936 also displayed the wearer's rank up to and including the rank of NSKK-Haupttruppführer by a system of white metal pips and or SS pattern silver braiding matching the rank insignia shown on his left hand collar patch (Nos. 32 and 35). The second item was the black leather 'Sturzhelm' or crash helmet worn with or without the leather neck flap and displaying the white metal NSKK emblem across the front (No. 33 shows the later pattern emblem and No. 36 the pre-war early pattern, which, however, continued in use even after the second type had been introduced). Black breeches were a feature of the NSKK uniform and were used even when the earlier Motor-SA existed to distinguish its members from the regular SA personnel. The black and white metal gorget shown in No. 35 was known as the 'Verkehrserziehungsdienst Ringkragen' or Traffic Education Service gorget worn by members of the NSKK Traffic Instruction Service when on duty.

37. II. Marine Brigade Ehrhardt: Non-Commissioned Officer, 1933, Service Dress.
There existed in Germany, in the period immediately following the First World War until mostly absorbed by the SA, a widespread movement of 'illegally' armed bands of men known as 'Freikorps'. Practically all of these bands of nationalist minded volunteers were made up of former front-line soldiers and sailors who had organised themselves at the end of the Great War into armed units to support the Reichswehr in helping to maintain law and order within the Reich and to protect Germany's eastern frontiers against the Poles and the Bolsheviks. One such unit was the extreme right-wing 2nd Marine Brigade Ehrhardt, formed in Northern Germany and named after its founder and leader Captain Ehrhardt. The Freikorps formations, volunteer detachments, border protection battalions, independent protection battalions, protection regiments and many others to name but a few all existed before the Nazi Party actually amounted to anything. All of them were however to be influenced eventually by the rorning of the National Socialists. In many casts the presence of the fast growing Brown shirt battalions proved to be too strong for the smaller Freikorps units and although the purpose for their existence was already on the wane many of them declilled rapidly both in numbers and influence with their men going over to Hitler's Movement and joining the SA. Those that were large enough to stay the course and to stand by themselves were eventually to be absorbed by the SA and SS either as individuals or as complete units or they were dissolved altogether by the Nazis once they came to power. The 2nd Marine Brigade Ehrhardt, in keeping with all other Frcikorps and Defence League units, adopted an emblem which was worn as a badge on their uniforms and in many cases was used as a symbol displayed on their unit flags. The Brigade Ehrhardt used for their emblem a Viking raiding ship in full sail set within an oval of twlsted rope and bearing the legend 'Ehrhardt'. This grey metal emblem was worn by all ranks of the Brigade on the left upper arm of their tunics (No. 37). NCO's were identified by a system of one, two or three silver chevrons worn below the Erhardt Viking ship emblem and Brigade officers were distinguished by wearing one, two, three or four sleeve rings to the cuffs of their tunics. The silver-edged, black cuff-title bearing the double SS silver runes was worn by members of the Brigade Ehrhardt when they were incorporated with the SS. It is a point of interest to note that men from the Brigade Ehrhardt actually formed the very first Adolf Hitler Bodyguard in March 1923. Known as a Stabswache or Headquarters Guard they wore field-grey greatcoats and tunics, black kepis bearing a silver coloured death's head button and black-edged swastika arm bands. This Staff Guard was short lived however and lasted for only two months. It was replaced by a new bodyguard formed by Hitler under the command of Julius Schreck and Joseph Berchtold and was called Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler.

38. Stahlhelm Veteran Soldiers Organisation: Officer, 1920, Service Dress.
39. Stahlhelm Veteran Soldiers Organisation: Wehrmann and Standard Bearer, 1933, Ceremonial Uniform.
The Stahlhelm or 'Steel Helmet' was a right-wing, nationalist organisation of German ex-servicemen founded by Franz Seldte at Magdeburg on 25 December 1918. Throughout the 1920's and early 30's this formation grew in numbers and units were established in practically every district in Germany. By the time the Nazis came to power the Steel Helmet had developed into the largest of all the ex-servicemen's organisatioIls that existed in Germany. After 30 January 1933 however, the National Socialist German Workers Party was the only political party permitted to exist in Germany and accordingly plans were made to dissolve the Stahlhelm. In March 1933 Franz Seldte became the Reich Labour Minister in the new government and his place as leader of the Stalhelm was taken by Oberstleutnant Düsterberg, the former acting leader of the organisation. However, it was discovered that Düsterberg's paternal grandfather was a Jew and as Düsterberg was not therefore entitled to call him self an Aryan he was dismissed as Bundesführer of the Stahlhelm. In April of the same year Nazi Party Deputy Leader Hess (No. 5) announced that members of the Stahlhelm who wished rejoin the Nazi Party had first to abandon their Steel Helmet membership. It was also forbidden for a member of the Nazi Party to be a Steel Helmet member. By June 1937 Seldte declared in public that he and his organisation were behind (War Veterans) that the Kernel StahlhelIn would remain as before under his leadership but that the 'Scharnhorst Jugend' or young Steel Helmet members over the age of21 years who had not taken part in the First World War were to be placed under the control of the SA and SS. In July 1933 Hitler issued an order in which he stated that the entire Stahlhelm organisation was placed under the command of the Supreme leadership of the Sturmabteilung, the SA, and that it would accordingly be reorganised, in other words it ceased to exist as a separate entity. It was formally dissolved in November 1935. Members of the Stahlhelm wore uniforms of field-grey, based on the field-uniforms as worn during the First World War. They wore a peaked cap with two cockades, leather waist belts and invariably with a leather cross strap. Their emblem was a First World War pattern German steel helmet in profile, hence their name. During the formative period of the organisation their insignia of rank varied from district to district but the most established type was that used on a range of collar patches, shoulder straps not being worn, which continued to be used for a time after the Stahlhelm became the SA first line reserve. These patches displayed a system of small and large oak leaves, thick and thin lace bars and pips which together indicated an ascending system of ranks from Wehrmann (No. 39) to Bundesführer. The patches themselves were normally in black with white edging but other colours were used such as pink for motorised units, bright red for leadership assistants, gold-yellow for cavalry troops, dark brown for signals units and cornflower blue for paymaster department. Stahlhelm district badges were worn on the right upper arm of the tunics (No. 39 shows the badge for the Greater Berlin Stahlhelm District).

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