Design sketch for the Nuremberg legal emblem of the 6850th Internal Security Unit of the U.S. Army. Signed S.J. and 6850th I.S.D – 6850th Internal Security Detachment. At right, the designer added the handwritten note: Version A2. Hand-drawn on paper.
A hand-drawn illustration – a shield bearing the scales of justice hovering above a broken Nazi eagle engulfed in flames. At the top, a broken swastika on one side and the unit’s insignia on the other. Presented here is a design for the emblem used by the unit, and it represents one of the final versions that was ultimately adopted. This emblem adorned the helmets of the unit’s soldiers, as well as shoulder patches and uniform insignia worn by the American guards at the Nuremberg prison. Insignia pins featuring this emblem are also known to exist. The identity of the person who signed as S.J. remains unknown to us.
The 6850th Internal Security Detachment of the U.S. Army was responsible for the physical security of the main Nuremberg Trials (1945–1946). The unit’s duties included guarding the defendants in the prison block, securing the courtroom at the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, escorting the accused to and from the courtroom, and supervising the carrying out of death sentences — including the execution by hanging of those condemned. The demanding responsibility of guarding Nazi war criminals required the soldiers to maintain maximum alertness at all times. Each soldier served in continuous 24-hour shifts alternating between guard duty and rest, followed by 24 hours of leave to recuperate, in a strict rotation.
Sheet: 21×15 cm. Light staining. Good condition.
