The Wehrmacht Interimstab, often simply called the Interimsstab or service baton, was the practical everyday baton carried by Generalfeldmarschälle and Großadmirale of Nazi Germany's armed forces as a lighter, more functional alternative to the elaborate, jewel-encrusted ceremonial Marschallstab presented upon promotion to the highest rank. Derived from traditions dating back to the era of Kaiser Wilhelm II before World War I, the Interimstab typically measured around 80 centimeters in length and resembled a refined ebony riding crop or swagger stick, featuring a wooden or ebonized shaft with silver or gold metal fittings, including a pommel surmounted by a golden Wehrmachtadler or Reichsadler, often flanked by smaller eagles and an Iron Cross emblem, along with a braided cord and tassel for carrying. Unlike the heavy, ornate ceremonial batons crafted by renowned jewelers such as those for Erwin Rommel, Erich von Manstein, or Gerd von Rundstedt which were reserved for parades and formal occasions, the Interimstab was designed for active service use in the field, allowing senior commanders to visibly signify their exalted rank while maintaining mobility during campaigns across Europe, North Africa, and the Eastern Front. Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, for instance, was photographed with his Interimsstab in the final days of the war, underscoring its role as a symbol of authority in both operational and surrender contexts. Reproductions of famous examples, such as Rommel's with its silver pommel and detailed eagle motifs, remain popular among militaria collectors today, highlighting the Interimstab's enduring representation of the Wehrmacht's hierarchical traditions and the blend of martial pomp with wartime practicality in the Third Reich's military culture.
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Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch (1885-1945), born on 6 July 1885 in Essen, Prussia, rose through the ranks of the German Army to become one of the senior commanders of the Wehrmacht during World War II. A veteran of World War I where he served as an infantry officer on the Western Front, earning both classes of the Iron Cross, the Ritter des Königlicher Preussischer Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern, and the Pour le Mérite, Busch was retained in the Reichswehr and later the Wehrmacht, advancing steadily as an ardent supporter of the Nazi regime. By the outbreak of World War II he commanded the VIII. Armeekorps during the invasion of Poland, participating in the capture of Kraków and advances to the Vistula and Lviv, for which he received Spangen to both classes of the 1914 Iron Cross. In 1940, as General der Infanterie and commander of the 16. Armee, which formed part of Army Group A and covered the left flank of XIX. Panzerkorps under Heinz Guderian during the Battle of France, Busch masterfully conducted difficult leadership actions that decisively influenced the success of attacks by the VII. Armeekorps around and south of Carignan; for these achievements he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 26 May 1940, followed shortly by promotion to Generaloberst. Transferred east for Operation Barbarossa in 1941, the 16. Armee under his command broke through the Stalin Line along the Lithuanian and Latvian-Soviet border, thrust forward to Lake Ilmen, and in a series of brilliantly led battles destroyed much larger enemy forces south of the lake; it then endured grueling defensive fighting through the winter of 1941/42, with portions of his troops encircled in Fortress Demyansk, where Busch demonstrated skillful and energetic leadership over twelve months of combat to restore contact with the encircled units, conduct numerous defensive engagements south of Lake Ilmen, and eventually evacuate the salient, actions that earned him promotion to Generalfeldmarschall on 1 February 1943 and the Eichenlaub to his Ritterkreuz (the 274th such award) on 21 August 1943. Later commanding Army Group Centre, Busch faced dismissal after the collapse during Operation Bagration in 1944 before a brief final role with Army Group Northwest; he died in British captivity on 17 July 1945.
Source :
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