Sancta Barbara

St. Barbara is the patron saint of gunners. It seems that this cult was strong during the Great War, as the depiction of the saint can be seen on the badges of the artillery. It is usually seen as a secondary figure on unit insignia, for example as she helps to calibrate the gun. At other times, he is seen riding a horse, or even a gun barrel (!).

Saint Barbara is the main figure on 5-6 badges. One of the most beautiful of these is the celluloid badge that is being presented. The circular is “Sancta Barbara, fac nos praeclare bostes et montes minantes domare”. According to the translation program, this roughly translates to “Saint Barbara, help us tame the forests and the threatening mountains!”

Among the extremely rare wearing photos, the picture presented here shows, in addition to the badge of the patron saint, the beautiful badge of the 30 and a half mortar. One badge can be seen above the shirt pocket, the other on the field cap.