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UNIFORMS OF THE JIJIVOLUME 1
ALLGEMEINE- .... 1923-1945
Andrew Mollo
K COlKaneHllIO, HaM AOCTanllCIo TonloKO CTpaHII",'" C ljJoTorpaljJlIRMII.
Windrow&Greene
,,I
"'/h!.r-;:'~
4
6
8
ABZEICHENInslgnl.
All insignia worn on the shin was subsequently worn on the black service
uniform. and is described in the section dealing with insignia. There werehowever two pieces of insignia. that appear to have been worn on the shin.and not on the black uniform. The first was a white linen brassard with HllFS
POllZEI printed on it in black lellers. This was worn by SA and SS men.instead of their NSOAP brassard. when serving as auxiliary police in 19331
The second was a circular white badge 8.5mm in diameter on which was ared cross. This badge was worn by medical orderlies who had not passedthe State Medical examination. It was worn on the upper left arm above the
brassard. 2. The rest of the uniform consisted of black breeches and boots.black leather waist belt and cross strap with nickel plated buckles and fittings.The equipment was the Imperial German army pattern. and consisted of pack.
ground sheet. water bottle. drinking cup. mess tin. and bread bag.1. Oas Drille Aeich. Vel. 1. p 425
2. VOBl. der OSAF. Nr.2.. 10.6.31.. Zift, 9.
THE BLACK SS SERVICE UNIFORM
Introduced in 1932 with the first SA and SS dress regulations.l. For a shortlime the black uniform was worn concurrently with the Traditional uniform.
The cut of the black uniform was the same for all ranks. but the QualitY of thecloth of leaders uniforms was superior. leaders often had their uniforms
privately made. which accounts tor detailed variations in Quality and cut. Afterthe setting up of the ReichSleugmeislerei (Quarter Master General) a remarkable degree of standardisation was achieved. However impressive the black
uniform looked. it was not suited to the increasingly varied roles that the SSwas called upon to play. As early as 1935 cenain SS units were issued withgrey uniforms identical in CUI to Ihe black ones.2. After the outbreak of war
black uniforms were seldom worn.1. Die Uniformen der Braunhemden. pp. 4 & 5
2. Oas Schwarze Korps. No. 10.8.5.35. P 4
An SS auxilliary policeman. in March 1933. As SS men had not been issued
with overcoats 81 this date. they were lenl police ones. stripped of insignia.
(London and Wide WorId- Brian Oavis collection)
Q
• ~•• «
. .
ss Man In S81VlC8 dins
10
ss Man In wInter servlC8 dress with lleld cap.ss leader ,n walking-out dress
Relchsluhrer-SS Helnllch Hlmmler and members 01 Ills pe.sonlll stall In wlnte. servtce dress. Winte. 1937.
11
.-
Formal evening dress for SS Leaders. SS Mess dress.
13
14
SS COLLAR CORD
ss· Mann up to and Incl. SS ·Oberlrupplijhrer. 2 mm black and whIte tWisted
cOld.SS·Sturmfuhrer up to and incl. SS-SturmhauptfUhrer. 2 mm alummium and
black tWisted cord.SS·SlUrmbannlUhrer up to and incl. SS· Obergruppenluhrer. 2 mm aluminiumtWisted cord.l.
In Octobel 1934 the system was modified as follows:SS·Bewelber up 10 and incL SS· Stabsscharlijhrer. 2 mm black and aluminium
tWisted cord.SS-Unlersturml(jhrer and above. 2 mm aluminium twisted cord. 2.
1. Miuollungsblatt der RZM. No. 4. 23.6.34.p 6.
2. Mltle1lungsblall der AZM. No. 25.17.11.34. p 6.
SS-KAMPFBINDE
SS Brasllrd
SS-Kampfbmde (Blassald) worn on the upper left arm of all black SSservice uniforms: see rear endpaper.
A member of the crack 7th SS Cavalry Regiment (Plauen. late! Berlin)in summer walking-out dless. (Hugh Page Taylor collection.)
16
ss peaked caps
2
3
Top 2nd pattern SS field cap badges
Bottom. 3rd panern SS held cap badges
THE FIELD-GREY FIELD SERVICE UNIFORM
Certain unitS had been issued with a field-grey· uniform for field work as
early as 1935.1. but it was officially introduced in November 1935.1a
This uniform wa~ identical in cut to the black one. but was worn wllhoutthe
NSDAP brassard. In 1936 the SS version of the national emblem was
introduced. and was worn on the upper left sleeve of the tunic and ovcrcoat2.
In 1938 two shoulder cords began to be worn. instead 01 one. Prior to the
Introduction of fleld·gley peaked caps. in March 1937.3. black ones were
worn With field-grey uniform,
THE FIELD-GREY SERVICE UNIFORM
Introduced in 1938 to replace the black uniform as a service dress for members
of the General SS. It was identical in cut to the black uniform, bUl was worn
with the national emblem Instead of the NSOAP brassard. and with two
shoulder cords. instead of one.
1. Oas $chwarze Korps. No. 10.8,5,35. p 4.
la. SS·Befehlsblall.. 25.11.35.
2. Mitteilungsblatt der RZM. No. 11.23.5.36. p 205.
3. SS"Befehlsblatt.. 25.3.37.
• Some confusion exists as to the exact colour 01 the first grey SS uniforms
The Germans relerred to tile colour as erdgrau or earth-grey, but as far
as can be ascertained it diliered linle from Ihe later SS Feldgrau 01 field·
grey. which was identical to the colour of army uniforms.
SS·Oberfuhrer Wlmmer of Himmler's personal staif wearing regulation
AlIgemelne-SS field grey service uniform. (Oodkins colleclion)
17
1B
22
PLATE 1
; , ": 1, ,, ,, ,
f ', ,, ', ', ', ff :, ,, ,, ,, ,
: ;, ,, .- -1
7
14
_ "fJ 1 f, " ,, , ,; ~ ~' f, ,, . ,
: I ;'! ' ,, I ', ,, I ' ,, /1 I ,
fA V f't -,
9
15
; ...Ij
·' r; r ,, I~' ': : r f, , '
I 'f f, ' '
1'1' I !: ;:' :: ' :'t.. I , ! t................................................... :....................................-~
3
10
16
4
11
5
12
6
13
17 1623
24
PLATE 2
7
13
2
8
14
3
9
15
4
10
16
5
11
17
•
12
1825
26
PLATE 3
2 , 4 5 7
oBEASTE S.A.• FOHAUNGSA High Commend
Belole the assasslnallon of Ernsl A6hm In June 1934. and lhe establishment01 the SS as an Independent organlsallon within the NSDAP. the SS cameunder the ovelall command of lhe SA. SS Leaders attached to the ObersteS.A.-fiihrung wore carmme collar patches. shoulder cord underlay. and3 cm. wide black armband.l.
1. VOBL. der OSAF. Nr.H.. 1.2.34 .. Z'll. 18.
REICHSFOHRUNG.SSSS High Command
Hlmmler's personal Slall and ofhclals of the ttvee main. and numerous subSidiary departmentS of the Aelchsliihrung-SS were members of the General SS.Apart from lhe armbands and armb~es that identified the wearer's maindepartment. there were also those that showed the departmental rank 01 thewearer. These armbands were supposed to have been worn on the leh cuff
of the black uniform only.2.. allhough they were later worn on Ihe grey serviceuniform. The departmental rank armband had plecedence over Iny otherarmband. and was not supposed to have been worn in conjunction with asecond armband. although this was often done.As the SS increased Its sphere of activity the Aeichsfiihrung·SS was enlalgedto eight main departments. and a new armband was introduced In 1939. whichwas to be worn by all offiCials 01 the AFSS regardless 01 department.3.Members of the mechcal company of the SS Main Office. wore SAN.·ABT.SSHA on thel' llmlband.4.In 1936 an armband V.u.W Hauptllmt was Introduced for members 01 theMain EconomiC and AdministratIVe Office.5.
2. Organisationsbuch der NSDAP.1943. p 434.3. SS· Preisliste. Apnl 1939. P 6.4. SS·Preisliste. Ap:11 1939. p. B.5. SS-Beflthlcblan.. 1939.
• n '-F-t-t""I' ••• 1. I'1'lel'I"" I' •• ..I.,.t----l~-__. ,,1'1"'; •• <' "" I '1'111"11 'f' '-"1"'>'" lir> 11" \.~ '-I." I 'It
'"
'- " J:'~ , "1 • l)• <" ..." '~ . ~ l} , ,- ()- '. ,.; • t j~, • , 1 ,~-" • l~ l. .~• " " ,./. - • *,4" .~
~, l'.' '.1' 11 .\.1·,11 .. L""" I;, Ll" I ,10--< ~_-lo--l·!\ ... I..I l---I-,I'. l----I~ '., L.' 4·-l--l .... C.Lt I·-J....:::t~ t..!-J=.(~I\:'ij...!-'~·I,-~l-f
Armband for all SS m('mbers of lhe slaN of Ihe SA High Command. 1933.
27
28
PLATE 4
fflfl5,~-.k";.~-1~~=t-IT"_'.............__""'''''''" 'l.oli~.,.,.t-.PO~.
SS- tjet ClPtnn1t::p ,~ ~ ~"~l-""~""'''' =_
2
3
4 8
1. Afmband 101 members of Hlmmler's persona! staff.·2. Almband for the Stall of the SS Main OUictl. (Inlr. 25.1.35).3. Armband tor the stall of the SS Main Security Office. (1nll. 25.1.35).
4. Armband for the staff 01 Ihe SS Main Race and Rehabilitation Olllce.
(Inlf 251 35).5. Armband fOf Reichsluhler·SS.Hauptamtchels and Amtschefs ollhe three
SS Milln Ollices.6. Almband for HauptabUlItungslelter on the staff of the Relchsfiihrer·SS
and lhe thlee SS Mam Offices.7. Almband for Abtellungslelter on Ihe staff of the Relchsliihrer·SS and lhe
Ihree SS Main Offoees.8. Almband lor Releremen on the staff of the Relchsluhrer·SS and the
Three SS Main Offices.9. Armbadge for lhe staffof the SS Mam Security Office and an SO personnel.
10. Armbadgc for the staff of the SS Main Race and Reha1;)lhtatlon Olllce.(lnlr. 6 1035). Also for Agllcultural experts.
11. Almbadge for the staff 01 the SS Main Race and RehablhtatlOn Office.
12. Almband Introduced In 1939 lOf III offiCIals attached to any of the Main01 subsidflty offIces whICh made up the 8:"llarged RFSS.
• As from September 1939. all SS armbands were to have lhe Runic SS.
I SS Prels!ISte No. 29.,15 12.34. plO.2. SS Preis!lste No. 29.,15.12.34. p 11.3. SS Prclsllste No. 29.,15.12.34. p 11.
10·11. Mitteilungsblau der RZM. No. 2.•1.2.36., p 27.12. SS-Pfelslfste. April 1939.• p 6.
'0
9
11
1219
PLATE 5
31
PLATE 7
1 2
"
37
38
PLATE 8 see colour gUide on from endpaper
1It Pattern1. Armband for membe's of tl,e 3,d company of the I b<lllallon.
2. Armband tor members 01 the 4th company of the 11 battalion.
3. Armband for members of the 2nd company of the III battalioll.
4. Armband for members of the 6th company 01 the IV battalion.
2nd Pettern5. Armband for members of the 1st company of the I battalioll.
6. Armband for members of the 5th company of the 11 bal1allon
7. Armband for members of the 9th company of the III ballallon.
8. Armband for members of the 13th company of the IV banalion.
9. Armband for the staff of an SS reserve battalion.
10. Armband tor members 01 the 3rd company 01 an SS reserve battalion.
11. Armband for members of the 4th company of the 1st ballalion of the 31 st
SS Foot Regt. (landsl1utj which had been awarded the commemorative
name FAUST.
12. Armband tor members 01 the 1st SS Foot Regiment JUlIUS SCHRECK
(Munich)
1-4 Unrlormen der Braunhemden..p 87.
5·11 Minellungsblatt der RZM. No. 30..22.12.34..p 7.
12. Dienstalterllste det S5.1944
PLATE 8
2
3
4
5
•
7
8
,
10
11
40
SS-REITERSTANDARTENSS Cavalry Regiments
Each SS District had one or two Cavalry Regiments under liS command.
which were identified by crossed lances on the nght collar patch and arm
badge.
In 1937 ttlere were 21 Cavalry Regiments.l" and in October 1944 thele
were 22.2.
1. Dienstalterliste der SS.. 1937.2. Dienstalterhste der 55..1.10.44.
A cavalry officer with the rank 01 SS-Ostubar. and his adjutant.
PLATE 9
1. Collal patch for commissioned ranks in an SS Cavalry unit. flat lorming
part 01 a cavalry regiment.
2. Collar patch lor non-commissioned ranks in the 6th SS Cavalry Regiment
(Dusseldorl).
3, Armbadge lor all ranks In SS mounted t;nits. inCluding the Main Rldln\}
School in MUnich.
4. Armband lor leaders In the 5th company of an SS Cavalry Il~giment
5. Armband for non-commiSSioned ranks in the 1st company of an SS
mounted unit under the command 01 SS District East: see hom endpaper.
1-3. Mllteilungsblalt der RZM. No. 4..23.6.34, p 7.
pLATE 9
,
4
41
pLATE 10
2
pLATE "
45
PLATE 12
2
,"
"
SS-FLlEGERSTURM
SS Flying Company
The SS Flying Company was lormed In Munich In November 1931. In
September 1933 all flying units were Incorporated In the Deutsche LUlt
sport Vcrband.1. There appears to have been no official InSignia to Identify
SS flYing personnel. but some did wear a whlle melal Winged plopcl!er on
the right collar patch.2. Certain members 01 the company wore an SA/SS
pilot's wings on their right breast.3.
1. Unllormen der Braunhcmden. p 25.
2-3. Ritter von Schleich II1uSlf3\1on between pp 176 & 177.
Collar patch lor membcrs of the SS FlYing company.
SA/SS pllo1's wings.
SS-STREIFENDIENSTSS Provost Service
A Strellendlenst was formed as and when reqUired by the commander 01 an
SS DiSlfic!. Amongst liS duties were the patrolling 01 out-ai-boundS areas.
Set:"U1lJ II,at SS men b<:haved IllCmselves. ware ploperly dressed, and were nOIseerl In 'he straets, III unI!olm altel midnight A palrol conslsled 01 two or
tnee men undel Ihe command 01 il senior non-commiSSioned leader. whocarried a special pass 1 All members or a Streile wore il n'ckel-plated gorget.
1. Organis31ionsbuch der NSDAP,1936. p 55.
SS-STAMMABTEllUNGENSS Supplementary Reserva Companies
Trase special umlS were tOlmed by each SS d,st"ct from members of IheGereral SS who we,e over 45 years of age\lcmbcr;; 01 a Stammabtel!ung wore SS unllolm With sllvel grey collar
II..L:cI·es The Iloht collal palch bOle the emblem and number in black silk01 'he ac:tve unll 10 which they wele attached.In July 1936 plain sIlver grCV almbands WIth ahJmlmUm stnpes lor leadels.
and grey for men WCIC Ullroduced. as were grey vel~t collar patches forSS SlaflCanen!uh,llf, \Vlth aluminium embtoidered oakleaf 2.
Bv 1939 nll:mbelS of an SS·Stammablellung allached la an SS Dlstnct\',Ole :l,t! name 01 the d,stnCI In black Silk for men. and aluminIum wuec"-u'o1dery lor leadels. on lhell arnlbanc!s.3. Also In use were bronzed lankPIpS. ilrd olack collar patch lank b,ald .... 'm alumullum slllpe, Instead 01 then, "mil! plllC!rn.4.
(~,lld'llaIChCS 'Olllt1 SI\fSS iKllllUlISt'<l!lVe 011 coal Wllh the r"nk of S,absvel'\\dl: ,nQSfUhrt!. see lear endpaoer
1. Die SS.. 1ol19;: Mll1ellungsb!an der RZM. No. 26 .2B 9.35 p ~65.
3 Mlllellungsblan der AZM No. 15.,18 7.36. p 302_
4, SS-Prelshsle Ap,,! 1939. pp 5 & 10.
SS-VERWAlTUNGSFOHRER
SS Administra1ive leaders
Whilst the SS was Shll P31l 01 the SA. SS adml:lISUallve OlllCI31s wOle Ihe
sam~ insignia as Ihell counterparts If! the SA. namely blue collar patches andundllflay 10 the shoulder cord. and thelt badges of lank 0'1 both collarpalehes 1
F,om July 1934 until the introductIon In 193501 a sacc,;}1 allnbadge (PlateNo 15) SS 8dmlnlSlrallve olhe'als wore no drst,ncl,ve badges 2.
1 Umlormen der BrauntMlmdcn p 932. Mllteilungsblall del RZM No. 3.1.2_36_. P 27.
49
50
SS·EHRENFOHRERSS Honorary leadars
HonOlary rank In Ihe SS was conferred on a number of impOrlanl 1IfISIOClaIS.linanciers and Indusuiahsts. whom Relchsfuhrer·SS Heinflch Hlrnmler knowwould be valuable 10 him. in hIs suemplS to Infiltrate Inlluenltal conservahve
Groups In lhe Gelman h,erachv 1.Honorary leaders were given the IIghl to wear SS Uniform wl\h SS rank whICh
corresponded to their status III CIVilian hfe.Spec,a1lnStgnla which allrrst was qUIte sllalglltlorward was Illlcr enlarged 'l ..and Ihen. nOt long aller. seems 10 have been abolished altogether Apanlromspecial collar palch", and ilfmbands. hol'lOl'ary leaders also wore a Silveragulllellc. sllT.llal 10 the pauem Inttoduced In 1938 for all SS leadtol:'i
,. Del Orden unter dem Totenkopf p 132.2. Millellungblatl der RZM. No. 29..1S 12.3'1 P 11
(See lront endpaper 101 armband colOl.lIs )
PLATE' 31. Collar patches lor an SS Honorary Le8der WIth lhe lank of SS-Sland:"ten.
fuhrer gazelled to (; la sUite) the 2nd SS Regtrnelll (Flankfun/Malll)
2. Armband for SS Honorary Leaders.1. Die Un,fomlen der Blaunhemdcn. p 98.2 Die UnifOl'men der Braunhemden. p 98.
PLATE '41. Armband lor SS honorary leader attaehed to SS OISlrict 5ooth.2. Armband 101 an SS honolary leader atlached to SS Sub-district IX.
3. Armband for an SS honorary leader allached to the 5th SS Regiment(Traben -Trarbaeh).
4 Armband 10r SS honOlary leaders wilh Ihe rank of SS·Sturmfuhrer up toand including SS·OberSlurmbannfiihrer.1·4. Mitteilungsblatt der RZM. No. 29..15.12.34. p , 1.
PLATE 13
2
pLATE 14
,
2
3
!==~~~.B~~."a!SeRi£.~=.e.z•••!.!~E••~~~.IiZ••~a_.~RI~=.5.=.1:1R~;."~=J~ZW••~S!;~=.a~.5.~S.~25~=.1
, ~~~~~ .~~~~:!::..~ ~ ~ ~ ,4
5'
Armbadge worn on the upper leh arm. above the brassard. by graduates
of the REICHSFUHRER$CHULEN. (From centre to OUler edge. black.
whole. red)
Armbadga worn on the lower lelt sleeve by SS members 01 the AUS·
LANDS"ORGANISATION DER NSDAP. Introduced on the 25.9.36
SS·SCHULENSS Schools
Staff and cadeTs 01 the following SS schools wore the name 01 lheir school
on their armbands.
1. SS·REITSCHULE FORST (Dlsbanded7.B.193B).
2. SS-HPT-REITSCHULE MONCHEN (In March 1938 ltlls armband
was replaced by Ihe crossed lances which were on Ihe arm badge.
3. SS·MOTORSCHULE BERNE (Runic SS).
1. Ml\leilungsblatl der RZM. No. 11 .. 23.5.36. p 205.
2·3. SS Price Ilsl. April 1939. p 6.
SS·ARMELABZEICHENSS Armbadgas
Armbadges were worn on the lower lelt sleeve 3.5 ems above the armhi.tnd.
PLATE 15
1. Leader In medical service.
2. Medical personnel.
3. Leader In dental serVlco.
4. PharmaCIst.
5. Leader and under leader in veterinary service.
6. Farrier.
7. Bandmastar.
8. Leader In administrative service. Introduced 25.2.1938.
Other armbadges existed, but havll not yel been idenllhed.
1. For cross countl'f spon.
2. Wollsangel.
3. For ex·SA men in SS.
4. For Kylfhauserbund. Introduced on Iho 25.4.1938.
5. For tournament and racing club.
1. SS-Prelshste. March 1941,p 6.
PLATE 15
, ,
7
SS-ARM WINKEl
SS Ch.vroos
PLATE 16
1 EI'r~nwmk.e: lu' Alte J(;amp'e' (hOl:our chevror: lor old ~m"pi"' ',j1lL'fS) was
wcrn 00 the UPj;1!1 F1;,ht mm bV SS rm:o whe had pnell e:lllC/ .he SS.
""SOAP 01 ore 01 Its 0I'9anr5i'ltonll$ helore the JOih JanuiorV 1933 A'so bv
those members of tt:c Auslnan SS, NSDAP CJr onc 01 I~~ Ofg<l:1lSaIIUfls.ol
members 01 11 tloceat:-le AUSII;2<l pro-NiI7' orgumsall:>l'l. and bv I:"05e. In
AuslIla wt>o vtrlul1teEled fot SS membctsh p before the 12th FebruoY.','
1933.
2 l:hrenw nfm! IUI 01l~l'lloilhge Pohzel uoo Wet'lmacht.~ A'l{jcllul1ge (Honour
chevron lor ex 'llC'llbcIS 01 ll'e PO'lce ilnd armeu forces) fn;loduccd
25 7 1935. was wOln on the upper nrJh, ,um by all SS velefans wl'., had
sONed ill Ihe mOler! !mees er pohce. Cf who had selvef! 511nullarloouslV In
another party organisation.
3. Chevron for ele-membels ul the SWhlholm (Sleel Hc;lmet UI!l<.I11,satlon).
was wurn on the lower lell sleeve.
1-2. Organts<ltionsnLJeh del NSOAP. 1943.. P 435.
3. Mllteltungsblatl der nZM 1935 No 2915.12.34. p 1'.
~o teuArmband mtroduced Olllhc 251h May 1936101 ex members of the "Slosstrupp Adulf Hitler' worn 011 "yht cuff
PLATE 16
2
3
56
SS·ADJUTANTENSCHNUR
SS Adjutant's aiguillette
WiliJe the SS was sUIl unCer :IlC o\'C'laH wmmwd 01 the S.4... Huhm hall "
number of SS adJul;!n;i or. hIs ~lalf. \..-::) \\'Cre Ih ait;jl.t11cItc p'e~CflOCI!
fer SA Ildj\llants.
SS leMrs WIth the r<l'"lk ul SS·Stunnful"er ami ahove. nonl.....1U:,,~ .ldju:ar'tb'l \'10 Reich5fliurcr'SS welC ('1\:11100 10 ...IEilr 011 :Ill') ,gh: 5oould'll of !T~'
se/vice untlo,", :1,1111::. a blacli: 1111:1 !>'lvtr ,'l'SJ,lIel111 1
SS-SIG NAlPFEIFENSCH NUR55 whistle lanvard
BI'Id<. twIsted silk cerd ("IW'ill!! was worn I:y n(JIl·ccmffiisSIUIHJII alh
ecl1lmlS!oiorred leaders from tile top tunic. butten \0 the left t:/Cllst p~ckell,llll
service lUr'lic.2.
Adjutant with the lank cf SS-Ustul In tr.e 6th SS rOOt Aegl.
Chaf1ottenburo (Berlin). February 1933. (Sudverlag).
')S whi~lle lanyard.
57
SS-D1ENSTDOLCH MODELL 1933
SS Service Dagger, Model 1933
IlllloCuced on the 15th Decefllbe< 1933 for al ra"k51n lhe Gc..,cr:ll SS Tt-c
light 10 \vcar Ihe daGuer was bestowed Oil fJll SS mal" on the 9'h Novelllbcl.
alter he had 5ervoo three ~'C3r.i as an SS C'lI1U,dale. and hac been finally
accepted In lhe SS. The dagger W3S \\'011'1 wl\h all 0I0C!S 01 dr!!S!> unlll
September 1940. wllen 'I was no longer 10 /)(' worn.
Dagger Blac~wooden tj/lpwl\h mset white metdl ea;llc "lid en3~1SS ballfje
Nickel plated sl,calh anu 11111 pleces_ Black melal sl'eil~". Elu'crI mall ... or
blade. MEINE EHAE HEISS 1 1REUE Daggers prcsemed by lhe Rel(;hsh,~"p,r
SS l-IoH\r1ch H'f!lrlilllr hore an IrIS(;llpIIO" 0'1 Ihp. rCVCll,C of the blulh: IN
HFRZllCHER KAMFHADSCHMl H, H1MMl ~n Average overall lenil,l!
37 ems.
Hanger FES1S1EIl AI[M(N W3S a short bldek Icalh~f S113:) with an ov,,1
nlckel·plated buckle alone cnd. and a mck!!l p1illed r..lif.l ;It the other rne strap
was passed 111I0ogh lhe IIn1J on tl'e daggel shealh. buckle(~. and 1',ell cllppc:.J
01'110 a 0 ling 011 a b ;lck leather slide ell the scrvlce belt. In NovemlJ.!r 19311 It
.....as ordered th<tl wllh SC'fv,ce Ul'1IfOTTT'. Ihe daggcf would. In future. be wo",In a speCial vel\lcal black leathcr ha""ef. 001 CHTriAGETASCll( t lhc
dagger was. 'ram 1'1<11 date. 10 he >Nom With lhe old type hllrgm. only VOI\llwalk,ng out unlfOfm
SS-DIENSTDDLCH MODELL 1936
SS Service dagger Model 1936
Introduced on the 251h August 1936 a5 a new uiI\j\jer for Wl:m With ~ClVlce
and undress un,forms. by comrmSSloncd ond tll0se l1on-CvrWI1ISSlullod rallk~
who were lully lIedged SS men 00'010 the 30lh Jam.ary. 1933. lJ~mJel
IdentIcal to Ihe 1933 modell1\llh the ell:cepllun 01 (ill ell:lfil sheil!n Imm9 and
chaIn hanger.
SS-SEITENGEWEHRE
SS B.yonets
Model 84/98 bayonets wefe not standard ISsue In the General SS. bvllrke
sleel helmelS VIlE-le ISSUed tor special occaSions.
....
•
58 SS ~!!IVICe dagger model 1933.
ss S!:P/lCe da.gqcr mOl1c1 1936.
SS-QllCfsct!a'!I,I'rt'f Hem- cl R(10WS.(, ,n wal<'IIlCJ'OUI Ulu'orm
Will' ll~ 19:'lli 1'"1<)11"1 '1;)<:'1(", Jllly 1937. (W. 8/cop er collecllGfi I
59
60
SS-AUSROSTUNGSS Equipment as at December, 1934.1.
SS C~jf-5krn pack with C,lfryl'l;j straj)s
SS Triar.gular grol.nd shell;'
SS Ground sheet <lCCE::ssorv bal. emrt)'SS Grourld sheet pen.
SS Ground slieet pole_
SS Ground sheet I,ntl.
SS Mess trn wun cntlnuIl11plemen!s.
SS Ealing Implemcnts
SS BlI:ad bag,
SS Sread ban strap.SS Waler bOlll'! viIlh Irdl l.Ol/er.
SS Drinl-.rng cup
SS Pack cOl/cr. grey.
SS Sleeprng Vil!). while.
SS SI!)nal linin (RetICClOr) !'ll OlIlJrch cljlumn. lrQnL
SS Signal light (Rctlcc10r) for IT'arch column. rear.
SS 51g'1alllgl1l (RnllectDr) lor m<lrch column. ann.
SS Shoe cleanll19 kit.
III 1936 black. fell waler hOllle r:O\lcrs. and black carwas bread IW[Js were nc
longer suppliccl. In~te<ld the wlll;le SS was la he Issued With ~rey ol1es,/
1. M,tleilunusLJlull del RZM N~ 2.9..1 :d2.3'1, ;J 14
? Mineiluflgsblatt dCI RZM Nr>, 1:1 .6.Ci,3G.p 237.
PLAn: 171!J36 f,eld eu,I'pment corslsl'llq ut PelL'" Will' lolrler: (!round shet't ill1(j messI n \IVnil breild hag and \IVale' butt le ~Ilsnnnded Ir urn ,lIlVlce hell lJ ndell ,e"l h
U1her ri'rnks cross Slr<:lp The >1rOlll10 sheel W<:Irt'r tJottl(: (Ol/()! ilnd urt!<Jd u<Jg
<:Ire grey, lhe Dlllt Cind StrilPS hlilckellcd on (lll1p,r S\lrlnces, Ildtural T\lde on
l!lller surftlces, lhe rrwss llll. bl"d, all (lIne! rllet,,1 white. Ine p.1I':I<. n<Jlural
1JItJ,·....n call·skin
PLATE 17
. ~.--_.J
-61
6.
SS·lEOERWAREN
SS Leatherware 8S at December 1934.1.SS Wa'51 bell In1('(I '11-1111 bucld':! Il)f SS rn " I,ll In .)110 ,n~1 SS Hautl!·
MI@f"I·'Cf
SS W'lIstllclt. \.u,lmelt Will' tll"l.h~ lor ~S men Ut) to ,lilt! ",cl SS·llaunt·
SCllOrtUhll,;
SS Wa,!;1 bell. I""d '0',,:11 buckle t(,lf 1o,;;IIJ",S
SS Wa,M m-II. ,,"lll~ v.nh buCkle 10' leiICers
SS CIt"'.. SlIiIC. I "I!(I lilt SS men up 10 .lod ,oci SS·II<1ulI1SLha,lu11lc,
SS (ftiS" """'0. u'lll"leu kll SS n><'n up 10 and Ine! SS- HauplscharrullfC'
SS Cross saap. hned IO! le...deJsSS Cross SIHIJl. UI, 1Il«:l10l Icilcers
SS CIOSS strap (lhll.'C p L.C). Imcd I()C SS men up to anu ,"t-! SS·Hauptsch:nluh.('I
SS Cmss sHap (lhree piece). "ni" t'il 1.1' SS r~n uo t~ ar.d lrtl SS- HauptSClllUfutllCf
SS CIO~5 S~lIlfl Ill,'e.: poctc} h:Y.!'d fer le<llU!t's
SS CfOSS 5llilP (lhoec flICCC). l."'hncd 101 Ieade,s.
1 tvcc IHCOIl CI~S 5:,,,,)$ wt!1C \\I"m by • VSlClar.~. nnunted anu medJCal
personnel.
SS~~t g,tl3::l (lnree Pt.1 P<Jc~) Black
S~ Me:>5 Ill. :r.[I;t;')
SS Sptll 51'<1"
SS M.11Ch :>lr<JP (MarKI .. el1" I.)
SS AU>ulhary caflVlllO s:,ap lor p..ck:
SS WillS1 bell slide
SS Dagoer slide (DulL! ..Ula"lcn)
SS Dispatch case
SS Map case
SS BaYl,l1l\!1 hoy
SS Dagger "O<J ($(1Ilcngcwchfl3schenl
SS Dagger hanger (Ol,llchllagelaKhen).
SS Daggcr hanger. lor mounted personnel Brown
SS Daggor Ilangcr (rCStStcllrremcn).
SS Riding brecches ICillher (Buckskin).
1. Mlllcilungsblatt der RZM No. 29,1512 34.p 14
SS leadC1's bell buc~fe.'
SS olhl:r· ranks belt buckle.'
I Mentioned as new '1ems on VOBl der OSAl- Nr,6,
26.1 32 . l,II 22
SS-SPORTBEKLEIDU NG
SS Sports clothes as at December 1934.
SS Motorcycle gO~Hlles.
SS Motorcycle ovcralls. grc)'.
SS Tr'lImn!) outfl!. glCy,
SS Sports troUSC'iS. blllCk sateen (satin)
SS SPOlts veSI. while wll11 SS badne.
SS B!JIIIIIl~1 costume. black wool
SS l:latl1lng COStUrll(: Three cOff\f>rcd type. bIJ(;k, wool.
SS Ski tuniC
SS Ski trOUl;<'l~ (Uberfallhose).
SS Ski cap.
SS Ski oalters (Wlckclglll11ilSdwr').
FenCing Jacket arm bad(le
Sports veSI badoe
SS Spons clothes as at March 1941.2
SS Sports trouselS. black Sdteen
SS Sports shrrt. white With SS badge,
SS Tralnmg jilcket, blue With SS badge.
SS Tr;JInHlQ llOusers. blur.
1. Ml\leilunnsblatt der RZM. No. 29 .. 15.12,34, pp 13 & 14.
2. SS-Prerslistc. M,lICll 1941, 3,
63
MUSIK-INSTRUMENTE UND ZUBEHOR
Musical instruments and accessories as at March 1941,1
SS Drulll-mlljor's milCC WlthOlct cord ane ti>ssels.
SS hfe. Aln,y rnedc.L
SS Drum
SS DnJl11 sl,ck
SS Dnl'!l rover Wlttl carf', nCl S!fa:>.
SS UUl]le with l),JlloJlnl f'rrblem ill1d blmlrng.
SS trumpet.
SS Cord ar1d tassels tor Drum m~)o!'s mac(;,
SS Drull1 !IlJ'lk with loathcI stlap.
SS Drum huok WUIoOUllcJlhcr strlp.
SS Slieet mus,c l'<Ise.
SS Bu>]le carrYIrl[j strap.
SS Drum slick case
SS F,lc ("lse.
SS Drum knee leillhcI (ApI\Jn) Illack Icather.
SS Dfum knee le<ltller (Amon) white Ic;;ther
SS Trumpet b<1nncr Wllh !i cm aluminIum frlr1[Je.
SS KCllIll drum banner With 5 cm <1IUmlnlUm lrlnQc rncludll1g cove~,
SS piJrar!c flllg for "'Jmglmg JOf1l11lIc'".
1 SS-fJre+:;Ilst~. MdfCh 1941. P 14
SS·SPIELMANNSZUG UNO MUSIKZUG
SS Corps of drums and bands
"V1u5ICI<inS m the SS. <is n 111e Gefm,lI1 rnrllY welC divided .1'tCl tl'lu (!I~"'I
~fOUPS The SPIELMANNSZUG or corps of (:IU'I\S. r.o~·s,s1Cd • 1 bCll'le' r
~19hl nn! twcnty fCI.r dlummers and filers or bt.qler,. (,.umrnwukd I,V
Drum-ma;ur
Thc MUSIKLUG Of band (;on5Iste~1 01IlC:V'/(',J11 tWC'lly al:l f0rty m"S!';:li)",
Icd h'{ iJ MUSIKFlJHRER (Bandrnaster)
I-<Il:h SS fOOl rcg'men1 liw! (lno hand and onc 01 mOlC coms 'll (i1L'1l"~
SS cavalry rC[lments II"d ,I corp~ 01 trumpeters which CCllslsted ut >1';
twer~t ... trumpeters ard a KESSELPAUKEH (KellleclUmrtwc)
SS- SCHWALBEN N ESTER
SS "Swallow's nests"
MUSIC ans woro;l spel-Idl wln[jS ur '"~wiJI10w's "~';Ili" iJS tr<,~y \I'.crc ~nO'A'n It
Gcrma~)', on both sroulders of tllelr tUl1lC SS "sw;l1 ow's nosts' 'Ncre rr:;,~
or black ololn ,rlmmcd WIth while. for the CD/PS of drums. ,tIlr! .11Ulnlr'II
bra d for !:;,nrJsmen, Drum-milJors liad 7 cm long \'>111C funge.1.
In 1!l3ti \-'llllte tllmmlnq for "swallow's nests' was <IboJisl;l!d line: al 111l.SIClJ
113d alun'lIllum braid. but bandsmerl wefC r; yen 3 cm. ant: DrUrTl-!lI;]I. 'I
70'\ 101101 ;]IUfllllltJrtl hinge 2
Drum-mil;er's mace
"ndmaSleIS w,lI Icact's rank dl(! flU" ....cal s.....alo,.-/o; n.''''''. bu' 1l.1fla
coo the r "rrrbalJgc
SS-SCHEllENBAUMESS "Jingling Johnnies"
'lI'qhnq Johl1nlcs" were call1ed ill tho hoad of bands and Clime 10 PruS~M
,I'.e 181h cenlUry. frOm Turkey, vU! Poland ,md AUSlfl1l Its ollgm If\ MOh1ll11'
.oan :umlcs was Ihat 01 a symbol of command 11IIer II wns used In lUlk,s]1
aOlssnry ~nds as a perCUSSion Uls\lumcnt 3
'Ingllng JohnnlCS" did not COf\fo"n 10 allY standard pattern. and many
florenl models CXI:>lcd. In most cases lhey were pa,d fOl b" pllv<lte SUb
rlptlOt' and prese,,:ed to a unLI by the Clllzens 01 lIS galllsoll lown,4 Some
'flJhng Johnn,es" of dlsbaoded Impenal a'my regiments fouIld ,hcr way
10 the SS bul wcre Ilaroded back to those reglOlCnts 01 ,he new We/urn;'l('h'.
were to carry on Ihe lladltlons of the disbanded 1O{JlmclltS 5
SS-FANFARENTOCHER UNO PAUKENGEHANGE
SS Trumpet and kettledrum banoels
·u..,lpcl and kenledrum ballnors dl[l nOI conform 10 any standard deSI<Jn. ;mu
"I In most cases presented 10 Ihe un I by public SUCscllpt,on 1he qualot~
I l-l.lllOralencss of the des,.,n 01 Ihe banner deperdcd on tll(' (le1lo",s·'V
the subscr.llers.1, Mlaollungsbl,,11 dcr RZ\1 No, 29.15 12 34 p ".
2. MI:tc,lunqsblall del' Rl'v1 Pl;o -1.15.236 p.19.
3 1NC.'l und Bliluchturr ces Suldillen p 127.
·1 0,15 Sch....Dlzc Korps No, S1..17,12 36 p 4,
., 193:1 I);, J.l'11 der DCUi$cllen. p91
'I .r"n,,!! l'.Nllllpf\1l'r~ .... Ih (llllT11 and d'''fT' Slreo. ilnd 11':>1 ~,llle!!1 'swallo.... s
IS t I (l'pO; II rlll,Wo; .100 Ot m ma,ar see le"l endlJ<lj)l'l
!1
65
66
\
I~;-J;: ..1' ,A
f\ A' 'Le". '-:jiTll.:
il·~i
It\"
Obverse <lmJ reverse of IYPIC31 SS Trum:>ct b30ner.
"SdICllcllhllum" ol the 36th SS Fool Rcglmcllll (03l1.1!g).
"S:"eller-I;ll\ml' 01 the 12.th SS Foot Rcgimt'rll (H,mnovcr) which W<l~
orcscnlo:od 10 the re!jlmenl in December 193G
6/
68
DIE BLUTFAHNEThe "Blood flag"
On lhe 91h Novemoer 1923 Hltle,'s ~ul!>ch to r1aLn corill'~ 01 ":'I,llIC.h wa!>
!>t-alll,;,ed by a pahce volley_ F,om arnOl'g~1 Ihc SIlf!een Nil:",:n;JI Sue ,111515
that had neen I. 'led, imd tt>e ot"er!> thall'llr: h«n ....,oundco a bl{)Qfj $Oaki'd
SWilstlkll lIaq v.as la~en fro..., I\S dead bearer, Andrens Baurocol The NDSAP
was b.ml;cd, Hllier Inpfl$Oncc, and tl'c IIa1 ....as COIl! Scaled by It-C, un ch
Pc";;e PfeSl(1.rnl
On 'I'e 9111 f\;,~c"l'lbcr 19]6 11~s;,nl'O flag \Vim a new pele i1rd IUI} ~\,.~ rll'e·
scnlcd to t'l! SS,StUIM 1 (",,~lI:,ons:.:url11) \ SS Stand':lIte (\hmetlt.'fl),
fCI sale kceplOU II I:!d b': tl'en become one uf tt'e mOSt hOl'cl.rcd r('hu ul
I htlcr's Struflflle I(,f -.... er r,cm Ihal day 0" all rew SlanOiJffts 'lnd ft.1gS wcre
Inaugur;'ltcd by be nn loud",'j ""nh thc "elOlld Flaq" 1
Hie 1l,;'1.eral 01 Udl,'et;>, Wafl'1.~' -, \!ft.,; Oil" ., l' ':! ',hI o::~a!>loni OIl
wlllch the "Blooo f.-a"" was Ifoooea Scltcrl8,Jacrdu::ns,
o..
STANOARTE (FELOZEICHEN) OER SS
SS Standllrd
I hO fl(~t prcsenwlIon of four SA standarC5 t00k pluco on tll(, 28th J"nu<JIY
1923. on the fllst Party Day Rally helll III Munich. It thenuecame the custom
10 presenl new st3ndards ,md 1139S al the llm1W31 P3rtv ()av 11,llIy_2_
The IlIst 8 SS sl31\d3fds were presemiW ;Il Nurcmber!!. In S('p~cmbel
1933.3.Tile dOlh 113rl of the s\<lruJmd measurl:!d 60 x 70 ellls. and was edged on three
sides with ulack and white fllngll; latel Black. white and led lunge The flag
was suspended ffom a while metal cross bJr l' x <lOcms. on the hont 01 WlllCh
weltl Iho IOttors NSDAP cn J black ground On Ihe reverse was :he name 01
the region or ellstuct to winch the unit belonged. or 3 cOlllmernOI:H1ve name.
In Scplemuer 1933 Ihe tellers and Ihe name were revCf5ed Above IlIn cross
har was tile natlonat emhlem which conSisted Of <l wl\lle metal oakle~1 wl,wth
WIHI gIlt binding. Insldo wl1lch was il ulack swasllkil 32 ems In dlallleler.
With wllll!1 me131 surround The lI'.rC<lth and sw,1st,kJ weru surrnoull~ecl IlY ;,l
gilt mOlal flYing eagle. Tile uver;lll heIght of the SUlntlard was') .30 m
Tho standard W:lSlrooped by the 1S1 hatlallon uf ,Ill SS leglmeo1. and call1ed
by il COlnet who was euhcl aSCIllor nOll·commlSSloned or Junior commiSSIOned
leader.
A cornet wOIe J gorge!. brllldohcr and wlnlO gloves whcn carrYing the
standard 4.
Tre SUlllt!;lrrl 01 lilt! 45111 SS Re!llllcnt tOppeln)
soo re"" lJl1dl);lP<'I
69
10
SA/SS Slandard·b .earer s gorgel
Massed SS Slandards at the 193~ P::l arty Day Rally(Planet News B'. mm DD .VIS Co/fecl/'on.)
SS-STURMBANNFAHNEss Battalion flag
Tlw IIrst 10 SS batlahon 1Iags were presented In 1929
1\2 more were p~eserlled at MUnich In November of the same yCill 6.
rhe flag measuled 120 x 140 cms. and was edged on three sIdes Wllh black
and alumll1lum lr1nge. In the top left hand corner was a black rectangular
patch 20 x 15 cms. which was edged In twisted aluminium cord. and on which
was embroldeled rn alumllllum Wife the number of the bal\allon in IOman
numerals. and Ihe reglmemal number 111 arab,c numerals. The s\l\;i1sllka rested
on ItS side 111 tho I,rst paltern ollhe flag. but in the laler pallern It slood on liS
pOlnl. The flag was <ll1ached to Ihe pole by SIX 10 mm nlckel-plaled rrngs.
The pole was made of wood polished black. and was surmounled by an
alUminiUm lance 11ead If al any lime a slandard-bearer had been killed carrYing
the lIag. IllS name and date of hiS death were engraved on a mOlal flng which
was then filled to the pole above the JOint. The overall height of Ihe flag
was 3 m.The flag was call1ed by a senior non-comnl"sslnned leader who wore agorget. bandolier .lOd while gloves 7.
Flag 01 the 3rd oalla!lun uf Ihe 9th SS Rcglmem (Slelllll)see rea' endpilper
71
"
,
\
~ j
/
•
S5-REITERSTANDARTE
SS Cavalry standard
The fusll.:Jvalry standards wele rvcsenled In MunIch ,n October 1935 8.
11 was call1ed by a IUlllor commIsSIoned. or senior non·commlSSloned leadel.
who wOIe a 901gel. special knee length clad: leather bandohel and while
Iloves 01 gauntlcts_9
Oas Schwar7e KOIps No. 29..19.1035. p 5.
2 Un formen des I3rounhemden. p 15.
3 Urlllormen das BHlunhcmden. pp 84-86.
4. UllIforl1lCIl del Bl3untltHnden. pp 85 b 88
!j. D<ls 5<.:h'\l<lrlO Korps No. 31 .•310.35 p 1.
6. Oas SChW3r1E! KnTps No, 37,.14.11 3[). n 5.
$lil!1da'u 0' rhe 1!J!I' Cavnlry HC\illll('1l1 (Vi U'lI('n1
1><:e I",,' elluOilrwr
I{ew ",lt1ahon flags being lrlaugul:llcd bV Adoll Hitler. at Ihe 1938 Pally
Day Rally The standard bearer IS W(!3l1ng the rn,)wly Introduced golget
and bandolier 'Hcmnch Hot/man)
SS Slan:1ard-bealof .lttho 1933 Party Day Rally neld al Nuremberg He
wears '··0 SNSS standard· bearers gorget (Fnednch 8.iUe,.)
see page 69
See page 65
See page 71
See page 73
see page 49
see Plate 8, page 39
2
3
4
See Plate 9, page 41Ion' ~....
rh! 1-~..., .... " _.". ~, . - .
5
6
7
•
See P~!e 11, page 45
9
10
11
See Plates 13 & 14, pages 50 & 51
............PwQ -- I"I I ~
.....J.~!-~f~!!!-!q~_.fi
UNIFORMS OF THE ....VOLUME 2
GERMANISCHE-Ji"1940-1945
Hugh PageTaylor
K COlKaneHIlIO, HaM AOCTanllCIo TonloKO CTpaHII",'" C ljJoTorpaljJlIRMII.
Windrow& Greene
,
the N.S.B. but in practice it paid obedience only 10 Himmler and was but
a 1001 of his representative in Holland-Rauter. 11 held its fns! parade in
the Hague on January 11 th. 1941. and on February 22nd. 1941. a large
rally was held lor them in the Clly-Theater in Amsterdam and there
followed a massed march-past through the Slreets of the capital.
In March 1941 the Dutch SS was reported as having some 600 members.
On May 17th, 1942. Musserl handed the Dutch SS over to H,mmler at a
ceremony held in Amsterdam-it was a move described at the lime as
"the inCOfporation of the Dutch SS mto the Germanic SS", and It was
"received into the SS Order and CommunllY With all nghts. duties and
laws that this Ifwolved:' Hlmmler also honoured them With the right to
wear the German SS belt buckle with the motto "Melne Ehre helsst
Treue" (Rei: Der ReichsIUhrer-SS. FUhrerhauptQuarller. den 23. Junl
1942. Tgb.Nr. RF(V.) This point marked the lormal transler of alle
giance of the Dutch SS to Hitler. Himmler and the German SS proper.
(although it still continued to be a formation of the N.S.B.) and at this
ceremony the only concession given 10 Mussen was that he took the
oath of allegiance from the Dutch SS personally. This oath was given
10 Hitler and ran as follows:
"Adolf HItler. leader of the Germanic peoples. I swear loyal and
failhful obedience unto you. and those that you place in authority
over me. unto death. So truly help me God r'
C'Adolf Hitler. Germaansche Fuhrer. U zweer ik hOU en lrOUW en
U en de door U over mij gestelden gehoorzaamheid tot in de dood.
Zo waaflijk helpe mij God nAt this ceremony the full complement of the GermaniC SS in Holland
is reported as 750 men.
The actual status 01 the Dutch SS was. to say the least. confUSing. and
il remained ambiguous to the end. It owed its allegiance to the N.S.B.
and the SS rather than to Holland or Ge.many. It was said to have been
The commander 01 the Dutch SS (Voo/man der Nederlandsche SS)
J. H. Feldmeijer.
SS SCHOEISElSS FootwearAs German.
SS KLEDINGSS Underwaar
Black shirt.
White shirt.
Black tie.
SS RANGAANDUIDINGEN
SS Badge. of rankThe badges of rank in the Dutch SS corresponded exactly to those of
the Allgemeine-SS. Although the official rank chart shows badges 01
rank for genera! olficers. the most senior Dutch SS officer held the rank
of SS-Standaardleider. and it is therefore presumed that they were
never in fact required.
SS $?I!:C!:LSSS Coller patches
Collar patches wele used to denOle the rank and unit 01 the wearer.
The unit designation was worn on the right. and the badge of rank on
the left collar patch, The commander (Voorman) of the Dutch SS wore
special collar patches as illustrated.
Members of the Staff of the DutCh SS wore a plain right hand collar
patch.
Members of the numbered SS regiments (SS-Standaarden) wore the
regimental number In ArabiC in aluminium embroidery on the right
collar patch. Collar patches were edged In tWisted cord. according 10
rank (see Volume 1. p. 20).
SS-Roltenlelder. Avegoor. Augusl 1942,
11
12
(Above) Commander of the 3rd regiment of the Dutch SS.
(left) DutCh SS man,
(opp. page) Parade of the 1st Regiment of the Dutch SS.
13
14
Group of senior Dutch SS and police leaders. March 1943. Front row I la f. Feldmel)er. JansonlUS. umdentlfled SS leader. and Bewnk
Back row. Two unldenllf,ed SS leaders, and three Dutch police officers.
.J
16
PLATE 1
1
7
13
2
,
"
3
9
15
•
10
16
•
II
17
.,~",~ ,~~ ,
~~,
~....~ ,,• ~ " " ~
'" "" " '<).~
•
12
17
18
PLATE 2
1 2 3
4
pLATE 3
1 2 3
•
19
20
ss SPORT INSIGNES
SS Sports badges
Because of Ihe Importance attached 10 proflClencV In sport. a number
of awards were made to Dutch SS men at the SS School Avegoor In
ElIecom. In the summer of 1941 a special award In lour classes was
Introduced bv Feldmeljer. August 9th.. 1942. saw the fIrst award of
the Relchssportabzelchen to Dutch SS men. when one In gold. four
In silver and two In bronze were ISsued. In April 1943 62 "Relchs·
sportabzelctlen "were presented. and finallv In February 1944 95
.. Germanlsche Lelstungsrunen" were awarded to Dutchmen by
Relchsl.:ihrer-SS Helnllch Hlmmler
The Dutch SS Sports Badge was awalded In three classes according to
the age of the reciPient.
In bronze for men between 20 and 30 years.
In silver for men between 30 and 42 veals.
In gold for men of 42 years and older.
The Dutch SS Honour Sports Badge was awarded In gold onlv.
SS·Opperstormleider J. l. Jansomus (Chief-ai-Staff of the Dutch SS)
and a member of the Watfen·SS at a presentation ceremoovof the
"Reichssportabzelchen" at the SS School Avegoor. August 1942.
ss Sports badge (SS-Sportteeken).
SS Honour spoilS badge (SS~Sporleeleteeken).
SS VLAG
SS Flag
The Dutch SS did not have unit flags or standards. but did carry a Ilag.
Dutch SS Flag.
21
24
plans than the Flemish SS and he envisaged that DeVlag should
e....entually replace the V.N.Y. and ha....e the Flemish SS as Its own
militia. Actually DeVlag and the SS were closely Interwo....en and many
Flemings belonged to both organisations. Another indication of the
inter-relationship between Flemish SS and DeVlag is Ihat according to
the instructions for funcllonaries of Ihe laller for service duties within
that organisation men were reqUired who were "members of the
Germanic SS , , . or who can be conSidered as being on the same le....el ...
Once Berger SWitChed hiS attention from the Flemish SS 10 the DeVlag
the Importance of the former diminished and DeVlag continued as the
vehicle of SS ideology in Flanders. E....enlUally. In May 1944. the
Fleml~h SS (Including the Flemish Corps) was merged with DeVlag to
form a "Securlty Corps" ("Slcherheltskorps"). By the autumn of thal
year It had virtually ceased to eXIst. and In September Belgium was
liberated by Ihe Allies.The Flemish SS differed In se....eral respects from its Dutch counlerpart
whereas the DUICh SS was a forma\lon of the N.S,B, the Flemish SS
was In no way anached to the V,N V . and whereas the Dutch SS had
but one leader from beginning 10 end (or at least until hiS death). the
Flemish SS had several leaders.
RenE!! Lagrou was Ihe anginal commander of the Flemish SS. but in mid
February. 1941. at the age of 36. he left to JOin the "Germania·· Regiment
of the Waffen-SS. For some time he served on Ihe RUSSian fronl as a
war correspondent and IS recorded as being the fllst Flemlng to recel....e
Ihe second class Knegs....erdlenstkreul wllh swords. Wounded fater that
Lapel badge for members of the Flemish SS for wear with ci....ltian
clothes.
year he returned to Belgium. but did not resume his command at the
Flemish SS. He remained a member. howe....er. and in 1942/1943 was an
SS-HauptSlUrmfuhrer In 11. as well as being "Generale Sekret8f1S der
SS-Onderstormlelder August Schollen.
26
The funeral of SS·Onderstormleider August Schollen in Brussels on December 8th. 1942.
Flemish SS Flag,
PLATE 4
, Badge worn on the upper left arm by all ranks in the Flemish SS.
Here for non-commissioned ranks.
2. Flemish SS other ranks belt buckle.
3. Armband tor all ranks of the Flemish SS.
4. Armband for all ranks of the Flemish Corps.
29
PLATE 4
2
30
3
4
Reichscommissar for occupied Norway Terboven, Higher SS and
Police leader Rediess and Vidkun Quisling, February 1942,
HISTORY OF THE NORWEGIAN SS
Motto: Min ;!Ere er Troskap
Germany Invaded Norway on Apnl 9th, 1940, and in September of that
year Josef Terboven was appointed Reichscommissar. Under him and
representing the SS in occupied Norway came a "Higher SS and Police
Leilder", at first SS,Obergruppenfuhrer und General der Polizei WeitzeL
but soon after replaced by SS-Obergruppenfuhrer und General der
Pollzel Wilhelm Rediess ("Der Hahere SS- und PolizeifUhrer beim
Reichskommissar fUr die besetzten norwegischen Geblete'").
Vldkun Abraham UlUtltz Quisling (born 1BB7) was Ihe Norwegian
Minister of Defence In the Agranan Government. but when this fell in
1933 he formed a fasclst-slYle political party called the Nasjonal Samling
r'N,S,"-"Natlonal Union"). ThiS party With liS para-military troops the
Hlrd (similar to the S,A. of the N.S,D.A,P. In Germany) was consequently
In eXistence when the Germans mvaded. Quisling was believed to have
been a party 10 the German invasion, and the regime he proclaimed
upon tllelr arrival so Incensed the Norwegian people th3t it lasted only
a week. QUisling still continued 10 lead his Nasjonal Samling. however.
which was the only political party permitted In Norway by the occupying
forces. Aelchscommlssar Terboven was extremely hostile to Quisling and
as unco-operatlve as pOSSible. but on Hitler's orders did help him to bUild
up the strength of the N,S, The success of QUisling's efforts can be seen
Irom the increase In N,S, membership from 6,000 In September 1940 to its
peak of between 45,000 and 60,000 in early 1943, Under occupation the
Nasjonal Samling grew and With it tile Hird. which was by Ihen oulfitted
with uniforms and insignia similar 10 Ihe German S,A. There was.
however. no Norwegian political SS organization such as already had
been formed in Holland and Flanders. as QUisling was very much
against the Idea. For despite hiS shortcomings, Quisling was fanatically
pro-Norwegian and he rightly saw in the political SS a movement
towards a Great German Retch, and a threat to Norway of being
Incorporated into It as a mere districl (Gau), But whereas Quisling was
against Ihe formation of a Norwegian political SS, Himmler, his "Higher
31
32
SS and Police Leader". Rediess. and Relchscommissar Telboven were
slrongly in favoul of ...
Ouisling and Telboven fought bitterly and the laller did all in his powel
to dlmimsh lhe importance 01 QUisling and his NasJOnal Samling. One
01 Terboven's attempts was even to replace QUIsling as "Ferer" (leader)
of Ihe N.S. In June 1940 by his old Inend Irom the Saar. Chief of Police
Jonls lie (born 1899). who although not a member ollhe party was a
strong sympathizer. It was only Ihrough (he diplomacy 01 one 01
Ouisling's best Iriends. Albert Viljam Hagehn. that the plan failed lor
Hagelin stated (Quile without foundation) Ihlt Quisling had appolr1ted
him as deputy leader 01 the N.S. and that he should therelore take over
the leadership and nOI lie.
This rivalry between Terboven and Quisling continued and m ffild·1941
Tefboven and ue once again got together and set about the lorma\lon 01a Norwegian political SS conlingenl behind QUlsling's back. Accordmg
to subsequent N.S. propaganda it was at a meeting of the 711'1 Hlld
Regiment 'Viking" In Oslo on May 16th. 1941, that the creation of such
a unIt was first suggested. and It was a suggestion that apparently mel
with some enthusiasm. for a number of the Hlrd men present declared
themselves willing 10 join al once. They had not long to wait. lor just
one week later (on May 21 SI, 1941) a Norwegian poli\lcal SS formallon
was established and called "Norway's SS" ("Norges SS"). On Ihat day
ReichsKrhrer-SS HeinriCh Himmler Ilew in to Oslo where he was met
by Reichscommissar Terboven. a disgruntled Quisling. and a number 01
senior SS and Wehrmacht officers. and then taken to the Nasjonal
Samling's PartY House.
The ceremony opened with a speech by the Rikshild's Chief of Staff,
Orvar Saether. who spoke to his former Hild men that had volunteered
to be the first aspirants of the new Norwegian SS. He explained how
they were about to join SS comrades from all the other Germanic
Jonas Lie and members of the Norwegian SS. May 1941.
Members of the Norwegian SS swear the oath of allegiance to Hitlerand QUlsli ng, May 1941.
countries, and how their role was to protect and safeguard the future of
the Germanic race,
Once Saether had handed over his Hird men to the SS. Helnrich Himmler
look the stand and described to them the development of the SS In
Germany from Its eswbllshment in 1925 until the present day, and also
how the SS stood as a guarantee for the future of the Germanic
communities, Having referred to the achievements of the Norwegian
volunteers in the SS· Regiment "Nordland" (then serving wrth the
"Wlklng" diVISiOn of the Waflen-SS) which had been raised in January
1941 from Norwegian and Danish volunteers. Hlmmler stated that the
formation of the Norges SS was a new and importa'nt step forward for
the Germanic community, The honour for its foundation. he told his
audlonce, would fall upon Norway.
Hlmmter then appolllled cabinet minister and Norwegian Chief of
Police Jonas Lie as SS-standartf0rer and leader of the Norwegian SS
(as has been seen above. Lie was an old friend of Terboven. and had
been chosen by tllm to found and recruit for the Norwegian SS-Lie
was a sympathizer of the N.S, but not a party member and was a man
disliked and distrusted by Quislrng), The oath of allegiance was 1aken
by Lie. who then administered rt to hrs men, and was given to both
Hitler ana OUlsling,
Immediately after the ceremony the new SS aspirants !ravelled to the
SS school at Elverum. where they recerved a beginners' course lasting
SIK weeks.
To sum up, although the Norwegran SS was created as a subdivision of
lhe Nasjonal Samling it was strongly opposed by Quisling, and recruiting
by Jonas Lie was at first carried on behind Ouisling's back, and later in
direct defrance to his orders, Loyal N,S. members were urged to oppose
Lie's recruiting drive and this met with paltial success at first. but the
Norwegian SS was too strongly backed by both Lie's Stale Police and
Terboven's Reichscommissarlat to be blocked in this way. Whether
33
SS STAlHJElMss Steel helmet
The German 1935 mode! steel helmet sprayed black was used by the
Norwegian SS. and it also appears that the field grey German Army
helmets complete with the Army eagle (Hoheitsabzeichen) wele worn
as issued.
ss SKOT0YSS Footwear
Black boots
Black lace-up ankle boots
Black lace-up ski boots
Black lace-up shoes
SS HANSKERSS Gloves
Black leather
White cloth
ss UNDERT0YSS Underwear
Brown shirt
While shirt
Black tie
ss lA:RT0YSS leatherwearBlack. lealher belt and cross strap With niCkel plated two pronged belt
buckle and single pronged cross strap buckle_ The German SS belt
and buckle is also known 10 have been worn. and as It was referred to as the
"belt buckle for the whole Germanic SS" In an order from Himmler dated
June 23rd. 1942. I1 may have been Introduced forthe entire Germanic SS
about that time.
ss TJENESTE DOlKSS Service daggerThe Chief of Staff of the Norwegian SS is known to have worn the 1936
model SS service dagger. An example with the Norwegian version 01 the
SS civilian badge on the top of the grip does exist.
SS-standartforer Jonas lie (here just back from the Eastern Front and in
Waffen-SS uniform). With members of the Norwegian SS and Police.
March 1943.
41
PLATE 5
1
7
13
,
•
14
3
9
15
4
10
,
11
~ ~ , ~ ~ -~ ~ - ,,
!J."'i •, @ •""~,
~'Wr1,
,"~l\..q
,,,. ,
...................... , --6
12
4'
PLATE 6
ift~~~~~
~~~~
~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~
~~~~~~~~
1 2 3 4
5
pLATE 7
2
3
''''1- J. ,-':a;.e-~e-.- J"' P'r"....... ,.~......t.:J.....,. l!"1.r.l"j. !'4. i·i-'_f~... r~"""'''''f • • ,-, , ,- 1 • ~, ~ ·~I .~r I_ • ·~h"';· !_I· ....~ I • , • • , .
~e-·1"I
~, i\ T ,...... , "\ 5 I,. "'--'.~l\n <-'''''''''r. i ._-, t ; ·-1 " ; , L l-' ." ; 1 \..: r·-', . ,
\...~ ._-'-'~ • \...'
,. • :l
"'-" _/_~ '. .: .. " • , ~. - ~ - ,.,:. ~ "'---1-, ~·I-t.J't ,....., ... , • • • , = • • , • , • ,., • • ", • , • , • , , , , • • ._. • , • • • • • '~L'- , -, , . • • , , ,.
- •
4
47
48
1, Basic Company flag of the Norwegian SS.
SS FLAGS AND STANDARDSThe Norwegian SS had a number of diHerem patlerns of SS flag. Some
were printed so that the SS runes welt~ back '0 front on the reverse.
Others were double sided and had either a white Of Sliver fringe. The only
official flag. however. was the SS company flag (SS-Stormfane).
2, Named Company flag of the Norwegian SS (here SS·Storm Oslo).
SS STORMFANESS Company flagBlack silk flag which measured approxImately 100 ems. by 150 ems.
in the centre of which were the SS runes In white Silk. The flag was
edged on three Sides With silver ftlnge. In some cases the company name
3. Named Company flag 01 the Norwegian SS with motto (SS-StormOslo IS the only recorded example of lhlS),
appealed In Sliver mock-funic In the top left hand corner, and ,n othOls
lho Norwegian SS mOllO "Mm A:re er Troskap" also appeared under
the runes. All recorded flags wnh company name. or company name plus
molto, were notlflnged. The pole was made of black polished wood and
4, Named Company Ilag ollhe NOlweglan SS.
was surmounted by a nickel plated lance head. or knob. The overall
height of the flag was approximately 3 meters.
The lIag was camed by bOlh commissioned and non·commlssioned
ranks who wOle white gloves or gauntlelS.
49
and then not as a formation of Ihe D.N.S.A.P.-in fact it had nothing to
do with that pafly whatsoever. As a result the D.N,S,A.P:s para
military formation the Storm Afdelingen ("S.A:'-the Danish eQuiYalent
of the German S,A.) remained the pflncipal party organization,
Hlmmler had long considered Denmark ideally suited for a Germanic SS
extension to the Allgemeine-SS, but found it much more difficult to
establish a branch there than In Holland. Flanders and Norway. for
unlike these countries Denmark still retained its King and Government.
and both yiolently objected to the Idea, As a result it was not until 1943
that such a formation was established, and so in contrast to the other
three branches of the Germanic SS it came not in the early days of
occupation as a reward for collaboration, but rather at a much later date
and in an atmosphere of acute hOShhty towards the Germans in general.
and the NaZIS In particular.
Denmark's branch of the Germanic SS was called the Schalburg Corps
(Schalburg-Korps), and being named after a late Danish Nazi and SS
hero It was the only one not to include its countryOs name in its title.
Only in Denmark, therefore, was there such a cult of the personality in
the naming of a Germanic SS formation. and to understand liS background
and the significance of this name some space must be devoted to the man
YOn Schalburg himself.
SS-OberSlUrmbannfuhrer K. B. Marllnsen. founder and leader of theSchalburg-Korps.
51
Memorial setVice for members of the Danish Free Corps lulled in Russia. in Copenhagen on the 17th October. 1943. From I. to I. SS
ObelSlurmbannfiihrer K. B. Martinsen. SS-SturmbannfUhrer BoV'en. SchalbufO'S son and widow. and Of. Werner Best (Nationalmuseet.)
56
SchalbulQ Corps recruils arriving al Ihe RlngSlad 51allOn near Copenhagen accompanied by a Luflwaffe band. (Museel for Danmarks Fnhedskamp.)
Guard outsIde the Scha!burg Corps headquarters at lhe Freemasons' Lodge In Copenhagen. 1943
63
64Schalburg Corps men in Danish khaki unilorms stand guard outside their headQuarters.
Lowland counterpaTlS in not wearing regimental numerals on the right
collar patch. but then this IS not surprising as Ihey were not organIsed
In regiments.
II IS presumed that any officers with the rank of colonel (Oberst) and
above wore their badges of rank on both collar patches. that is rf there
were ..ny officers of such rank
SS GRADER
SS Ranks
The lollowlng IS a comparison chart between the ranks of the Schalburg·
KOlps and the German General SS:
SCHAlBURGKORS
Schalburg Cross
Lrllle IS known aboutthrs cross. whrch was named after von Schalburg.
and IS therefore believed 10 have been founded for award to members of
the Schalburg Corps.
If ever there was a foundation order I1 has so far not come to light. and
accordlOg 10 a former member of the Schalburg Corps the cross was
only awarded once. and Ihen to a member of the Corps killed In a
skirmish With the Danish resistance movement. Soon after Ihis one and
No. SCHALBURG·KORPS
1 Schalburgmand
2 Tropsl""er3 Overtropsf0rel
4 Vagtmester
5 Overvagtmester
6 Stabsvagtmester
7 FiEndrlk
8 L0jlnanl
9 Overl0Jlnant"
IQ KaptaJn
11 Major
12 Oberst!0Jnant
13 Oberst
ALlGEMEINE-SS
SS-Mann
SS-AottenlUhrer
SS· Unterscharluhler
SS-Scharluhrer
SS -Oberscharfuhrer
SS· Hauptscharfiihrer
SS-Stabsscharfiihrer"
SS· Sturmscharfiihrer
SS -UnterSlurmfiihrer
SS -OberSturmfijhrel
SS- Hauptsturmluhrer
SS -Slurmbannliihrer
SS- OberstUt mbannfuhrer
SS -StandartenfiihrerThe Schalburg Cross. Molio Collection
"An appointment. nOI a rank. but included here as an eQulvalell1 drd
eXist in the SChalburg Corps
• ·There is no such rank as an OVerh,ljlnant in Denmark. and this rs
believed to have been a Germanrsed form 01 Kaplajnlcjtnant.
only award. the repon goes. the Corps' headquarters were set alighl by
the resistance. and whole boxes of the crosses were either melted
down. or strewn over the Streets of Copenhagen. Some of these were
undoubtedly picked up by passers·by and have since fallen into the
hands of collectors.
65
66
Unidentified Schalburg Corps leader weaflng a DanIsh tunIc.. UnIdentIfied Schalbufg COIPS man wearing black servIce dress.
PLATE 8
1, Collar patch presumed to have been worn by all ranks In the Schalburg
Corps.
2. Badge worn on the upper (eft sleeve by all ranks In the Schalburg
Corps (10 woven s,lk with blue hons and red heans on a golden
yellow field). PholOgraphs suggest that thiS badge may also have
been manufactuled 10 white metal, although all survIving examples
arc 10 cloth.
3. Collar patch fCf membels of the intelligence service of 1119 Schalburg
Co/ps (which appears not to have been worn on lhe Schalburg COIPS'
Uniform)
4. Armband worn by the Staff. NCO School, Guard Company and
Landstormen of the Schalburg Corps (and which was possibly
wlttldrawn W~len the battalion on Seeland dropped the name
"Schalburg"),
RIGHT
m
. Shllllm fjoio~
ftbsolon2
{)erluf t!l'olle
•
Armband worn by the "SkJalm HVlde" company of the Schalburg
Corps (named after the founder of the HVlde dynasty, died 1192).
2 Armband worn by the "Absalon" company of the Schalburg Corps
(named altel the archbishop who founded Copenhagen. 1128-1201)
3. Afmband worn by the --Hcr!uf Tfolle" company of the Schalburg
Corps (named aller lhe naval hero. 1&16-1565).
4 Armband worn by the "Olaf Rye" company 01 the Schalbufg COfPS
(named alter the Norwegian -Danish major-general, 1791-1849).
5. Armband worn by the "lress0e" company 01 the Schalburg Corps
(named alter the lieutenant-c:olonel_ 1811 -1850).
3
.-4
5
67
PLATE 8
2
68
Flag 01 the Schalburg COIPS (See caption Plale 812. p 67.)
69
standard required for the attainment of the sHver. It was worn in the
centre of the left breast pocket of the service Uniform.Once Himmler had decided upon Instituting the Germanic Proficiency
Runes. he handed over to Berger and his SS-Hauptamt the task ofdevising the badge's attainment rules and regulations. These were
published on JulV 15th. 1943. and the Introduction ran as follows:
"R-slulationl for the Award of the Germanic Proficiency Run..
The Germanic Proficiency Runes shall be awarded to those that havedistingUished themselves in spans competitions and shown spiritual
The Germanic Proficiency Runes in bronze. Mollo collection.
maturity and sound personal thinking in the ideological field. It can
be won by German and other Germanic men.To be Qualified for the Germanic Proficiency Runes one must fulfil the
regulations laid down in the following three categories:(1) Individual achievement;(2) Team achievement;
(3) Tests in theoretical education (Ideology).The award shall be made by the ChIef 01 the SS-Hauptamt follOWing
consultation with the Reichsfuhrer-SS. Recipients 01 the Germanic
Proficiency Runes receive at the same time a diploma witnessing theaward.
Those that wish to try fOt the Germanic Proficiency Runes and are notmembers of the Germanic SS. nor aspirants in that organization. must
hold a political leaders' card ISSUed bV an SS sefV1ce centre to be ableto join a preparation course. The test for the Germanic Proficiency Runesrequires a preparation 01 three weeks. Applicants must then take part in
a course laid down for the attainment of the Proliciency Runes. or be
able to complete 120 satisfactory hours of training, which must oot be
spread over more than six consecutiVit months.
The test shall be carried out bV a fullV Qualified representative of theSS-Hauptamt. Instruction Section. assisted bV \WO members of aGermanic SS service centre. The Proficiency Runes shall be worn on
the left side 01 the uniform. more correctlv Wilh service dress.The Chief 01 the SS-Hauptamt can from time to time insist that the tests
be taken again. Those unable to achieve the requirements. or who donot take part. forfeit the badge.It is at the discretion of the Chief of the SS-Hauptamt whether or notthe badge shall be withdrawn on attount of minor inlringements or
fOt other reasons.Berlin. July 15th. 1943.Aeichsluhrer-SS
Chief of SS·Hauptamt(signed) Berger:'
From his field headquarters on August 15th. 1943. Himmler officiallyintroduced the Germanic ProfiCiency RUl"IBs.ln the institution document
he stated that it "should be an example in physical training and testsin the use of weapons in the National Socialist spirit. and confirmationof the voluntary anainment of the Germanic joint destiny". His intro
duction ended by refening to the rules and regulations for the anaimnent01 the badge that had been prepared by the SS-Hauptamt. and which
are reproduced in full on page 75.
73
The lirst award ceremony 01 lhe Germanic Proliciencv Runes held at the Du1Ch SS School Avegoor on February Is!. 1944. From leh 10 fight
SS-Dbergruppenfuhrer Berger (Chiel of SS-Hauptamt). Reichsluhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler. Or. Sevss-lnquan (Reichskommissar in Holland). Mussert
(leader 01 the N.S.B.). and Feldmeijer (Voorman of the Dutch SS).
74
78
Himmler presented the badges personally, taking them from a board
earned by an Unterscharl(ihrer from the "Germania" regiment 01 the
"W,klng" SS divisIon. and made a speech praising the achIevements of
the DutCh SS (and the "Westtand" regIment In particular). and upgf<,ded
the Dutch Volunteer legion to a grenadlel brrgade (SS· GrenadIer·
brigade ··Nederland").
Oenmerk:
SS·A::resrunerSS·A:restegn
The only recOlded awards of the Germanic ProfICIency Runes rn
Denmark were made at H0velte on June 2nd. 1944. by the ChIef ot the
SS·Hauptamt. SS·OberQluppenlUhrer und General der Waffen·SS
Berger. The presentallon was made at a memOflal ceremony lor SS
volunteers from Denmark kIlled ,n actIon. and In fact the lest schedule
had been timed so that the lesults would be ready lor thIS ceremony.
Berger spoke of the Danish SS volunteers kIlled ,n action, and how
"their spirits could rest rn peace knOWIng that new columns of Germanrc
fighters stood behind them:' He stated that It was In the memory of the
dead Danish SS volunleels and ,n thell SPllll thal the Inst GermanIc
Ploficiency Runes were being awarded on DanIsh SOIl.
No detaIls are avaIlable of the number of badges actually awarded. nOI
of the recipIents. However. photographs suggest that the badges went 10
members of the Schalburg Corps. who wele wearing the black service
uniform.SS·Hooldstormlelder Bettrnk wearrng the leistungsfUne and FeldmelJel rn
Ileld·grey unifolm.
Norway:Germanake Runemerke
Germanake Dugleiksrune
The only recorded awards of Ihe Germanic Proficiency Runes In Norway
were made at the Norwegian SS School on August 16th, 1944, when
the Higher SS and Police Leader In Norway. SS-Obergruppenfuhrer
Rediess, acting upon instruct,ons from Hlmmler. awarded ten In silver
and fifteen in bronze to members of the Norwegian SS. Also present at
the ceremony wele SS-neststandaflf0rer RIISnoES, and the leader of the
Germanlsche Leitstelle In Norway, SS-Sturmbannfuhrer Le/b.
Once the commander of the Norwegian SS School had bade hiS guests
welcome, Redless spoke of the badge's meaning. and how the 25
recipients had, though their behaViour, been a good example 10 their
comrades In the Germanic SS. and to the youth of Norway. He then
presented the 25 badges to the Norwegian SS men.
Alter the awards SS-neststandartf0rer RIISnoES made a shOrt speech on
the meaning of the victory runes of the SS and the sun· wheel (Which
two emblems made up the deSign of the Rune Badge), as well as of the
swastika. He ended by slIessing the need for volunteers for the front
hnes. In his words. "to enable the SS to achieve the final victory".
SS-mann of the Norwegian SS wearing the GermanicProficiency Runes.
79
UNIFORMS OF THE __VOLUME 3
....-VERFUGUNGSTRUPPE 1933-1939
Andrew Mollo
K COlllaneHIlIO, HaM AOCTlIIIIICIt TOnltllO CTJIlIHIII4Io1 C clMnorpacIJlIJIMII.
Windrow&Greene
2
SS and vetelans' aSSOClauons, but when It dawned upon them that the
Nazi Party organisations did not Intend serving as mere training units,
but had pletentlons of being an Independent armed force. they
changed their minds,
Hitler had relied on the backing 01 the army in his rise to power. and In
the uncertain years that followed his takmg of office. he had to sare
guard his good relations With the Army High Command. This partiCU
larly mvolved restraining Ernsl R6hm's massive SA. which was a real
threat not only because of liS vast size. bUI also because its leaders had
pretentions of fOlming IIInlO a "people's army", IrOnically, Ihe army took
less heed of Himmler's comparatively smaller SS, which was eventually
to grow inlO a small Party army ell 01 its own. Yet even m Ihose early days
Hlller had to keep a tight rem on Hlmmler, and prevent the proposed
armed SS Irom growing 100 fast.
So it was with a cellaln degree of caution and restraint Ihat the local
leaders of the General SS were allowed to start recruiting and Iraining
a full-time fOlce able 10 carry OUI police and Internal security dUlles.
As will be seen from the unit histories thal follow, small groups were
olganlsed in certain areas of Germany. and in many SS Districts groups
of 100 armed men wele organised as "HeadQuarters Guards". When
trained these were known as "55 Special Detachments" (SS-Sonder
kommandos), which were later renamed "Barracked Centulles"
(Kasemierte HunderlSchaften), When they reached company sl/ength
they were renamed "Political Readiness Detachments" (Politlsche
Bereilschaften).
Such delachments were formed at Munich. Hamburg, EUwangen and
Reulhngen (jointly known as WUl1.Iemberg). Arolsen. Leisnlg (orOresden), Wollerdlngen, and elsewhere.
These Political Readiness Detachmenls were of battalion size and can
be laken as Ihe nucleus of Ihe laler SS-VT. For most of them eventually
went to make up the SS·VT. wllh the notable excepllon of the 3rd. whll":h
became a guard unit for the Buchenwald concentration camp.Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler created the SS-Verlugungstruppen ashis personal army for use in case of internal strife. only to have it subordinated to the army in time of war.
6
Members of the LAH in drill uniform. The officer and n.c.o:s wear black caps and breeches. whereas the men have earth.grey field caps and drilltrousers. The brassard was rarely worn with drill uniform. Bozich Collection.
8
The Reich's Chancellery Guard Detachment on duty, 1935. National Archives,
Commander of the 1st Battalion SS Regiment
"Deutschland'·. SS-OberSlurmbannfUhrer RIl!er
von Heng!. He wears an earth-grey seNice tunic
with two shoulder cords and an army pattern
nallonal emblem on the sleeve, 1934( ?).
Munin Verlag,
~Ighl.
Daladler inspects the guard of honour of
Regiment ·'Deutschland·· September. 1939.
11
administer thl$ regIment a planning stall (Arbe'tsstab) was establishedIn Ihe early summer of 1935. which on July 1SI. 1936. became theregImental staH under SS- Hauplsturmluhrer JUlInel,By mId· February. 1935, a reconnaissance platoon was added to themOlor-cycle company. and the regiment's order of barde was as follows;
AI the Party Day Rally at Nuremberg In September 1935 ("Der Palleltagder FreihelCI, the 1st SS Regiment was given Ihe honour \ltle of"Germany" ("Deutschland"). and at Ihe same ceremony fltC8lV8d lISregImental standard and banahon Ilags. In the autumn 01 1935 amOlor ttansport column (Kraltfahrkolonne or KK) was added to theIIlrd Battalion.
In October 1935 the 1st and Ilnd Battalions. together With Ihe 131hand 14th Companies. went to the Konigsbruck training area nearDresden for training. At this time Rllter von Hengl left the regimentto loin the alpine troops of the army and was succeeded as commander 01 the 1st Battalion by SS·SturmbannlUhrer Georg Keppler.The regiment moved into liS new barracks at Munchen-Frelmann onNovember 7th. 1935. Two days latet. on the 9th. unllS from MUnich.Dachau and EJlwangen took part in a commemotatlve ceremony lor the1923 Putsch at Ihe Feldherrnhalle monument in Munich. and wore lorthe first time the cuffband WIth the GothiC Inscription "Deutschland".In March. 1936. the baltahons 01 the reg.ment wele statIoned al MunICh.
12
3 Stabe SS-Sturmbann9 SS·Schutzen- Slurme
1 SS-Kradschulzen-Sturm3 SS·Maschinengewehr-Sturme1 SS·Minenwerfer·Sturm3 SS-Nachtichten·Zuge SS-Sturmbann1 SS-Panzerspih-Zug2 SS·Musikzuge SS-Sturmbann3 SS-Kraltfahrkolonnen
3 slaffs (one per battalion)9 flfle companies (three per
battalion)1 malar-cycle company3 machine gun companies1 morlar company3 Signals platoons1 armoured car platoon
2 bands3 mOtor transport columns
Heinllch Himmler. Adoll Hitler and SS·BrigadelUhrer Paul Hausser watch"Battle readiness manoeuvres·' of Regiment ··Deutschland·· In 1939.
Stab staff
I. Batail10n (Hamburg) 1st battalion at Hamburg
11. Bataillon (Arolsen/Waldeck) Ilnd battalion at Arolsen
Ill. Bataillon (Wolterdingen) IlIrd battalion at Wollerdingen
13. Infanteriegeschutz- Kompanie 13th infantry gun company at
(Wismar) Wismar
14. Panzerabwehr·Kompanie 14th anti-tank company at
(Hamburg·Veddel) Hamburg-Veddel
15. Kradschutzen- Kompanie 15th motor-cycle company
On March 13th, 1938. "Germania"' was amongst the German troops
that marched into Austria. In the summer of the same year, the regiment
carried out security duties during Senito Mussolini's visit to Germany.
By August 1st "'Germania" was known as an SS regiment organised
like an infantry regiment of the army. It was ordered that in the event of
mobilisation in the interior of Germany, "Germania" was to receive an
additional armoured car platoon, a light infantry motor-cycle company,
and other additional communications sub· units,
In the autumn of 1938 "Germania" assembled at the Konigsbruck
training area near Dresden and was placed under the 4th Infantry
Division. It was under this formation that it took part in the march into the
Sudetenland. Once in Czechoslovakia the regiment was stationed in
Prague and served as the Guard Regiment of the Protector of Bohemia
and Moravia (Wach-Regiment des "'Reichsprotektors von Bohmen und
Milhren"). (The IIlrd battalion served as a Guard Battalion in Prague
from March 1939 until July 31 st. 1939). "Germania" was relieved from
its duties in Prague and its elements were brought together again at
Konigsbruck on August 17th. 1939. In the summer of that year the
regimental staff and 1st battalion were still at Hamburg-Veddel. the
Ilnd battalion at Arolsen. nnd the IlIrd at Radolfzell.
During the night of the 16th/17th of August. 1939. "Germania" was
alerted and brought together at Konigsbriick in preparation for the
coming of the Second World War. It was than placed under the 14th
Army for the Polish campaign. and other than having its armoured
car platoon serving under the 8th Reconnaissance Unit of the 8th
16
Armoured Division of the German army its order of battle was the
same as that of the "Deutschland" regiment. Its designation by this
time was that of a motorised regiment (SS-Standarte ·'Germania" (mot)).
Commander; SS-Standartenfiihrer Carl-Maria Demelhuber.
The standard and battalion flags of the SS Regiment "Germania". 1939( n.Bundesarchiv Koblenz.
INSPEKTION DER SS-FOHRER-SCHULENINSPEKTION DER SS-JUNKERSCHULEN
Defence Minister Blomberg's decree of NO'lember 1st. 1934. prO'lidedfor three officer cadet schools for the SS-VT. In 1935 Hitler orderedthat future SS officers should be tlained along military lines. and chosean ex-army Lieutenant-General to see to it. Paul Hausser founded theSS officer cadet school at Brunswick. and in the summer of 1935 wasappointed inspector of SS officar Cadet schools. They were officiallyrecognised as part 01 the SS-VT. and service in them countedas fulfillment of the German conscription obligations.The schools at Toll and Brunswick were modelled on those of thearmy. but more anention was given to political and ideological training.often at the expense of more traditional pursuits such as "squarebashing". Physical fit~ess was considered to be of paramount importance. and competitive sports and realistic manoeuvres. using liveammunition. produced a hardy. possibly reckless. breed of officerNote: A third SS officer school is reported in 1935. Which wouldprobably have come under the control of the Inspectorate. This wasthe SS Medical Junke! School. which was later renamed the SSMedical Academy.
SS-FOHRERSCHULE TOUSS-JUNKERSCHULE TOU
An SS leadership school was founded at Toll in the Bavarian Alps byReinhard Heydrich in 1932'. In eally 1934 training for the armed SS
Cadets of the SS Officers School. Toll. during a route march. 1935.This shows very well the first earth-grey field tunic. and it was unusualto see it worn with the brassard. Auln, Folkerts.
23
24
was begun in the same town. and the first course was held In a former
hotel from April 1st to December 23rd of that year. SS-Ostubaf Paul
Lettowwas instructed to form the first officer cadet school of the SS·VT.and he re-formed the old school that Heydrlch had previously created.
This was named the SS Officer School T61z (SS-Fuhrerschule Tolz).
an was officially opened on October 1st. 1934. It was re-named
"SS.Junkerschule Tolz" in the following spring. although the old title
was still in use as late as mid·August. 1935.
Soon after the foundation of the school. work was begun. at state
expense la build a new and spacious school complex at Bad Hilz. but
it was nol completed until 1941. Courses. however. were held there from
1934 onwards and the school officially moved into them on October
1st.1937.l
At first the number of cadets in each course was limited to about 110.
but this number rose later to 2401. The school staff numbered some 80
officers and other ranks.
Commanders: SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Paul Lettow
SS-Standartenfuhrer Voss
SS-StandanenfUhrer Klingemann
SS -Standartenfi.!hrer Dor;lfler-Sch uband
1: Aeitlinger. p. 76
l: Weidinger. "Division Das Reich". vol. 1. p.110
~: do.
SS-FOHRERSCHULE BRAUNSCHWEIG
SS-JUNKERSCHULE BRAUNSCHWEIG
Hausser was appointed the first commander of the second Ollicer Cadel
School of the SS-VT at Brunswick (SS·Fuhrerschule Braunschweig).
This was renamed the SS Junker School Brunswick (SS-Junkerschule
Braunschweig) on February 1st. 1935.Hitler congratulates newly commissioned SS officers in Ihe Mosaic Hall of the
new Chancellery. 1939. Planel News
The first course began in the spring of 1935 and together with thosethat followed. was based on those in army olficer cadet schools.
Courses lasted ten months and were made up of about 240 cadets. Inthe summer of 1935 Hausser was appointed Inspector of the SS
Officer Cadet Schools (Inspekteur der SS·Junkerschulen).
Commanders: SS·Standartenfiihrer Paul HausserSS-Oberfiihrer Friedemann GotzeSS-$tandartenfiihrer Arno A1tvater-Mackensen
SS-Sturmbannfiihrer Lothar DebesSS·Oberfiihrer Werner Ballauff.
SS-ARZTLlCHE AKADEMIE
Reference to an 'SS Medical Junker School' (SS-Arltliche-Junker
schule) can be found as early as March 1935'. Other sources state.however. that the SS Medical Academy was established at Absensttasse 6. Berlin NW 40. in 1937. and was moved to Graz in the autumnof \ 939.
Commander; SS-Standartenfiihrer Dr. Schlink.
: "Der Freiwillige"', March 1956. page 5.
VERWALTUNGSFOHRERSCHULE DER SS
SS-FOHRERSCHULE OES VERWALTUNGSDIENSTES
The Administration School of the SS was opened in the late summer of
1935. and was housed in the staff building at Dachau, which had beentaken over from the Ilnd Battalion of the 1st SS Regiment.
Different cou~es were provided for members of the SS-VT and theGeneral SS. and each lasted three months. In the first course there were
some 53 trainees. The men came from the SS Districts (SS-Oberabschnitte) or SS companies and had to be al least 23 years of ageand not over the rank of SS-UntersturmlUhrer. They reported to the
An SS-Standartenoberjunker of the SS Administration School. 1938.
Imperial War Museum.
25
28
".- -... .- ! Fig. 2aFig. 2b
is 1\
r <> f~<>
e>
~\<>,
~'<>
t::1 , ~I
,, IJ
, I III,
\\
I \,
• \ II .
, .l-
e> <:> j 1
...",..""... 11._--....- .
...--'
Fig. 1
in.\\Ji'0 I=.--A, ., i
i
i1
!,,\
1,,
.I
,
i\,0i'" i:
. ---.-'
-~, -.".----
30
32
-,L.->.~ •..~ ____
SS·DRILlICHlEUGSS Drill clothing
In order to protect and preserve the black service uniform, a tunic and
trousers were produced in a lightweight drill (Drell 01 DliIlich). These
garments were produced in a variety of patterns and colours. rangingfrom ofI-white to light grey (Cementfarbe).
At first officers and n.c.o:s wore a drill jacket which was identical inCuI to the black tunic. and on which all insignia was worn, includingat times the brassard. The drill tunic was worn with brown shirt and
black lie. black breeches and black peaked cap.The men wore a shapeless jackel with stand collar and five buttons.
It had a leh breast pocket and two hip pockets. and was worn withdrill trousers and field cap.
Members of the 11 th Coy of the SS-Sonderkommando Zossen in Essenfassen.
1933. The men are wearing the first pattern drill uniform and field cap.
Schneider Archiv.
SS·FELDANZUG (ERDGRAU)ss Earth-grey field dress
By June 6th 1935. the LAH had been completely equipped with l;lrey
uniform'. although it was not officially introduced until November 25th.1935,3
The tunic was identical in cui to the black service tunic. but had five
instead of four buttons. and could be worn open or closed. The
officers' version. which was usual I}' tailor made. retained the four
buttons and could not be worn closed.
At first breeches were worn by all ranks. and those issued were
reinforced with leather on the seat and inside leg.
By 1936. members of the SS-Verful;lunl;lstruppe were being issued with
the following c1othinl;l .•
2 tunics. black.··1 tunic. earth-l;lrey.
1 tunic. earth-grey drill.
2 pairs breeches. black.
1 pair breeches. earth-grey.
1 pair breeches. earth-l;lrey. drill.
2 pairs lonl;l trousers. black.
1 pair trousers. earth-l;lrey.
1 pair trousers. earth'l;lrey drill.
2 greatcoats. black.
1 greatcoat. earth-grey.
·The earth-gley (Erdgrau) uniform of the SS-VT should not be
mistaken for the earth-brown (Erdbraun) guard uniform of the
55-Totenkoplverbande.
• ·One black uniform was kept in the man's locker. and used as a
parade dr.ass.
A member of the LAH with hiS locker in the background. Note the army
pattern escutcheon on his helmet. and non-regulation national emblem
on his peaked cap. Summer 1935(?) National Archives.
33
34
I
,
'I
,i
\0~,i!l1}ii,
1(J}
Ii€7I,i,,,,,IiI,,,
\.
1,--._-..._....- ... l·····
11/
,\J--..---
\
SS·FELDANZUG (FElDGRAU)ss Field-grey battle dress
The earth-grey umforrn began 10 be replaced In 1937 by a new fielduniform. This was based on lhal In use In the "my. but retained certain
t.OIcally SS features. It contmued to be worn un!11 g,adually replaced
at the beginning 01 Ine war. The lumc was wo," closed. bul Ihe top
00110n could be worn undone between 151 April and 30lh September
when In the field, while being lIansported by \fam, and while tllvellmgalone.The lacl Ihal earth-grey clothing was sllll in use In 1941 is confIrmed
bv an Older which stated Ihal all earth-grey lunlcs, lrousers. greatcoats,held caps. dnll and ski dothes were \0 be ,ttlpped of 10s'gl'lI.1 andMnded In fOf the eventual use 01 clv,han workels In wOlk camps.'
'DIVIsion Cas Re.et!. vol. 1. p. 63.!DI8 Waffen-SS. p. 22.
~SS- Befehlsblatt. 25.11.35.
4Tiken from an undaled dOCllmenl. WhICh may posscbly hivecome from a pay book.
IVelordnungsblan del WaHen-SS. 1941. Zlff 121. p. 25.
Lefl
Gun crew of the LAH wearing Ihe first earth-grey field funic endbreeches. The helmet is the 1916 model. The Wide leather bandolierISchlepPflemen) IS lor manhandling Ihe gun. AUlumn 1935( 1).
National Archives.
R'ght
SS fle!d blouse (hI Pallet")
A,' h,sl It was ISSued Wllh 2 mm black and aluminium Iw'stedCOld around lhe colli". bUI th's was sooo d,s.c:onlcnved'
'VerOldnungsblall der Waffen-SS. 1940. ZIlI Nr 155
35
36
SS-TARNANZUGSS Camouflage uniform
Due 10 the IMllUiye oltha commander 01 the Auklarungsabtellungl
SS-VT, SS-Stulmbannfuhrar Dr. lng. Brand!. an altempl was made tomodernise the old. and to introduce new combal clothing and eqUIp
ment lor the SS-Verfugungslruppen'
In 1939, Brandt designed and had manu!ltctured I cover for the steelhelmet. and I smock rn I Spolled camoullage malerlaL These were
soon ISSued to field unIts. whO must ha'18 been the first regular troopsin the world to be ISSUed With camouflaged clolhlng. Known as"'Tiger JackalS" (Tl(lerlacken), lhe smock (and helmet CO'l8f) doesn"tappear 10 haw been generally worn during the lnyaSlon of Poland. or
lhe bailie of F"nce. bUllater In the war 'I was so common. thalli becamethe elSlest way 01 IclenlJfylng SS troops
SS-TARNJACKESS Camouflage smock
nlls smock-like pullover garment was made 01 waler-repenent Imen
duck. As It wu reversible. the camouflage desIgn was prlnled onboth SIdes. One Side was Pfedomlnenlly green lor spnng and summer.
while lhe reverse WIS grey brown for .tJlumn and Winter use. Thesmock had no collar, and was galhered around the neck.. ....,tSlS andWIISt wl1h elastIC, It had two vettlcal openings above lhe wa,sL In
front. 10 enable tne wearer 10 reaCh hiS tunIC pockeTs
SS-STAHLHELM TARNOBERZUGSS Steel helmet camouflage cover
The ctlYer was cut 10 fit oyer the sleel helmet. and was made of the
same camouflage malellll as Ihe smock. It was attached 10 lhe helmetby three spring-loaded, double Sided metal hooks.
IDivlSlon Das Aelch. Vol 1. P 104,
N co and men of the Armoured Car P1aloon of Regiment "Gelmania'", 1939
Note the lalge meetune-embrOldered badges on the belBI BundesalchlVKobleN
SONDERBEKLEIDUNG FOR PANZER EINHEITENSpecial clothing for armoured units
CreW1l of enclosed armoured vehICles were Issued With the speCial
black C10lhlng whIch conSlsled of a beret, shirt. lie. Jacket and trousers,
SCHUTZMOTZECraah helmet
A padded black cloth cap wl\h four rubber vennlation holes, and
black fabric lining. Over the baSIC cap was worn a large removable
black beret. whIch was usually worn pulled to tne back. In front
was worn a while or silver grey silk machine embroidered na\lonal
emblem. and the death's head.
FElDJACKE ISCHUTZJACKEIField jacketShon double breasted black cloth jacket. wtnch could_ be worn open
or closed. It was fastened in front by four large. and three small black
plasllc buttons. The cuffs were slit at the back. and could be fastened
8lIher tightly or loosely around the WriSt. The fint pattern had pink
plping afound the collar and collar patches. but thiS pracnce was soon
discontlnued_
FElOHOSE (OBERFALLHOSE)Field {(OUMrs
Long black cloth trousers WIth tWO slanting SIde pockets WIth buttoned
flaps, and a fob pocket. The trOlJsers were gathered at the ankle, and
were worn folded down over tne tOP of the marching or ankle boot.
TRIKOTHEMDTricot shirt
Brown shin without pockets.
SCHWARZER SCHLlPSBlack tie
SS-KOPFBEDECKNUNGSS Headdre..
Until the Introduction of gley head-dress In 1935·6. black peaked and
field caps were worn with grey uniform. For details of black head
dress see volume 1, pages 15 and 16,
The same Insignla was worn on grev. as on black head/dress.
SS-FOHRERDIENSTMOTZE (GRAU)SS Officera' ..rvice peaked cap (grey)
Earth or field· grey cloth cap with black velvet band and black fibre
(Vulkanflber) peak. Patent leather and leather peaks were rorbidden.
TWisted aluminium chin cords were rastened to the cap bv two 13
mm aluminium bunons. All officers up to and including the rank of
SS-Standartenfiihrer wore white piping untIl January 1941. by which
date they wele expected to have the piplng In the colour of their branch
of servIce (WaHenfarbe). See AppendiX Ill.
General officers WIth the rank of SS·Oberfiihrer and above had alu
mInium piPing irrespecllve of thell branch of service.
Officers acting as Judges and umpires at manoeuvres wore a detachable
white cloth band on their caps.
Offlcels of Il/SS"O" watch Itve tiring on the AJlengraben
ualnlng area. 1936, They wear the earhes! form of greV sefVice
peaked cap. Schneider Archlv.
37
38
SS·FELDMOTZENSS Field cap.
The lirst paltern field cap. which was worn by members of the SS'SOI'Iderkommando Zossen. was identICal In cut 10 the field cap(I<rinen) 01 the Imperial Gemlan Am",. It was made of black cloth,
and was Circular In cut and had either !Wo or three while plplngs. It wasworn WIth the same melal badges as on the peaked cap.
In 1934 an earth-gley boat·shaped field cap (Schiffchen) was IntrO'
duced! for wear WIth the dnll unilorm. The CUI of the cap remainedunaltered unullts Ieplacement In 1940. but lIS coloul and badges were
changed a number of times.
The lirst caps were probably ISSued With a plam white melal bUllonin honl. and the early verSion 01 the national emblem. machine em·brOldeled in white silk. on an earth-gley cloth triangle. on Ihe left
side of the cap. Soon after liS mtroducuon. the bunon was changedto that with Ihe death's head on iP.
in 1936. the cap began to be issued in black cloth for wear wllh tne
black uniform.
In 1937. the cap began to be issued in field-grey cloth lor wear With
the lield'grey lield uniform. At the same lime the nallonal emblemwas produced in a new form. This was the SS verSion. machineembfoidered m white silk on a black cloth triangle. ThiS badge was wo,"on both the black and field,grey caps.
In 1939. following the army practice. an inverted chevron (Soutache)in the colour of the bral"lCh of seMc:e (Waffenfarbe) began 10 be WOtn.bul not as generally as in the army.
Mer the beginning 01 the war. the death's head bunon was paintedlield-grey.
In February. 1938. a lield-cap wu oHlclal1y Introduced for non
commissioned officers·. I1 was Ileld·gley with black cloth band andwhite piping. The peak was made of the same cloth as the tOP 01 Ihe
cap. and it was worn Without a chin s\lap. At IlrSI only melal. but tater
bolh metal and cloth badges were worn on thIS cap The order Intro·ducmg the cap. emphasised the fact Ihat I1 was a held. and 1'101 a peakedcap. and should not be worn on occasIOns when a peaked cap was
proscnbed.
Oum'lg the Wilt. a number of offJCefs appear 10 have worn IhlS cap In
preference to any other.
Untlt the Introduction In 1940. 01 a regulauon offIcers' "eld cap. tnaywore the 1938 model army officers' "eld cap with a metal 01 woven
death's head In place 01 the natIonal cockadel.
·SS·Befenlsblal1. 25.4.38. z,tl 12. p. 9.JMIlIellungsblatt der RZM. Nr. 29. 15:12.34. p. 13.
~Mmellungsblatt der RZM. Nr. 29. 1512.34. p 13.·SS·Befehlsblal1. 25.2.38. lifll 5. p. 8.ISee for example SS·Gruppenluhrer Elcke's field cap on page 8of the book '"Damals·'.
SS-STAHlHElMESS Steel helmets
.--..-
A member of SS-Standante I on guard outside the Feldhellnhalle In
Munich. 1934 ( 1). He wears the 1916 mOdel sleel helmet with unusual
Chin stlap.
L'hSOdefl of SS-Sonderkommando Zossen weanng a ·Kratzen". and the
black 5el'Vlte peaked cap The cord on hiS collar and collar patches IS the
Cre-Octobel. 1934. pattern Nallonal Archl ....es.
The Pohtlsche Bereltschaften were at flrsl ISSUed WIth the 1916 model
steel helmet. which had been palnled black.. later a special version
oflhe 1916 model was produced bv the RZM It was different In shape.
and much lighter than 115 predecessor. and WIS obvlouslv designed lor
Inlernil seculllV use only. Its wldo leather dlln strap was fastened bv a
smgle pronged. black melal buckle. On the inside of the rim. it was
stamped with both RZM and SS Issue marks.
The black service peaked cap being worn bV an n.c.o.. and a soldier
weanng the 1916 model steel helmet with modified Chill strap alld army
patte," escutcheon Nallonal Arch,....es.
39
40
The 1916 model black steel helmet was worn with grey uniformt .
but the LAH. and possibly other units. wele issued with it in field· grey
finish as well.
The 1935 model In black for wear with the black uniform. and field-grey
for wear with field uniform, began to be Issued in 1936. but replacement
and guard Ur'lltS (Wacr.·Einheiten) were stili wearing the old model.
when It was ordeled, m March 1941. that they should be sent la the
penitentiary in StraubmQ. Bavarra, where they were probably dismantled
for meltm9 down1
The 1935 model was worn with the final pallern of escutcheons until
1940. when fOl reasons of camoufJage the red. white and black shield
was ordered to be removedl.
tSee for example picture on page 23,
'Wirtschahs'und Verwaltungsanordnungen (W.V.A.) 1941. Ziff 159.
IVM-SS, 1940. Nr. 136/85. pp. 65/42.
WAPPENSCHILDEREscutcheons
The LAH at first wore (he SS runes in silver on a black shield. and then
the SS runes in black on a silver shield. on the right. and the diagonal
shield m the Relch'~ colours on the left side. Other units wore the SS
runes In white, With m a double white Circle on the light and a swastika In
white outline on the lell side.
Late In 1935 all these escutcheons were changed to the final pallernwhich was mtroduced for the whole SS,
Steel helmets were often issued. and worn. without escutcheons.
1st pattern steel helmet escutcheons for the LAH The lett hand side
escutcheons were in black/white/red
2nd pallern steel helmet escutcheons for the LAH.
SS-FUSSBEKLEIDUNGSS Footwear
Marching boolS. long.
InfantrY boots. half length.•
Riding boots
lace·up boots.
Walking-out boots.
Sports shoes.
House shoes.
Socks.
Fool cloths.
Knee pads.
lsl pallern sleel helmet escutcheons for all other SS-VT units
Fmal pattern steel helmet escutcheons lor the whole SS The lelt hand
Side escutcheOn was In black and white on a fed gfOund outlined black
SS·SPORENSS spurs
Strap·on spurs
Screw-on spurs.
SS·HANDBEKLEIDUNG
SS GlovesGloves. wool. grey-green.
Glo\les. COllon. whlle.
Gloves. leather. grey.
SS-UNTERKLEIDUNG
SS UnderwearBrown shirt. triCOt.
Blown shirt. cotton.
Underpants.
Vesl
Night shirt.
Tie. black.
Pullover.
Braces. grey (1 pall per year).
41
1st pattern machine-embroidered national emblem for the sleeve.
SS·ABZEICHEN
SS Insignia
There were lWO categories of insignia worn on SS unilOlm. The IlIst
consisted 01 those badges which wele worn on all SS uniforms.iuespective of the wearer's rank or unit. These wele the death's head
(Totenkopl). the emblem olthe SS. whIch was worn on the head-dress.the brassald (Kampfbinde). the emblem 01 the NSOAP. whIch was
worn on the upper leh aIm. and the national emblem (Hoheitsabzeichen).which was worn on the head·dress and left sleeve.
The second categol)' identified the lank. Unl! 01 qualification of thewearer. and consisted 01 collar patches (Kragenspiegeln). shoulderstraps (Schulterstucke). armband (Armelstreifen). which was WOIfl
2nd pattern machine-embrOidered national emblem for the sleeve.
on the lell cuff. and the arm-badge (Armelabzeichen). which was worn
on the lower left sleeve.
HOHEITSABZEICHENNatIonal emblem
Even before the official order of March 7th. 1936'. established theswastika wi1hin a wreath 01 oak leaves. surmounted by an eagle with
Outstretched wings as the emblem of the Third Reich. the eagle andswastika had been worn on the uniforms 01 the NSDAP and armed
lorces. Onlv members Of the armed forces and aHiliilted organisations{such as the NSFKj wele allowed by law to wear the national emblem
on the righl breastt
43
By order of the RF-SS in May 1940. all collar palches wllh runes and
numerals or lellers were to be changed for those with Just the SS runes.At the same ume the 2 mm black and aluminium cord on collars and
collar patches was abolished'.
'Verordnungsblalt der Waffen-SS. 15.8.1940. Zlfl Nr. 155.
SS-SCHULTERSTOCKE
SS Shoulder straps
Olflcers and men at lirst wOle one and later two General SS shoulder
cords on the eaflh-grey tuniC. See volume t. pages 21 and 26.Other ranks were the first to receIve army pattern shoulder straps
(Schulterklappen). while commissioned ranks continued to wear theGeneral SS pattern. It was not until 1939 however. that n,c.O.'S braid
began 10 be worn on the tunic collar. lInd together with aluminiumSlars. on the shoulder Straps.
The first army pallern shoulder straps were made of black cloth withrounded ends. and were edged in black and aluminium cord. In tha
centre of each shoulder strap was a 3.5 cm high regimental cypher(Namenzuge). which was machine embroidered in silver-grey silkthread. This pattern 01 shoulder strap was usually sewn into the top ofthe sleeve.
The second pane," was Simpler in design. and probebly was intendedto be worn WIth the field blouse. It was made of black cloth with pointed
ends. and in the cenlle was a 3 cm high regimental cypher (Namen
zuge). whiCh was machine embroidered in silver-grey silk thread. Thispalle," had a tongue which was passed through a loop on the shoulderand fastened to the tunic by means of a button. This bullon sometimes
bore the number of the company in arabic numerals.At the beginning of the war these cyphers were often covered with thestrip of field-grey cloth. for security purposes.
Starting In late 1937. black cloth shoulder straps with rounded ends
and piping in the branch of service. began to be issued to other ranks.and by September 1940. sufficient stocks were available to equip
training units (Ersatz-Einheiten) with them'.Simultaneously Ilrmy pattern officers' shoulder straps begun to be worn.These were identical to thOle of the army. but at first only had a white
cloth underlay. which was later changed to the colour of the branch ofservice. See AppendilC It I.
Regimental cyphers (Namenzuge) were in bronzed metal for officers.and aluminium for n c 0 ·s. the latter were different in design and smallerin size.
'Verordnungsblatt der Waffen-SS. Nr. a. 5.9.40. Ziff 46.
1sI. 2nd and 3rd pallern SS runes. The 1SI IS hand embrOidered. and the 2nd and 3rd ale machine embroidered. Mollo Collection.
45
SS-ARMELSTREIFENSS Armbands
The armband became one of the most diStinctIve features of the SS
uniform, and apart from IdentIfying the unit of the wearel, was partly
responSible for the remarkable esprit de corps of the SS.
The armband could be worn by all ranks. usually wIth the exception
of recrUits. on the left cuff of the tunic and overcoat. The band was
made from a 2Bmm wIde black woven tape with a 2mm wIde aluminium
Wire strIpe along the top and bottom edges· At fust all ranks had the
name or tItle of the unit hand embroidered In aluminium Wire, See
Officers' armband. Regimen! "Germanla". Hand-embroidered type.
nl."u...UI.ntlUtH:UU·ltnUIt.,11 fI It j U ,)"t;, IU:;:; IllS \hHh·ft_"'I.:(t:J"H.i.fJ~~Ia.iI
n~~,:", .......,~!.~~~(~~~~)f.~~~~r~~~~!~l'!Other ranks' armband, Signals Battalion, machine-embroidered tYpa.
OfJlcers' armband. Regiment ·'Oar Fuhrar" Woven tYpe.
PLATE 1
2 3 4
48
, 6 7 8
9 10 11
B
12 13 14
c
49
16
,.
17
50
o
52
PLATE 2
3
2
4
PLATE 3
2
3
54
PLATE 4
2
3
55
PLATE 5
1
5
2 3 4
6
66
PLATE 6
,
2 3
5
57
PLATE 7
,
2 3
559
PLATE 8
,
3
2
4
60
PLATE 9
,
61
PLATE 10
2
3
4
62
PLATE '1
1 2
3
,
63
PLATE 12
1 , 3
,
"
PLATE 13
2 3
,
_~...,: .• ~ - '" . tifl'"iII_
SS-ScnttCe 13rCtl\11 clttucigtdlllI _. - - "!"~_ .~_
5
65
PLATE 14
2
663
SS.ARMElABZEICHEN PLATE 15
SS Armbadge.
Armbadges (Raute) were wom on the lower leh sleeve. 3.5 cms above
Ihe almband.
All armbadges were supplied by lhe RZM. unhl February 1936 when
It was announced that they would no longel be available. and retailers
were adVised to mark. ,heIr lists accordingly. Presumably in future
these badges could only be obtained from the qualifying body.1
PLATE 15
1. Officer In administratIVe service. Introduced 252.38.2. Offlcel In legal 5elVlce. Introduced 203.38.
3. DocIOl.4. Bandmaster.
5. Officer in technical service.
6. Officer and n.C 0 In veterinary service.
7. Technical sergeant (SChlffmeISler).
8. Almourer n.C.O.
9 Signals perSOOllel.
10. FarriBr.
11. Medical personnel.
IMltleilungsblall del RZM. Nr 3.. 1 2.36.. p 27.
7
2
67
68
PLATE 15
3
8
,
9
5
10
6
11
SS-ADJUTANTENSCHNURss Adjutants' cords
Wltt! eUect f/Om the 1st May 1938, SS officers officially appointed
adjutant in the AUgemeine-SS. SS·Verfugungstruppe. and SS-Toten·
kopf"erbande, were entitled to wear a new paltern aluminium and black
cord. The old black and white silk cord could be WOIn until the 31st
December. 1938' See volume 1. page 57,
The army patlern made 01 aluminium cOld was also worn on fleld·grey
uniform.!
SS·ACHSElBAND
SS Aiguil1ette
The almy patlern ollicers' aiquillette in aluminium cord was worn
for the fllSt lime at the 1937 NUfenberg Rally. by officers of the
Regiment "Deutschland'" didn't receive it until July 1938. The LAH.
alguillene was wOln wilh both walklng·out and parade dress, as well
as with formal evening Cless. See volume 1, page 13.
The aiguiUelte was WOIn under the right shoulder strap, and the other
end was allached to a small bullon. under the right lapel.
'SS-Befehlsblalt .. Nr 4" 25.4.38" p 2.lSee Weldinger. Division Das Reich, opp page 225.
lWeidingcr. Division Das Reich.. p 47, Officers' aigulllelle. Mollo Collechon,
69
70
A senior n.c.O. of the LAH with sabre National Archives.
SS-SABELSS Sabre
Before the In!roductlon m 1935 of the SS sword. officers wore ltle
army paltern with lion's head pommel In silver instead of gilt fUllsh.
Certain examples had the SS runes In a black enamelled circle on the
reverse langet. and the SS mono MEINE EH RE HEISST TREUE etched
on the blade.
Mounted personnel were Issued with the army oauern cavalry sabre.
which had a plain nickel plated hilt and black enamelled scabbard.'
See for example Eickhorn·s other ranks sabre. Model No 189.
, Das Schwalze Korps. No. 2.. 10.637.. p.3
SS-FOHRERDEGENSS Officers' sword
The new officers' sword was presented by the Reichsfiihrer·SS. la
battalion commanders and above in the SS-VerfiigungstfUPpen. General
SS leaders with the rank of SS·StandanenfUhrer and above, and
departmental chiefs in the SS Main offices (Hauptamter).
Graduates of the SS officer schools were automatically presented With
the sword at a special ceremony on passing out. These swords. ond
those presented by the Reichsfiihrer-SS as special awards. were
known as honour swords (SS-Ehlen-Degen). If the sword presented
by the ReichsfUhrer·SS was lost. a new one could be purchased from
the SS Clothing office (SS-l(leiderkasse) on presentation of the award
certificate'.
Sword. Nickel plated knuckle bow. qUlllon and tang bUlIon. Black
wooden grip bound with silvered wire, and Inset white metal SS runes.
Black enamelled metal scabbard With band. loose ring. and nickel
plated locket and chape. Plam straight polished steel blade With one
narrow fuller.
Off,cers' sabre by Elckhom. F. J. Stephens I J. Angohil Collection. SS·Untersturmfuhrer Karl Bohmer. in walking·out dress with army panemsable.
71
!uqun JJit 6tn lJrgcn In t:~unl
~l.~,n l!I" o1Jn NUMl' O~II< !1111
lll,d," 6i, ifIn nkmlll,.1n .~II< l~.ol
l'Do~"n l!I" 1~t. d~", l~" Cmlo ldlnGl'";IlIoI, IDle 6it 6M ffF;
OlI~"U)U ol!jltn IIIIb flit lStj~.r. nllaUdj Un)Ulttll1l ~a6ul1
.o"ru O';l~ roUin J~.«.trlpP< t'.rlll oa6klbul,_.o-.~ WI ft6:.
loll; llIllO)<l,; g<lnG'~ ~o6<n. lSdjd6al IS.. -i'Ia IlIICI ea " 1llICI, /0
,.lIt le llIClid ca 6<. fuldj.futj.... ISlS.
DaQ'If<n lSi. r.!n(n ~uaUl6lid'J 1IId'9 ..~ JktlloucII 4ic .d1~d
'~u.llljilleu J~1ItIl OlltdjtktJIi4\U1G 6i1,fu mo!rl pfdjlllh ~GI.
~ld6tJl ./lit in I\lItlIIlIIb rdjlt4;lca 'I... lmnIII''''' ald4<J
SS officers' sword Award cilatlon for the SS sword.
72
ss-u NTER FOH RER DEGEN
SS Non-commissioned officers' sword
This sword was worn by senior non-commiSSioned offlcels (Portepee
Unterfuhrer) with full dress. Informal service dress. and when walking
out. It was nOt 10 be worn in the field or dWlng training
Sword. Nickel plated knuckle bow. qUlllon and cap p.ece. which bale
the SS runes Black wooden grip Black: enamelled metal scabbard With
band. loose ring. and shoe. and nickel plated locket. Plain straight
polished steel blade With one narrow fuller
Detail 01 the top of the tang button of the SS n.c.o.'s sword.
SS-PQRTEPEE
SS Sword knots
As In the German army. SS officers and nc o's wore sword knots
on their swords Certain officers wore plivately purchased bayonets.
on whIch tlley tied their sword knot2 ThiS practise was common during
the First World War. but rare dUllng the Second.
I. 1s1 paltern officers' sword knol (Ponepee)
2. 2nd pattern officers· and senior nC.O.'s sword knol (Ponapee) • o2
73
74
TRAGEVORSCHRIFTEN FOR SElTENWAFFENThe wearing of swords
The officers' sabre. and laler the sword. were worn on the left hiP,suspended vertically from a black leather ffog (Aushaktel1). whichwas clipped to a thin labrlC belt. whICh was worn either over the Ilghlshoulder. or round the wa,st. undel the tUniC. The leather frog was then
passed through the slit Undel the leh hip pocket flap When the overcoatwas worn Ihe leather frog was also passed through the slit under the
left overcoal pocketllap.An optIonal extra. whICh appears to have been rarely WOlf1. was analUmlf1lum bfaid shng (Sllbertragnemen). which was anached la Ihelabm: belt. under the tunIC. and clipped onlO the loose flng on Ihe
sheathJ•
The n.c o:s sword was WOfn In the same way wrth walklng·out dresswhen the waist belt was not worn. bul when It was. the sword was
suspended from a black leather sling (Tragnemen). which had nickelplated fillings.Mounted personnel camed the sabre In a special frog which was
attached 10 the saddle When on fool. it was worn If1 the same way as thesword.Apparently mounted personnel were not allowed la wear a sabre WIth
walking-out dress Inslead they wore a bayonet".'Verordnungsblalt der Wlllten-SS. 1940. lilt Nr 234lOamals. p. 33.
ISS del'" NSOAP. Klelderkasse Kalalog. Gulllg ab 1 November 1940.p. 13.
"Feldgrau. 1954. p. 131.
SS·SElTENGEWEHRE
SS Bayonets
The Issue 84/98 short Mauser bayonet was worn WIth all orders of dfess
It was earned In a black leather flog (Selteogewehnasche), and
suspended from tne waIst belt. on the left hIp WIth undress unllorm
privately purchased (Extra) bayonets. w.th nickel plated fillings and
black enamelled sheaths. were worn.
SS·TRODDElN
SS Bayonet knots
8ayonet knots were probably introduced In 1933, The bayonet knot
was divided Into five parts. the strap, slide. stem. crown and tassel.
The colour of the slide and crown Identified the company. and the stem,the ballalion of the wearer.
The knot was worn tIed to the leather bayonet frog. SO that 11 hung In
ffont of the bayonet.
1 JumOf n c o's bayonet knot. to! Unte,fuhrer ohne Portepee.
2 Soldier's bavonel knot. lhe stem rs led DespIte the owner's name
tag. sevvn mSlde the strap of an Oflglnal example m the author's
collecllon and mdlcatlng 1st company I battalion. I1 lS lhooghllhat
th,s knOI was tor the 5th company. II ballalion It SO. thefllhe SS·vrused lhe same colour sequence as the Army 1 2
76
SS·AUSAOSTUNGSS Equipment
The basic personal equipment 01 the General SS IS described In volume'.
pages 60 and 61. and that 01 the Pollllsche Bereltschaften was exactly
the same. In addlllon to the basic equipment. they were Issued with
old paltern ammunition pouches (each pouch camed nine clips). and
an 84/98 bayonet. Officers and n.c.o:s were issued with pistols.
As soon as the SS·Verlugungstruppe undertoOk serious mill\ary
training. they were Issued with the same equipment as the army. The
following list 01 equipment issued to a member of the SS-Verfugung
struppe was extracted from an undated document.
Waist belt and buck.le.
Cross strap.
Cross Strap (threa-piece).
Bayonet frog.
Ammunition pouches. pair.
Clothing bag.
Pack (Model 1934).
Mess tin snaps. pair.
O"ercoat straps. three.
Ground sheet. old square type {Model 1931). grey.
Ground sheet, new three-cornered type (camouflaged).
Ground sheet accessory bag.
Ground sheet pole (three-piece).
Ground sheet pegs (three).
Ground sheet line.
Pack cover.
Bread bag with strap (Model 1931. then Model 1934).
Water bOllle {Model 1931).
Cup.
Eating implements.
Mess tin.
Despatch case.
Map case.
Theongrnalcaptlonslateslhat'onSeptember 11th. 1938. 120.000 Storm
Troopers were reViewed by Herr Hl\ler at NU1emberg: for an event
covered by the world press. rIfles were leflln camp Associated Press.
-SS-VerfugungSHuppe eQuipment 1935 Bell and straps. ammuMlon pouches.and other leatherwork IS black. showing natutal hide mner surfaces. the mess
tin and bayonet and scabbard. black; all other melal, while. the groundsheet.
breadbag. and waler bottle cover. grey. the pack. natural brown calfslon. the
bayonet gflps. blOwn wood - and nOle JUllIor n co's Troddel77
7.LAH guald of honour aWaIIlng Mussolim's arrival in Mumch. 1938. NO!lce both 1916 and 1935 model Sleel helmets Heinrich Hotfmann.
WEISSES lEOERZEUGWhite leather equipment
The LAH being a guards regiment spent much of Its time on celemonial
duties. for which white equipment was introduced In stages.
In 1936 white waist belt, cross strap. bayonet frog. pistol holster and
pack straps were introduced and worn together with black ammunition
pouches.'
In 1937 the white leather waist bell and cross strap was replaced by
an aluminium braid belt (Feldblnde) for officers of the LAH. This belt
was Introduced gene/ally In 1938.2
In January 1938 the LAH marched past Adolf Hitler wearing white
leather waist belts. cross slfaps. bayonet frogs. and ammunition pouches.
The Reich's Chancellery guard detachment wore white leather equip·
ment when on duty at the Chancellery.
'Relchstagung In NGrnberg 1936, p. 321.2Mmeilungsblalt der RZM. Nr 6. 25.4.38. p. 11.
Right
1936 was the first year In which the LAH appeared In white equipment.
Here they are stdl wearing black ammunition pouches. The army
camouflaged ground sheet IS folded and strapped on top of the rolled
greatcoat,
Officers' parade belt (Feldbrnde). Introduced In 1937·38. Mollo
Collection.
79
Membe~ of Ihe LAH in sports clothes later they had their OWn sports vest badge.National Archives
,
- ~,.~
~IN{;: {;:~Q{;: H:;:;:;:.~155TT~lJf
Sports vest badge for members 01 the LAH.
SS-SPORTKLEIDUNG
ss Sport. clothes (el et April 1939) 1.
SPOilS shoes. Model 1931 (Army pattern)Sports trousers. black. sateen.Sports Shift w,th SS badge. -While
TlIlnlog lacket wnh SS badge. -blue.Training 1I0users. blue
-Members 01 the LAH had their own SporlS badge.
'SS·Pre's!.ste. Apn11939. pp. 2 and 3.'Weldlnger DIVISIon Oas Relch. Vol 1 . p. 104.
82
,k"
••
1 285
The "Jingling Johnnie" of the LAH, 1939(?) The moon has the name
01 the regiment engraved on it. Dodltins Collection,
86
Trumpeters of the LAH Most SS trumpet banners were modelled on those
01 the LAH. Beadle Collecl1On.
Obverse and reverse of a IrUmpel bannef of the III Battalion. Regiment "Der Fuhrer". Pflvate Collection.
FANFARENTOCHER
Trumpet bannersTrumpet banners of the SS·VerfUgungStruppe and SS·TOlenkopl
verbiinde were of a standard pal1ern. which was based on those of the
LAH.1 The banner was double sided. made of black velvet. and was
49 )( 42 cm. On the obverse was a 23 cm high death's head worked in
aluminium lamE!. With detail and shading machine embrOidered In
Silvered wire and black Silk thread
Underneath the deallfs tlead was the regimental or ballalion deslg-
na\!on In 5 cm high. aluminium wire embrOidery. The feverse bore
24 cm high SS runes If'I alumlf'llum lamE! edged in twisted cord. The
reverse onlv was edged In 1 cm Wide aluminium braid. The banner had
5 cm long aluminium fringe on three sides. and was attached to the
trumpet by two nickel·plated srlap hooks.
'Reichstagung In Nurnberg 1937. p 33.
lSS·Befehlsblatt. 25635. Z,lf 17
.7
BB
PARADE·PAUKENBEHANGEBanners
The kettledrum banner was made of black velvet and was edged in
2 cm wide aluminium braid and 5 cm fringe. On three, or all five 01 Its
panels, were embroidered regimental or banalion emblems. or the
death's head and SS runes in aluminium wire embroidery or aluminium
lame.
GROSSE TROMMELansdrums
The big drum was painted black, and had black and white zigzag rims
(Holzspannriefen). On the front of the drum was painted a white
death's head and the unit name in Gothic script. Ballalion "N" had the
1933 Nuremberg rally badge in place of the death's head,!
GLOCKENSPiEl WIMPELLyra pennons
Small triangular black velvet pennon. edged in 1 cm wide aluminium
braid. On the obverse was embloldered the national emblem In
aluminium WIle. At each of the three pOints of the tflangle was suspended
an aluminium wire tassel. The pennon was attached to the reverse of
the instrument so that it was Visible from the front. See opp. page.I,",~~~:t!t I ,'1. d 1.6:
Kettle drummer of the LAH Kettle drums and fanfare !rumpets were onlyused by non·mounted units for concerts and beating the letreat.Suddeutscher Verlag
SS-Hauptschatluhref Meyer on NicolaU5 In January 1936 All mounted~,uS1Ctans. In addlUon to {hIm own Instrument. carried a trumpel slung on their"ad:. The Tnsmp8t Major gave his commands wnh his trumpet Sudd Verlag. Bass drum ollhe Regimen, "Germania"
89
SS-FAHNEN UNO STANDAATENSS Flags and standards
It was the custom to plesent and Inaugurate flags and standards at theannual Party Day Rally (Reichsparteitag), which was held each
September from 1933 to 1938.The following units are known to ha...e recei...ed their Ilags andstandards at Nuremberg,
ss standards and battalion Ilags were basically the same for all units
both in the Allgemeine·SS and SS·Yerfilgungstruppe. Each regimenthad its name on the standard, and a black patch on the top corner (neKtto the pole) of the battalion Ilag, on whiCh was machine embroideredthe regimental and battalion designation. See opp. page
1. SS·Lelbstandarte "Adolf Hitler", I. 11 and III banahons.2. SS-Standarte "Deutschland", I, 11 and III banalions,
3. SS-Standarte '·Germania··. I. 11 and III battalions.4. SS·Standarte "Oer Filhrer", I. 11 and III baualions.5. SS Saualion "N'·.
·Not confirmed.
t standard and 3 battalion Ilags1 standard and 3 battalion Ilags
1 standard1 batlalion flag1 standard and 3 battalion Ilags
1 battalion flag1 standard and 3 battalion liaRS
Lelbstandarte Adoll HitlerSS·Standarte "Oeulschland"
5S· Nachrlchtensturmbann·55- Pioniersturmbann·SS-Slandarte "Germanla"
SS·Sturmbann "N"·SS·Standarte "Der F\.ihrer"
1933193419351935193619371938
Regimental standard 01 the 55- Leibstandarte "Adoll Hitler" Gilt eagleand bmding 01 aluminium wreath; red 11ag wl\h black/aluminium/red
fringe, cords and tassels, all other features alummlum. white or black(SeeYol. 1. rear endpaper)
90
I~I
11Immmmml
I'IJImmIIllml
11III
FAHNENSPIEGEl UNO STANOARTENBALKEN
Flag patches and standard cross bars
Regimental standard of the LAH. NallOnal Archives
91
Colour party of the SS-Engineer Battalion. 1937(?) Mumn Verlag
92
Battalion flag 01 the SS Engineer Battalion. Black:. while and
red flag: aluminlum·flecked black fringe; black and aluminium patch
,n upper hOist canton.
BANDOLIERSendolier
In 1935 a new pattern bandolier was Issued for carrymg bOlh the
standard and battalion flag. The bandolier was 11 cm wide and was
trimmed with 4 cm wide aluminium braid. The length of the bandolier
could be adjusted by means of a black leather strap and nickel-plated
buckle on the inside, The bandolier was worn over the left shoulder, on
top of the gorget. with the bucket on the right thigh, The standard·
bearer and hiS escon wore while buckskin gauntlets (Stu1penhand
schuhe).'
lSS-8elehlsblatt. Nr 10. 25.10.38. p. 5.
Detail of the lnnge from an SS banahon flag The top IS the flISt. and
boltom lhe second pallem. Mollo ColleclJon
RINGKRAGEN (BRUSTSCHILO)
Gorgets
The SA/SS slandafd·bealels gorgel was worn until 1938, when a new
model wn Introduced h appeals that at one IJme. the LAH had a
specIal model
Stander (gUidon) of the SS Signals Bat·
tahon The lunge. cOld and lassel are
black and aluminium
This draWing is based on a photo. found by an Enghsh soldier In an
SS barracks at Unna. Wes(phaha. on 6th June. 1945. The anginal
phOtograph IS In the collection of the Imperial War Museum. London.
93
SS Standard·bearer's gorget, model 1938,
94
Slandard bearer's bandolier, 1935 model Mono Collecllon.
UNIFORMS OF THE JtJtVOLUME 4
JtJt-TOTENKOPFVERBANDE 1933-1945
Andrew Mollo
KCOlKaneHllIO, HaM AOCTanllCb Tom.KO CTpaHII",'" C cj)OTorpacj)IIRMII.
Windrow& Greene
SS-WACHVERBANDE
SS-TOTEN KOPFVER BAN DE
SS-TOTENKOPF·WACHSTURBANNE
The decree ollhe 281h Febluary 1933 for the protecllOn of people and
state (Veloldnung des Re.chsprils,denlen zum Schutze von Vo'lc und
Slaal. vam 28 2.1933. RgB 1 1583). whICh lollowed the Relchslit9 "'l'.gave the polICe the light to place potential enerrlles 01 tl>e statc (wIlohad been legally sentenced 10 pr'son by a COUrt 01 law. Of wIlo hawlg
selVed a legal sefltenCe .....ere ordefed to be Iwthe! detamed bV the SO Of
GeSt.lpo) In protectIve custody (Schutztlafl) lor up 10 th,ee months IAs a direct result 01 thIS deCle8 so many so·calted oppon8flts 01 the
regime were allested that conventional prison acCOmodal'OI'l was notavaIlable. and make·sll,lt detenl,on centres had to be sel up In Aar I
1935 It was eSllmated that 25.000 people were being held n Plotce1lvecUSlodV In P,ussla alone:
Helnnch HlmmJer. IS aet,ng Police President of Munich. set up In Marc"19231he fllst Independent SS·run concenualJon C<lrrp, on tne SIte of a
lormel gunpowder factOfV on Ire ootsk ItS 01 Munich at Dachau,J In the
summer of 1934 most of It'e unoll.cial C<ll1lps were closeC, and as a
d·reclte5ull of the Roo ,Poach the remaIning SA C<lmos Jlere 'eMOvedIrom the JuttSd,cbon 01 the cMI authOfl:rl'S. a"ld taken ove bl the SS
The IlIst lul1·t,me SS concentration camp unit VIlas recrUited 'rommembers 01 the Genelal SS, to guard Ihe new camp al Dachau AII,rsl
th1s unit was uneer the overall command of SS D,strlCI SOutn. who maceI1 a depoSitory for liS unwanted personnel. ~ In June 1935, SS·Oberlulel
Theodol Ercke was madll commander 01 Oacllau.' In a letlel wn,ch I'eWfote to Hlmmlel on the 1 h AuguS1 1936. he deSCllbed tile cond'llon,111,11 Pfeva,led at Dact-au on hiS aftrval •
"There >hele I mes when no tUOles. shoes 01 even socks wele ava:lable.The men camed on IhClr dU1 es '.\"C<lllng their own th,ng, Without
complaming We \\cro ~enefally regarded as a necessary evil whIchmerely cost mone) , InsignifIcant Guards behrnd barbed wile. At lImes
-•
,.,. ,:. I ~\..... ,;~:~,: . .,~l. ", 'ilJ I • I: '.'''~, t. <i'..... ,,.-. ...
.... •.. I'"~i.···' ··':ft ,',';J ' .• ,., .t" I .... ~'. -'.. :,.;"w. .~... ...
SS' BIIgadeluhrer Theodol ElCke. commander and Inspectorof SS Death's Head UOllS and Conccntra:ian Camps. 151hSeptember 1936. (BOl,ch Collec\!on)
2
I was forced literally to beg the treasuries lor the meagre wages 01 my
oUlcers and men. As an Oberfuhrer In Dachau I myself recell"ed a
monthly salary of RM, 230, .. Al the beginning there were no cartridges
or rilles.let alone machine guns. Of the entile stafl only three men could
handle a machine gun. My men wele billeted In draughty lactolles_
Evelywhere there was poverty and misery. At tha1 lime these guards
wefe under the command of the SS District South whIch left the wOlrles
and anxielles to me but. unask.ed. sem me people 01 whom for some
reason or other it wanted 10 be lid In Munich: In consequence they
contammated my men and their SPllll, I encountered disloyalty. graft
and corruption. For these reasons I was forced to dismiss about sixty
men in lour week.s. No progress could be made because the unit was
undelthe command and influence olthe District South and was used as
a deposl\ory for so· called Velsorgungsanwarter (ex-soldiers entitled to
ex·servicmen's welfare benefits). When I found i1 Impossible to con
tinue like this the Relchsluhrer-SS glilnted my requeS1 and placed the
small guard unit under my exclUSive command. Flom then on there was
uninterrupted progress. I went to WOrK alert ilnd happy. training men la
become N.C.O·s and. N.C.O·s to become officers. Mutual sell-sacllflce.
deprivations and hearty comradeship created In a few weeks an
example 01 manhood which In turn exhlbned an excellent "'esprit de
corps". We did not become paranoic, because we all had nothing
Behind the barbed·wire we qUietly did our duty and ehmmated
Without concern anybody In our ranks who showed the smallest sign
of disloyalty. So we formed and lfained the guard unit In the qUietness of
the concentration camp. Their ideals were loyalty bravery and
obedience,"
Having Improved the mOrale and diSCipline of hiS men. Elckc formdated
serVice regulations for both guards and Inmates. which remained
vHlually unchanged until the end of the war. In 1934 Elcke was made
Inspector of Concentration Camps and SS Guard UnI1S (Inspckteur der
KonZentrationslager und SS·Wachvcrbande)·. with the rank 01
SS·Gruppenfilhrer. 7
• By 1938/9 his official mle had become" FLihrer der SS-TV u. KL.··
Dachau guard COmpany marches into the compound.
Officers and N.C.O.·s wear the black peaked cap.where·
as the men wear the earth· brown field,cap. 1936.
Daehau Inmates are 9 ven thelf assgnmenlS by the duty officer 1936.
In March 1935 there were Ihe following gUilld Unr!S (Wachverbiinde) In
9)uSI9nce:
On the 1st April 1936 I'll' scallered company,s'led gU3rd units wefe
removed !rem Ihe conlrol at t'l:l General SS. and re·organlsed Into live
bal1alro;ls CJch of whlC" ....as asslgncd to a p<lrllcular camp
Unll: Camp:
SS·Wachsturmbann 10berbayern Oachau
SS·WachstuflTlbann 11 Elbe uchtenburg
SS·Wachsturmbann III Sachsen Sachsenburg
SS-Wachstufmbann IV Ostfnesland EsteIWegen
SS-WachstuflTlbann V Brandenburg Oramenburg u. Columbla-Haus
On the 29th March 1936 the above units WIth a lotal strength of 3.500men were collectively renamed Ire SS·Tolenkopfverbande.Q In Apnl
1936 oolh the SS-Verfugungslruppe and SS-Totenkopfverbande well'
c1assrlred as "orgamsa!)ons rn the servIce of the state'-. and placed on the
pohce budgel of the MiniStrY 01 the 10;1'1101. 10
Service In the SS-TV did nOt count as fulfilment of Ihe mrlrtary serv,ce
oblrgauons untrl the Sprrng of 1939. and boys w,th the age of sixteen
and above were accepted as volunteers for 4 or 12. and officers 25 years.
DUllng their service In the SS-TV volunteers had to complete their
nlllrtary service in eithef the armed forces or SS-VT. Elcke preferred hrs
men 10 do the'r servIce In the army. navy or all fOfce. as he was afraid
Ihalllthey were to serve ,n Ihe SS-VT. they mlghl not wanllo ratum 10
the onerous lask of guarding concentratron camps, lIOn completion of
thClr service In lhe armed fOlces TV pCfsonnel were reminded by E!cke
trill "we belong nClthef to the almy nor the police nOf the SS-Veffugung
SlrUPpe. our cohesion IS based upon comradeshrp inherenl In our
National Socralist Ideology:· rI
Fr;Jm the 1st July 1937 the live battalions were re·organ,sed 1010 three
fi!91'Tleflts (Slilndartell). W Ih a 10tal strellgth of 4.449 persons. lJ
Unrt Camp·:
SS·TotellkoofSlandarte 1 Ob~bayern Oachau
2 Brandenburg Buchenwald
3 Thurlngen Sachsellhausen
III 1938 a fourth reglmenl was formed In Ausura I 4
11 Oslma/k Mauthausen
a'ld In 1939 a fifth was added
5 D,etrlch ECkhard,
• On the 1s. August 1937 the seven concentration camps were
re·orga:1ised iOlo three marn camps (HaUpllager).
Camo.
Dachau
EStelWegen
llclllenburg
S.1chsenburg
Oran.enburg und Columbla-Haus
Ha."burg -Fuhlsbunel
Unll.
SS-Wachlruppe Oberbayern
SS-WachtnJppe Ostfrlesla.,d
SS-Wachtruppe Elbe
SS-Wachtruppe Sachsen
SS-Wachlfuppe Brandenburg
SS·Wachtruppe Hansa
3
·Kompanlen or Companies SS-OberS1UrmbannlUhrer Karl Koch. commander of the
IV SS Death"s Head Battalion '"Ostfriesland"", 1936 (1).
(Black Star.)
7 Kp.* Sachsenhausen
4 Kp. Dachau
3 Kp. Buchenwald/Weimar
3 Kp. Mauthausen
4 Kp. Gusen
3 Kp, Flossenburg/Bayr. Ost.
Neuengamme
Ravensbrud
in the Summer 01 1941 the concenllatlon camp guard establishment was
as lollows; 10
KL mit SS·Totenkoplsturmbann
Up to the outbreak lithe war the primary purpose of the concentration
camp had been to Isolate the 'enemies of the state' from the German
people, but with the outbreak of war exploitalion 01 camp labour became
of paramount imporlance. The growth of the camp population was
relatlYely slow until 1941/2, when the camps were filled 10 bursting
point with yast numbers 01 pusoners collected in the newly occupied
eastern territories. ThiS expanSion, and the eyer increasing demand lor
labour was loO much lor the Operational Main Office, under which the
camps had been subordlnilted since August 1940, and in March 1942,
the Inspectorate or Concentrallon Camps (The Inspectorate of Guard
units had been disbanded in August 1940) was transferred to the
SS Economic and Administrative Main Office (SS-Wirtschalts+
Verwaltungshauplamt-VWHA) under SS,Obergruppenluhrer Oswald
Pohl as Group (Amtsgruppe) D. under SS-Brigadefuhrer Ric1)ard
GIGcks 21
uniforms. and Ihe same pay-books (Soidbucher).19 The significance of
tllis dlfectJVe was missed at the time. and the Walfen-SS was always to
regret that 11 had not resisted the lumping together 01 its fighting
formations with the COnCerllratlon camp guards.
5
A Death's He3d hallahon, 1935 (?j (Helr,flch Horrrrann)
und Vemagsangele£en-
Hallhngs3rgcit!genhe,len
N3ctUlchlenvvesen. Lao;;c.sct-u:z
und Wac"'hundeKraIlfah"",lesenWa'leo \,lOC Gerat:)
SC'lulung de. T,upp~Arbc'lse,nsatz der Hafll,n!le
HalthngsetnSaiZ
HaltllngsausbrldungStai st,k un::! VerrechungSan':;l!s....esen u Lagem~g.;?re
Amllche und zal1nalzthcllC Vel-sorgung d~ SSAI2'lIIChe ~,"ld zahnarz,oc~e V<;r
sorgung der Haltl,oge
Hvg10msche u san,tare Massna\ .
men '" den KLKL·Verwaltung
RechlShe,len
Haushah, Kassen·u Beso!dT.;~;·
wesen- Verpllegung
Belr.1elCfungUnlol::unlt
dallon
Legal, lax and conlraclUal maners
o IV/2o IVl3o IV/A
o IVI5
Amls9luIlPe 0 was organlscd as lollo\\'s ,n Malch 1942.!!Office 0, I Cerllflll Oflll:c Zentralaml
(SS·Oslubaf. l'ebehenschel)0111 Inmale maltelso 1/2 Communlcallons, Camp
SecUfI\)' and gua-cl dogs0113 Motor transpoflo I/A Weaj:X)ns and equipment
o 1/5 Troop lIam,"gOlflce 0: Illnnl,lle laboVf(SS-Slaf MaUler)
o 11/1 Inm,lte labouro 11/2 Inmate tra,nlngo 11/3 StatlsllcS and accounts
Office 0 III Medical malters and
canp hyglene(SS-Stal Or Ooll,ng)
011111 SS Wedlcal and denialcare
o 111/2 Inmato mec,ul anddental cale
o 111/3 Camp hyg,ene andsanllat on
Olfrce 0: IV camp admlnlstJallon(SS·Stubal BUlger)
o IVll Househ~ld, cash andpay maltersSupoly
ClolhlngBIllets and a ommo-
6
rhO wartime guard units were organised In baila'lons and companies
wh,et1 bcre the name of tha camp, e9 6/SS Sturmbarm 'Cl. Auschwl1Z.
was '1'1 fact [he 6;11 CO'Tloanv of the SS Ballallon COr'lCer1l1allOn camp
Auscilwnz lt1e numb!;!r 011'10 guards deponded on the Sdi! of the ca'l'lp.
and numb~r of mmates. but was ollCn remarkably small. although milny
01 the larger camps wOle situated alongSldo SS camps or barracks. a:1d
In the caso of a S~f10US rnsurreC\lon the camp cO'11mandant could call 011
military Ur'llts Ir1the vrcm,!" for aSSIS!Dr1CC
In 1943/4 the SS·Totenkopls!urmbann Harrburg Neuengamme con
Sisted of four companies of GO men armed wl;h 98 K carbme, Of 11\0
240 men. 70 were German nationals (Relchsdeutsche). 74 Rumanians.
many of whom had been wounded 3t Stalmgrad. 25 Slo\'aks. mOSI of
German origin, al'd 60 RUSSians. none Of w;'.om, With Ille llxcepllon of
tl1elr Ne Os. could speak Gormal'll' Al tl10 same camp air fOlce
[1cr,cnnol ~ad been taken mto the SS Ifl thc summcr of 1944. Issued
w;!h SS uniforms and pay·books, and used to reinforce the e)l;Istln9
guards.~~ In Sachsenhauserl In Apltl 1945 lhere were apprOXImately
3.000 SS personnel. all of whom wore SS uniform "~ Ravensbruck had
90 men on the camp stall and 250 guards In November 1942. and by
Apnl 19t15 the number of guards hac rrsen 10 550 men 26 Whon Rudolf
Hoess assumed command of Auschw.{z rn May 1940. he had a staff of15,
and a guald platoon 01 50 SS men, which rose 10 3,500 men bV the lime
he relinoulsl1ed t-IS command In December 1943 11
The ongrnal wartime guards ware contrnuouslv changed, as the younger
age groups wele posted to flold units, and replaced by even older
soldr(llS. saIlors, <lHmen, and especially raCial Germans who were el1her
unfIt or un.el able fOI !Ior.thne servrce These decrepit and Incompetent
guards were rell,lorced lrom l,me 10 time, by members of the SA. Prison
Service. and even 1st World War veterans from the Kyffhauserbund~!
Officers and men of the staff of Buchonwald Concentration Camp In 1940. Judging by Ihell age these are General SS reSErVISlS (Boz!chCollectlon)
7
8
On the 51h Aplil 1944 the WHA listed 20 official concentration campsand an additional 165 subsidiary labour camps. Z'I and In AvgusI 19-14
feponed that these camps held 524.286 inmates. 30The following list gives all the main camps (Hauptlager) which cameunder the jurisdiction of the WHA. and which were therefore classifiedas '"official" concentration camps.· II
Dachau 22. 3.33 - 29. 4.45Sachsenhausen 836 - 22. 4.45Buchenwald bel Weimar·· 15. 7 37 ~ 11 <145
Flossenburg/Bayr.Ostmark 3. 5.38 - 23 4.45Mauthausen 8. 8.38 - 5. 5.45Ravcnsbruck 15. 5.39 - 21. 4,45Auschwilz (Poland) ••• 20. 5.40 - 1B. 1.45
Neuengamme 4. 6,40 - 29. 4,45Gross·Rosen 1. 5,41 - . 2.45NalZWeiler (Alsace) 26. 7,41 - 23.11.44
Niederhagen in Wewelsburg 1. 9.41 - 3. 5.43Stuffhof (Danzig) 13. 1.42 - 25. t.45Atbeitsdorf 8. 4,42 - 11.10.42
Herzogllnbusch 5. 1.43 - 9.44lublin (Poland) 9. 3.43 - 24. 7.44Riga·Kaiservvald (Latvia) 15. 3,43 - 6. 8.44Bergen-Belscn 7. 7,43~ 11.4.45
Warschau (Poland) 15. 8.43 - 1. 5.44Kauen (Lithuania) 15.943-14.7,44Vaivara (Estonia) 15. 9.43 - 28. 6.44
Klooga (Estonia) 9.43-19. 9,44Krakau·Plaszow (Poland) 11. 1.44 - 15, 1,45
Mittelbau 28.10.44 - 9. 4.45• On the 281h May 1941 Himmler authorised tdS & BdS to form Arbeltser·ziehungslager at the expense of the Reich. These detention camps were
10 be staffed by Gestapo officials and employees and guarded by hiredpersonnel. olten by auxiliaries such as Estonian. and Lilhuaman police.n This camp was previously known as Enetsberg.
... This camp also inclvded Auschwitz 11 (Birkenau). and Auschwilz tll(Monowitz).
SS-Obergruppenfuhler Oswald Pohl. chief of the INVHA. September1942. He weals a '"Lllewka". a style of tunic which becamo popularwith senior functionaries, (Dodkins Collection.)
In May 1944 Hlrnmler ordered the lIansler of 10.000 reserviSts over theage of fo"y from the leplacerrent army to the Waffen~SS as canp
guards. The same orde' suggested that these reservists. and all concenaatlon camp guards whod,d not meet SS membersh,p requirements m'ght
v.ear a macrlf'e embrordered W on the "gIlt coltar patch. It is not known,f thiS order was rn fact ,mplemented 3~
As the Allied arm es o\lerran German OCCU~lJed Europe. and thenGermany hersell. ca"'p alter camp was I,berated In some Ihe SS guards
slayed to surrender. wh,le In others they lied. In all the campSlhe mostappalling conditions were found. due. In the greal par\. 10 the completebreakdown 01 the system. which resulled In Germany'S collapse.
Elderly concentration camp guard. probabl ( a ·VolksdeuUcher". beingsearcred by Bfl\lsh sold'ers after tne liberation of Bergen Selsen InApril 1945. (Imoemll War Museum)
1. Anatomy of the SS Slale, p. 401.
2. Ibid. p. 406. 3. Ibid. p. 429.
4. Ibid. p. 437. S. Ibid. p. 431.
6. Elcke 10 Himmler on 10.8.36, concemmg SS-TV Ook.DC
Pers.Akt/Eicke 37c/A.7. Anatomy of the SS State. p. 443.8. Ibld, p. 442.
9.
10. Soldaten wie andere auch. p. 257.11. Nuremberg Interrogation Summary No_ 4802.
12. Anatomy of the SS State. p. 331.13. Statisllsches Jahrbuch der SS der NSDAP. 1938, p, 79.
14 Die Walfen-SS. p. 345.15 Ibid.
16. Soldaten Wle andere aUCh.. Document 6. pp. 252·259.17. Anatomy of the SS State. p. 459.
lB. IMT.• Vol. VI. p. 459.19 Zusammensetzung der Walfen·SS issued by the SS·F(jhrungs~
Hauptaml (Kommandoamt der Waffen-SS) Ab:. la/Ne/Oe.Tgb Nr 2825/41 geh. Dated 16.7.41. Quoted In full ,n "Soldaten
wle andere auch". p. 301.20. Ibid.
21, Anatomy of the SS Stale. p. 461,
22. Ibid, p. 486.
23. Interrogation report No. PVVIS(H)/LOC/477.
24. Nuremberg document 0/748.
25. 0/745a.
26. D1746b.
27. D1749b.
28.29. NO-020.
30. NO-399.
31 list compiled from the Intemallonal Tr3Cmg Service pub!lcallon
"Haltstalten unter dem RelchsfUhrer-SS (1933·1945):·
32. Nuremberg Military Tribunals Oocument NO-5089.
9
10
SS·AUFSEHERINNENSS Women Supervisors
The fjrsl womcn's concentrat'Of'l camp was SCI uo at L,chtenburg InAugusl 1937, and It IS thought \11,,1 the reClUl1menl and tramlng 01selected women as supervisors began al the same lime.In order 10 aurael lecfUltS dUflog Ihe war, women were offeree lhe besTaccommodallOO and tugilcI salanes Il'an lhey coold earn elsewhere_Once they had 101ned. new recr",rts wefe clothed and trained at RavensbrUck, whew they remalne<l, or wefe posled to olher wurnen's campssuch as Auschwl!z- Slrkena... According to the commandant 01 Ravensbruek. Fllll Suhreo, 1Wwomell Were employed m Ihe camp usell. whileapproximately 300 g...ard!'d outside ';\"Ork'n9 pames (Auss~nkom
mandos). Sunfen estimated Inlt dunng hIS lerm 01 ~cl'Vlce IromNoyember 1942 10 May 1945, 3.500 women hlle served a: ore I1me oranothel in AavensOruck or liS OUl~lCe workmg panoes IPotentIal supervisors were reCIUlted by various NallC):'lal SOCIalistwomen's organ,satrons. bul I.:w women were prepafed 10 yolunloo forlhe concenlTallon camo service, so compulsion I'~d to be used to Cbl""\the ever 'r>Creil5,ng numbers Ihat we'e requHe<! Each armamerts f"m 10whICh female Oflsoncrs had ~n 1It1011!'d 101 wOlk. had In exchange. tosuneoeer a cena," pcrccmage of tne'r Olhtr female emp!oyees to aet ;!Ssupervisors These supcrvl:ors were Ihel\ gIven a IEW ~ks' 'traming' inRavensbfiJclr. 21\Cf lIlen let loose 01\ the PIISonel~,;
As a general 'ule .....omen lecfullec! dUIIUg lt~ Will came ulldef !.~
calegOly of W;Jf AUltilialles (SS·Knegshellellllnenj. al\d were nOIincorporated Il\to the COIPS of SS Helpers (SS-Hc1f€nnne~,kolps),
members of which had to lulM an SS lecfultll\g s!andaICS. ~
Women wele also emotoved as suoewrsors 11\ Ihe Police PIlSOI\Supervisory ServIce (Pohze'oe1angl\lsaulslChlscheoSt). and as gover·nesses III camps for JUyen,le offenders (Jugelldichutzlager), whichcame ul\der the jUnsd'ChOn 01 the Ctllcl of the Secl.Ifliy Pollce and SD. ~
1. Nuremberg Document D3746a & b.2. Commandant of Auschwitz, pp. 137·140.3. RFSS-Belehl Yon 14.843.4. Beleh!sbfan des Chefs del" $lpO ul\d des SO NI21 .. 30.4.43. p. 127.
Female overseers captufed by the Brlllsh al Belgel\ Bels,'!n 11\ /\pilI 1945.The while brassard was probably worn as a token 01 surrender.(Impellal War Museum,)
SS-STURMBANN "OACHAU"/WACHTRUPPE
"QBERBAYERN" DER AllGEMEINEN-SS
SS-WACHSTURMBANN I "OBERBAYERN"
SS-TOTENKOPFSTANDARTE 1 "OBERBAYERN"
55-TOTEN KOPF· RE KRUTEN-STAN OARTE "0 BER BAYERN"
In June 1935. SS-Obertuhrer Theodor Elcke took over command 01
Dachau concenlrallon camp. and with I1 a thoroughly corrupt and
demoralised guard detachment of barely 120 mel). Elcke immediately
dismissed 60 men and set about Improving the discipline and morale of
Ihe remainder. at Ihe same lime recrulUng carefully·chosen personnel.
In 1934/5 this unit was enlarged and renamed SS·WaChsturmbann I
··Obelbayern·'.
In 193711 was again enlarged*. and renamed SS·Totenkopfstandarte 1
··Oberbayern··. and organised as follows:
Stab H.D.I Stuba. ( 1.- 4. Hdschlt.) 1st Bn. (1st·4Ih Coys.)
II Stuba. ( 5.- 8. Hdschft.) 2nd Bn. (5th-8Ih Coys.)
III Stuba. ( 9.-12. Hdschlt.) 3rd Bn. (9th-12th Coys.)
IV Stuba (13,~16, Hdschlt.) 4th Bn, (13th-t6th Coys,)
V Stuba. (17.-20. Hdschlt.) 5th Bn. (17th·2Oth Coys.)
Nachr. Hdschft Signals Coy.
Muslkzug Band
In September 1938 Ihe 1SI and 2nd battalions took part in the Sudeten
operation at Asch.In November 1939 the unit was renamed the SS Death's Head Recruiting
Regiment. arid in the winter of 1940/1 was disbanded.
Commanders: SS-Obert. Theodor Elcke., SS·Stat. 0110 Augustinl.,
SS-Onubaf. Max SimOn.
• Some of the additional personnel came from twO SS-Sonderkom
mandos under the command of SS D,stllc! South Wes!. at the
Political Schools (Ordensburgen) Crosinsee and Vogelsang. (See
"Paoa Ereke" and il,s men relax ot! dUly. 1934 (Page Taylor Collection.) RfSS 155/2684885.)
13
SS-WACHTRUPPE "BRANDENBURG"SS·WACHSTURMBANN V "BRANDENBURG"SS-TOTENKOPFSTANOARTE 2 "BRANDENBURG"
Oranlenburg -Schloss
Oramcnburg- Schloss
Columbia-Haus 1. Das Schwarze Korps.. No 19.107.35, P 4
2 Dienstalterliste der SS. Stand yom 1.12 37.
3. Die Waffen·SS.. p. 346.
4 Elnsalzgruppen In Pole" (Heft 2). pp 38·43.
5. Die Waf/en-5S.. p 346
Commanders SS-Os:ubal \I\rchae L,poert
SS·Staf Ot:o Re,ch
SS-Stal Paul \JOSll:Z
MaChine gun crew of lhe 1Sl Death's Head Regiment in action during
the Sudeten CIISI5. September 1938.
Motor Transport Echelon
HQ
ls·. 8n. (1si·4Ih Coys.)
2nd Sn, (5th-Bth Coys.)
3rd Sn (9th-12th Coys )
4th Sn (13th-16th CoJ's)
Signals Coy,
Sand
On the 28th Apl,1 1935 S$-Wachtruppe "Brandenburg" was formed as 11
guard unit for Sacrsenhausen Concentration Camp,l and was organised
as fellows:
1. HundellSchaft2, Hundertschaft
3, Hundertschaft
In 1935 the unit was re-organised and renamed SS- Totenkopfsturmbann
V "Srandenburg",
On the 1st July 1937 It was enlarged and tormed Into a leglrllent.
SS-Totenkopfstandarte 2 "Brandenburg··. By December 1937 the
regiment had si~ ba1talrons.~ but by the sprll1g of 1939 it was <lg1lln dowr,to four J
Stab
I Sluba. 1.- 4. Hdschft )
11 SlUba. 5 - 8 Hdschh.}
III Stuba 9-12 Hdschh}
IVStuba (13-16 Hdschft)
Nachrlchten- Hundertschalt
Musikzug
In 1939 was added:
Kraftfan rstallel
in September 193B the 151 and 2nd battalions look: part 111 the SudelenoperatiOn at 8rieg.
On the 12th September 1939 the 2nd (relfforccd) Death's Head
Regiment "Brandenburg" under SS·Grut Theodor Elc"e was sent to
Poland where It worked In conjUnction With EG II1 In the 8th Army
region. On the 26th September the regrment returned to Germany.
At the end of the year the regiment was rename~ the 5th Death's HeadReglmen1.~
14
HQ1st Sn (lst·4th Coys.)
2nd Bn. (5th-8th COl's.)
3rd Bn, (9th-12th Coys.)
41h Bn. (13th·16th Coys.)
Signals company
Motor Transport Echelon
Band
SS-SONDERKOMMANDO 3
SS·WACHKOMMANDO "SACHSENBURG"SS-WACHSTURMBANN If "ELSE"SS-WACHSTURMBANN III "SACHSEN"SS·TOTENKOPFSTANDARTE 3 "THORINGEN"
In the spnng 01 1933, SS D'Slflct Centre formed a special commando
Irom General SS volunteers In Dresden, On the 1SI May 1934 a second
cOmpany was formed, and In the autumn a third was formed f/Om cadres
drawn Irom the Ilrst two companies. In the summer 01 1935 Poll\lcal
Readiness Squads (Poh\lsche Beleltschaftenj were disbanded. and
most of the pelsonnel provided the nucleus of the SS-Yerfugungsuuppe.
The 1st and 3rd companies 01 SpeCial Commando 3 went 10 fOlm
Wachtrupp€ -·Sachsen". and Ihe 2nd and 4th. Wachtruppe "El be".
Wachtruppe "Sachsen" was brought to Chemnitz and then transferred
10 Welmar-Buchenwatd "Elbe" was uansfeTred from Bad Sulza 10
Welmar Buchenwald. where both came together to fOlm a cadre tor the
3rd SS Death's Head Regiment ··Thurmgen". which by December 1937
had grown to seven battalions. J
tn September 1938 the 1st and 2nd battalions took part In the Sudeten
opeTation at Radebeul and K6tzschenbroda,
In November 1939. Just prior 10 the lormatlon of the SS Death's Head
DTVlslolllhe regiment was olgamsed as follows:
Stab
I Stuba. 1 - 4. Hdschft )
I1 Stuba, 5,- 8. Hdschfl)
III Stuba, 9.-12. HdschfL}
tV SlUba. (1 3.-16. Hdschll.)
Nachlichten- Hundertschaf t
Kraftfahrstallel-
Mus'kzug
ShOrtly after the regiment was renamed the 101h SS Death's Head
Regiment.~
Commanders: SS-Sthptf.·· Kart Koch
SS-Sthptf Herman P,stor
SS-Slal. Paul Noslltz
SS·Stuba1. Helmo Hlenhes
1. Das Schwarze Korps.. No. 15. 12.6.35. p. 1.
2 Die Walfen·SS. p 346
3 D,enslallerlisle der SS vom 1 1237.
4 Die Waflen·SS .. p. 347.
Youthful guard of honour dlawn from the 2nd Death's Head Regiment
"Brandenburg", 1938 (7).
• PosSibly part 01 the H.Q. company.
- - The rank Sturmhauptf(jhrer was Introduced In September 1931. and
replaced In May 1933 by SS-HauPtSturmfuhrer. although It was still
used in the October 1934 '"Dienstalterllste der SS der NSDAP'".
15
16
OHicers of 55-50nderkommando Sachsen (PS 55.3) in Wlnler service dress. 1934 (?). (Bozlch Collection)
• Stcyr accoldlng 10 thE: 1938 SS Slallsllcal Yearbook:,
ss-TOTENKOPFSTANDARTE 4 "OSTMARK"
Formed or. the 1st AplIl t938 by order of the RelchslUhrer·SS. near
Linz· fOI the newly·bullt concentration camp at Mauthausen.
H.O.
tst Bn. (lst-4Ih Coys.)
2nd Bn. (5th·8th COYs.)
Slgnltts company
StabI Sluba, (1 -<l Hdschft.)
11 Stuba {5 -8. Hdschft )
NachnChten· Hunder tschah
Duty NCO. Wllh gorget. and members of SS-Sonderkommando
Sachsen (PS SS 3) In serVIa! dress. 1934 (1). The bUIlding shown above
and opposite has nOI been Identified. II could be ellher the entrance to
Enelsberg Concentr3110n cam:). or the unit's baltacks,
In October 1938 a Ihud ballahon was formed In Berhn-Adlershof.
At lilsl It was known as SS Dealh·s Head Battalion GOlle. after its
commander SS-Oslubaf. Galze. In July 1939 II was renamed Ihe
SS Danzlg Home Defence (SS·Helmwehr Danzig).
As Ihe original thud batlallon had become an Independenl unit. a new
thrrd banahon Slaff was fcrmed In the summer of 1940. In May 1940 the
rernforced 4111 SS Dealh's Head Regiment was stalloned In Prague. and
rn 194t became part of Ihe 2r.d SS Infantry Brigade.
Commanders.SS-Slaf Ono Reich
17
18
SS·STURMBANN GOTZESS-HEIMWEHR DANZIG
Beginning in October 1938, the thOld batlahon of the 4th SS Death's
Head Regiment was formed In Berhn-Adlershof under SS-Ostubaf
GOtze. In the summer of 1939 the Oanzlg Senate had deCided to form a
Home Defence, and the responsibility lor Ihls was laken ovel by the
Relchsfi,ihrer-SS.
In June 1939 the battalion was transported to Danzlg where It was
jOined by the Anu Tank Demonstration Company of the Death's Head
Regiments (Panzerabwehr-Lenrsturm der SS-T01enkopfstandanen),
which as part of the Home Defence. became known as Lemer Company
(Companie o'Leiner O
). In July 1939 the formation 01 t~le unl1 was
completed and lIS lull complement conSisted 01 42 offlcels and
approximately 1,500 men, tWO-ItHld: of whom were Germar1 nil!l(lr1als
while the lest came from DanZlg
The unit was organised as follows; I
Slab H.G.
1. SChUI20r1-Sturm 1st Rifle coy.
2. Schutzen-Slurm 2nd Rifle coy
3. Scllutzen-Sturm 3rd Rifle coy.
4. SChulzen-5turm 4th Rifle coyo
M,G,-Sturm Machine-gun coy
Infantenegeschulz·Sturm Infantry gun coy,
1. Panzerabwehr·Sturm 1st Anti-tank coy.
2, Panzerabwehr-Sturm 2nd Anll·tank COy,
Nachrichlen,Zl1g Signals platoon
Pionier-Zug Engineer plaloon
Throughout November 1939 the unit saw action In and around DanzlQ,
Gdlngen and WeSlerplalte Shorlly aftet the unit was disbanded and I(S
personnel distributed as cadres for the new Death's Head unlts.~
Commander: SS-Dslubaf. G6tze
1. Die Waffen-5S.. p. 347.
2. Ibid.. pp. 419-20. The Danzig Home Defence, August 1939. (HeinriCh Hollmann.)
SS·Obersturmbannfuhrer Gotze. commander
of the Oan21g Home Defence. Gotze was
killed durmg the French campaign in 1940,
(National Archives.)
SS·WACHSTURMBANN EIMANN
This Ullll Wil, formed on the 3rd July 1939. lollowmg we closurc of the
Danzlg Senate. as a Pohco Remforcement Battalion (Polizt'lver,tarkungs
SlUrmbann) on the ordels 01 SS-Sugar Schalel and with the aSSISlance
01 SS District North East.
Tile baual,on conSisted of 4 companies (Hundertschaflen) and a motor
transport Echelon (Klaftfahrstailel)
From July until September 1939 tile battalion saw act,on In and around
Danzlg Duung Hltler"s V'Slt the bauallon camed Ol,lt secullly duties m
Dhva and D'H1zlg. while two companie!'o guarded Hlt!er'!'o HQ. In
ZoppotFollOWing the fightmg in Oanzig large numbers 01 Civilians were taken
pnsoner and put in camps at Neulahrwasser. StuUhol and Grenzdorl,
where two compan,es of the banallon acted as guards,
At the beginning of 1940 Hlmmler ordered the battalion to be disbanded.
and Its personnel were uanslerlCd to Death's Head un'ts. 1
UNIFORM
Members of the banallon wOle either black SS. or grey·green Darlllg
police uniforms, although dUllng hiS post·war interrogation E,mann
could not ICmembel I1 the bauallon had ,n fact oeen Issued wl\h
policc uniforms ~
E,nsatzgruppen In Polen" Heft 2. p 192·5 Bellcht Gber Aulstellung.
Emsalz und Tatlgkelt des SS·WachSlurmbann E
2 Emsalzgluppen m Polen. pp 83·84.
19
H.G.
1st Bn. (1st-4th Rifle coys.)
2nd Bn, (5th-8th Rifle COy5,)
3rd Bn (9th- 12th Rllle coys )
SS·TOTENKOPFSTANDARTE 5 "DIETRICH ECKHARDr
The last peacetime Death's Head Regiment. was formed in the spring of
1939. and was organised as follows:
StabI Stuba. (1.~ 4. Schutzen·Sturm)
11 Stuba. (5,- 8, Schutzen-Sturm)
III Stuba. (9.-12. Schutzen-Sturm)
Shortly after the lormation 01 the Death's Head Dr'lrslon the regiment was
renumbered the 13th.
WILODIEB-KOMMANOO ORANIENBURGS5-S0NDERKOMMANOO D1RLEWANGER
Formed on the 15th June 1940. on SS-Ogrul Gonlob Berger's
suggestion. from convicted poachers servlrlg In concentration calT,ps,
and known as Poacher Commando Oranlenburg, Its commander. Oska'
Dlflewanger_ was a recently released concentration camp Inmate. newly
commissioned II'l the SS wllh the rank of SS-Ostul. Training was earned
out by the 5th SS Death's Head Regiment. and In September 1940
three hundred men were transported to the General Government. where
they were employed both f,ghtlng partisans and guarding labourers_
On the 29th January 1942 Hlmmler Issued a directive which established
the status of the SS SpeCial Commando Dlrlewanger. as lhat of a
'Iolunteer formation of the Watlen-SS
Commander: SS-Ostuf, (later SS-Oberl) Oskar Dlrlewanger
SS-TOTEN KOPF-ERGANZUNGS·STURM BANN Ill·SS·PIONIEREIHEIT z_b.V. (t-met.)
Thought to have been formed in Breslau in 1938. and disbanded after
service in the Polish campaign. as a semi-motorised englrleer unit under
army command. Its personnel were distributed to the Waffen·SS or
Death's Head Guard Formations.1
20
UNTERFOHRERSCHULE
With the re-organisation In April 1936 01 the SS Death's Head un'lS. an
N,C.O."s school was formed. Its permanent staff in May 1937 was
79 persons:ltls thought that the schOOl was dlsbanced In July 1937,
• A I and 11 Supplementary b~lIa',on is thought to have elClsted_
1. Der Frelwilhge. No. 1. January 1970. pp, 16-17
2. Stal,st,chcs Jahrbuch der SS der NSOAP. 1937. p. 51.
SS-Brigadefuhrer Schaler with members of the Danzig Protection
Polico (SCbulZpolizei) who were attached to Elm~nn's Guard Battalion.
autumn 1939. (National Archives)
SERVICE DRESS 1940·1945
By 1940 all concentrat,on c;anl:) guards had been eQi.lIpped wllh at least
one f'eld-grey uniform, which was Identlcalln all respects to that of the
Walfen-SS (whlcll wIll be desc"bed In Volume 6l_ Staff 01 guard
personnel be,ng transferred ellher 10 or from Walfen·SS replacemenT
unITS. were to be eQUipped With the follOWing baSIC Items 01 clothing
sUitable lor fIeld-service use l
1 Cloth blouse. fleld-grev WIth Ins'gnla
1 Clolh uouse,S. tong. fleld·grl!"(
1 CIOlh 9leatcoat. fleld.grey
1 Field cap. fleld·grey
1 Pr.lace-uc ankle boots
1 Brown shirt or urdervest. wh.te
1 Pr. underpants
1 Pr. socks
CoU;ar Irnel (Klagenbrnde),
Unde,vest.
Bataclava helmet (I<opfschutzer)
P" groves. woolP, braces
3 Handkerch,efs
1 Waist belt.
1 Bait buckle
1 Bayoretlrog
ThIS was on lact the bnlc clothl"9 ISSUed 10 coocentration camp
personnel unlll the end ot tne war
I SS Main Office order ca:ed 9.336.
2 VBldWSS.1942.118M92
22
AUSSTATTUNGSSOLL FOR BEKLEIDUNG UNO AUSROSTUNGDER AUSFSEHERINNEN IN DEN KONZENTRATIONSLAGERN
Issue clothmg and equipment lor female overseers In concenlrallon
camps.
I. Clothing.
i1. Normal c(othmg.
CIOlh jackel.
ClotlltunlC.
Cloth greatcoat With hood.
Waterproof woollen cape.
Dull jacket.
Drill skirt (diVided).
Cap (boat shaped).
Blouse. grey.
J•,
Stockings. wool.
Stockings. wool.
Tie. black.
Sweater. wool.
b. Winter clothing.
Cap with ear·mutfs.
Scarf. wool.
Socks. wool.
Tricot shirt.
Knickers. wool,
Gloves. wool.
11. Footwear.
Guard boots.
Ankle boots.
Ill. Equipment-.
Bread bag,
Bread bag strap.
Water boltle.
Whistle,
Whistle lanyard.
Dust and sun glasses.
- Only Issued to overseers of outSide working partIes (Aussen·
Kommandos) .
\. Wlrtschafts-u. Verwaltungsanordnungen. August 1944., p. 29.
Left to right
VCfY carly photograph of SS concentration camp guards wearing drill
uniform with the early service cap, Probably taken in Dachau in 1933.
Members of SS·Sonderkommando Sachsen (SS PB.3). 1934 (n.(BOllch Collection,)
Death's head personnel In the earth-grey service uniform. 1937.
(Bozich Collection.)
23
24
Duty N.C.O. (Unterluhrer ."om Dienst) with gorge!. and leader of the
Political Section, who was a member of the Security Police, 1939 (?).
(Bozich Collection.)
SS·Hauptscharfuhrer on the staff of the commandant of
Buchenwald Concentration Camp. The letler "l" on his
shoulder straps stands for training (lehr). and Since Hlis~, ..........,...
SS·Hauptsturm!Uhrer Campe gIves hIS olders to Block Leadels (Block·
fuhrer) Mever, Saalhofl, Hohmann, Kfamer. Schroter and Seifert,
Sachsenhausen 1940 (n, (W,ener LIbrary)
photograph was probably taken ,n 1939/40, 1\ IS lIkely that thIS man
was responSible for trammg resef\/Ists who had been called up to replace
the regular guards. The same man also appea~ In the photographs on
page 22 all of whIch were found In an album bv an American soldIer
at the end of the war, All the photographs are reproduced bv the
courtesy of Stanley J. Bozich.
STAHLHELMESteel helmets
The follOWing informatIon complementS ihe se<:tion on steel helmets
,n Vol. 3. pages 39·41, and IS also applicable to the SS·TV.
In August 1935 the RFSS ordered that all members of the 5S·VT.. TV..
and officers' schools must have the new pallern escutcheon on their
steel helmets. The escutcheons were to be pamted in 011 paInt. so lhal all
unllS taking part in the NurembelQ Rally WIll have the nevII paHern
esculcheons on their helmets. I
The Chief of the SS Mam Office amended the above order on the
14th August. as the new pallern escutcheons, In the form 01 transfers,
had b<:>en ordered from the f,rm of C. A. Pocher G.m_b,H. NUrnberg.A.,
althe cost of Rm 2S.-per 1,000 pal~.~
On the 1st November 1935, ,he Chief of the SS Mam Office made It
known that since the Milllslry of War (Relchskllegsmllllslellum) was
due to deliver the new M.35 steel helmet for f,eld service at the end of the
year, the proposed grey·green cover 10f the black steel helmet will not be
Introduced.
1. Older of the Chief of the SS Ma," Off,ce to all units of the SS·VT.
dated 121h Augus11935, See RFSS T-354 414/4133167.
2. RFSS T-354 414/4133164,
3. RFSS T-354 414/2674053.
25
26
KRAGENSPIEGElCaller petche,
In Ihe Allgeme'ne-SS and Ihe Pohl'sche Bere'lschahen Ihe balta',onwas Idenllhed by Ihe colour of Ine stripes, and the company b'{ t!lCarablC numerals on the alTJlbafld. (See VoJUl""le 1. page 3.:1 )
In Ihe SS-TV olflcers WOfe Ihe OO:lahon number In Roman numerals(I·V), while other ranks wore the company (Hundenscnah) number '"arab'c numelals on the right collar palch unoelneath Ihe death's headThe IIlSI paltern death's head whICh Illhought fO have been Introduced
In 1935. and Irom ""tllch Ihe un'l detlved lIS name, was rather crudelyembrOidered ,n a'umlnlum WIle The ceattfs head contlOued 10 beembrOIdered 1fl alum'nlum ....Are until April 1936 \vhen Hlm-nler ordct~d
that In future atummlum embrOtdeted ins,gnla wdl not be WOln on thefleld-gley unoform because Illeilectc<l too much lighl.-On lhe 1st July 1937 the fIve battalions we,e ,e,o'gan,sed IOta three(Ialer live) teglmenls. and the praCIlCO of weallng the balla!lon number
on the fight collar patch by ofl,cets was dIsconTInued,In t 938 a lounh regiment was formed ,n Auslfla, and It '5 thought thatby thiS I,me the company number had been changed to the regl'Tlcntalnumbel.~
In May 1940 it was ordeled that in tulule collal patches beaflng thedeath's head and numerals and leners would no longer be worn. Theposlllon and deSign 01 lhe dealh's head was also changed Irom the
honzontallo Ihe vertIcal poslllon, so that the death's head laced to theleh (see Plate 11. hg. 1.) Al the same lIme the .....eanng Ollile dealh'shead on both coltar patches was lorb,dden J
1 RFSS T-175 155/26850492. see pholDglaph on page 14
3. Ausliihtungsbestlmmungen RFSS Hauptamt HuB VOM 196.19401/3 1501 Zllf. 7. See also V B1 d W SS., 1941.. UI. 482,
Member 01 SS-Slurmbann Dachau weallng the RZM model SS sleelhelmel, (Suddeulscher Verlag )
SS_WACHVERBANDE 1933-1936-
1. Collar patch 101 non-commiSSioned ranks In the SS Bat1ahonDachau (SS·StUfmbann Dachau)
2, Collar patCh tor oU,cers ot the batlahons and companies(Hundef1schalten) of the SS Guard/Death's Head Ul1IIs.
3 Collar patch lor members ollhe l)atlahon slaft (here. oflicer onthe stall 01 the V/SS Death's Head Battalion ··Brandenburg··l.
4 Collar patch lor othel ranks III The companies 01 The SS Guard/Death·s Head Ballalions (here. 14th Company)
5. Armband 101 all ranks In lhe J SS Guard/OeaTh's Head Battalionand the commandan!"s stall 01 Oachau Camp
6 Almband for all 'anks [n the II SS Guald/Death's Head Batlalionand The commandant's statl 01 Lrchlenbelg and Sub:a C<lmps
7 Armband lor all lanks In ,he 111 SS Guard/Death·s Head Battalton and the commandant"s sTaff of SachsenOOlg Camp
8 Armband fo' aJllanks In The IV SS Guard/Death·s Head Bat·talion and the commandant"s stall 01 Sachsenhausen Camp
9 Armband lor all ranks [n The V SS Gua,d/Deatt..-s Battalion
PLATE 1
2
28
2-6 T-175 1551268497 -84 nlcl
• On the 29Th March 1936 these units were collectively renamedThe SS·Totenkoplverbande, and Ihe WachslUlmbanne (battalions)and WachsTi.irmen (Companies) were then called Totenkopsturm·banne and Totenkop'slurmen respectively
3 4
5
,
7
,
9
29
PLATE 2
,
,
,
31
32
PLATE 3
3
2
4
PLATE 4 - ........................... '" .., ,I :0 •I ,I ,,.... "" -. ......... ..... .... '" '<' , --
2
,
5 33
PLATE 5
2 3
4
PLATE 6
1 , 3
36
PLATE 7
2 3
31
PLATE 8
2 3
4
,36
PLATE 9
, 3
39
40
PLATE 10 SS-RAUTEN
1. Armbadge wom on the lower right sleeve by non-commissionedmembers of concentration camp commandanfs staff.
2. Armbadge worn on the lower fell sleeve by all olllcers In tne SS-TV
with the rank 01 SS-Staf. and above.
3.lntrodllCed by SS Ol"del daled 13th December 1939. for all members
of the NSKK who had reported voluntarily 101 duty w Ih the SS Death'sHead Units.
4.lnttoduced by permiSSion of the Fuhrer on lhe 16th f\ovember 1939.
fOf all members 01 the SA who had reported voluntanly fOI duty wIththe SS Death's Head Units.
1. RFSS T-175 15512685059·60.
3. SS·Belehl Nr. 351245/39 dated 13.12.39.
4. RFSS T-175 173/2708113.
PLATE 11 INSPEKTION K.l. UNO SS·TOTENKOPFWACHSTURMBANNE 1940-1945
1. CoUar palch for commIssioned members 01 the staff oltne ConcentratIOn Camp Inspectorate.
2. Collar palch for other lanks In the SS Dea!h's Head Guard Battalions.Introduced In May 1940.
3 Shoulder strap lor officer With the rank: 01 SS~Uslul In The con·centratlon camp service Double underlav. brown over block
4. Armband which may have been worn by members of the permanentsta1l 01 Dachau concentration camp.
1-2. V.SLd. W-SS.. March 1941, Zilf 158.
4. Original example in the Royal MIlitary Museum. Brussels. 3
2
4
PLATE 11
1 2 3
, .,
4
4\
TRODDELNBayonet knots
Although bayonet knots wele Issued. they CId not al first 'dentlfy thecompany 01 ballalion of the weall!f. but wele of a standard pallern(Emhe1tstrOddel).1Nhen the vauous battalions were re-organised intoregiments the system of colouls 10 denote the company and battalionwas introduced.1. JUnlOI non-commissioned offICers' (Unterlijhrer ohne POllepee)
bayonet knot (uoddel).2. Olher lanks' bayonet knot
I. AFSS T·1551268S060 SS·Hauptamt dOCument dated 91h Malch1936.
2. Ibid.
SS·AUSROSTUNGSS Equipment
The same eQuipment was issued to bath the SS·VT. and SS· TV.(see Volume 3. pages 76-81).OUflng the war concentratIon camp guards were issued with thefOllowing basic items of equipment: I
1 Waist belt1 Belt buckle1 Bayonet frog
To thiS was added:1 Blead bag1 Pair ammunition pouches1 PIStol holstel
1. V.BLd.W SS_. 1942. ,tem 92.
Sword knot (Sabetttoddel) for N C.O·s :"'Ith rank of SS-Unlerscharfuhflr and SS-Scharfuhrer (Unte,fuh'er ohne POrlepee).
S.....ord knolfol SS·Mann up 10 SS-Rotlenfuhrer (SS·Mannschaften). •
44
SS-SP1ElMANNSZOGE UNO SS·MUSIKZOGE
SS Corps of drums and bands
Prior 10 the reorganisation of the five ballalloos ioto three reglm~nlS
which took place m Julv 1937. each Dealh's Head bana!lon. wtth
possibl~excepTion of the IV. had a battalion strength band (SS·Muslkzug
SS-Sturmbann). and a corps of drums.
Alter lhe r9-orgaoisation regiments "Oberba~'em". and "Brandenburg"
aTe known to have had bands. and the existence of a trumpet banner of
the 4th regimen! "Ostmark", suggests that il too had a band.
SS GROSSE TROMMEl (PAUKEISS Bass drum
A letter from the R~lchslUhtef'SS 10 the chief of lhe SS Main Office.
dated 31st June 1936 descr,bed how the bass drums should be pa,nled
in time for the 1936 Parlv Dav Rally,
The drums of the Death's Head Banalions were to be painted as follows:
"SS (Kleiner Totenkopf) Sturmbann "Oberbayern" USW."l
1. RFSS T·175 150/2678588.
,jU.! .t I
" I, ";;i'I''11ti
"Jingling Johnnie" of the 2nd SS Death's Head Regin;ent
"Brandenburg".
Obverse and reverse of a !furrpel banner 01 lhe 4lh SS Dealh's Head Re~l"'nenl "OSlmark". Allhough lhe regIment was only formed In 1938 lhls bannershows considerable signs 01 wear, whICh suggests it was used during the war, posslbly by SS Rifle Reglmenl ··Langemarck". (Mollo Collecuon,)
46
55-FAHNEN UNO 55-STANOARTEN55-flags and standards
In September 1936 the ',ve Dealh's Head Bal1alions were plcsented
Wllh banahon flags at Nuremberg I
In September 1937. followmg Ihe re·organlsa1l0n of the five battalions
mto 4 regiments, It IS thought that each regiment was presented wl\h a
leglmental standard and Ihree ballalion flags. Although the 4th regiment
had only two banahons. lhe marCh plan for the 1938 Party Day Rally
shows three,2
It was usual Gc/many army p/actlse to use arablc numerals for regimental,
and roman numerals for battalion numbers. e.g. 1/4.SS-TV·Slandafle
"Ostmark" or 1Sl Bn, 4th SS Death's Head Reglmenl "Ostmark". I1
appMrs however that In the case of Death's Head leglmenlal slandards.
thiS rule was nOI observed, as can be seen 'rom the photcgraph repro·
duced oPPosite. whiCh IS IhoughllO show the standard of the 2nd SS
Dealh's Head Regiment ··Brandenburg'".
If roman numerals were used to deSignate the u~glment on Lhe standard,
It seems logical thal the same syStem would have been used on tile
battalion flag. but a pholOgraph has come to light which shows that
on the battalion flag the battalion was identified by Roman, and the
regiment by ArabiC numerals as illUSlrated on page 4B.
1. Parte.tag der Ehre.
2. Relchspartcltag. Tell 1 (SS-Dv RPT 1), p.86
Regimental standard of the 1st SS Death'S Head Regiment "Obef·
bayern" Gill eagle and bllldlng of i1lurnlnlurn wreath. scarlet tlag
With fringe, cords and tassels In red, aluminium and black. all Olher
features in black. while and aluminium,
",
j1I
\,\
Believed to be the stane,ild of the 2nd SS Death'S Head
Reg'Ment Brandenburg.
The colour of the SS-Helmwehr DanZIQ. presented to (he
battalion by the Gaulelle' 01 Danzl9. Albert FQfstet. atlhe
Dal\Zlg Malleld on F'lday 18 Augusl 1939 Scarlet flag
fringed with aluminium. all oUler lealUres black. while or
aluminium
47
SS·FAHNENSPIEGEL UNO STANDARTENBALKENFlag patchas and standard crossbars
A) Collal patches: Worn on the fight collar patch by:
I) Members 01 the SS Death's Head companies (Hunderlschaflen),
an a!umu'llum embrOidered death's head Wllh underneath the number
01 the company (arablc numerals 1 to 25).
21 Members 01 the battalion stall. an aluminIum death's head with
underneath the number of the battalion (roman numerals I,V).
3) SS leaders up to and incl. the rank 01 SS-Ostubaf. on the stafl 01 a
camp commandant an aluminium embrOIdered death's head WIth
underneath the leller K.
4) Non·commissloned ranks on the staff 01 a camp commandant. an
aluminium embrOldeled K. and on the lower right sleeve a four-Sided
badge (Raute) with an aluminium embroldeTed death's head, The
badge is edged 10 aluminium-black tWisted cord,
5) Members olthe medica! battalion, an aluminium embroidered death's
head wllh underneath the leller S,
SS leaders who are qualified doctors also wear on the lower left
sleeve the exisllng lour-sided badge (Raute) With an aluminium
embrOidered Aesculapius rod.
N.C.O.'s and men of the Medical Battalion qualifred as orderlies wear
on the lower left sleeve the existing four,slded badge (Raute) With a
black Silk embrOidered AesculapiUS rod.
6) Membels 01 the stall 01 the Leaders 01 SS Guard Formations. an
aluminium embroidered death's head.
Leaders With the rank of SS-S1al. and above on the staff 01 a camp
commandant or serving with the battalions wear on the lower left
sleeve a lour-sided badge (Rautc) With an aluminium embrOidered
death's head. The badge IS not edged.
IIiEEII11._
ImEJilll•••
16WD1__Ill
48
SS·To1enkopfsturmbann I "Oberbayern"
SS' Totenkoplsturmbann 11 '"Elbe"
SS· Totenkoplsturmbann III "'Sachsen"
SS· Totenkoplsturmbann IV "'Ostlriesland"'
SS-Totenkoolsturmbann V "'Brandenburg"
SS·Totcnkopfstandarle 1 "'Oberbayern"'
I 11 & III Battallons
SS·Totenkopfstandarte 2 "Brandenburg"'
I 11 & III Ballalions
SS·Totenkoplstandafle 3 "'Thurmgen"
I 11 & III Battalions
SS·Totenkoplstandarte 4 "Ostmark"
I 11 & III Battalions
APPENDIX 1
The Chief 01 the SS Main Off,co
IAIO Tgbr. Nr, 01462/36
Subject: SS Guard Formation inSignia
Rei: Veri, IA/O Nr, 01294 01 the 18.3.35.
Distllbutor V
Berlin the 9th March 1936
UNIFORMS OF THE ....VOLUMES
SICHERHEITSDlENST UNDSICHERHEITSPOLlZEI1931·1945
Andrew Mollo
K COlKaneHllIO, HaM AOCTanllCIo TonloKo CTpaHII",'" C cIIoTorpacllllRMII.
Windrow&Greene
A signed photograph of RelOhard Heydllch presented by him10 K8I1 Hermann Frank, 1941, Heydrich wellrs non-regulation
twisted cord on his tunic collar. (CTK Prague.)
THE SECURITY SERVICE AND SECRET STATE POLICE
In June 1931. a meeting was arranged between the ReichslUhrer 01 the14,000 strong SS. and a cash,ere<! naval communicauons offIcer
Relnhard Hevdflch, Hlmmler was looking for someone to organ,se anSS counter-espionage servICe. Hlmmter accepted Heydflch. commis
sioned hIm In the SS w.th the rank 01 SS-Untersturmliihrer. and set himup In a small ollice In the Brown House. MUnich I
The embryo Intelligence se......ce was knovm as department lc of the SSH.gh Command (lc-AbtellullQ belm SS-Oberstab). In April 1932 the
SA and SS were banned. and Heydnch's department became known asthe Press and Inlormatlon Se.....1Cft (Presse-und lnlormauonscl!enst
PlO) Its luocllon at thIS tHne was to track down anll-party elements.and keep watch on the oppo5ltlon. 2
Ahllf the removal of the ban on the 14th June. 1932. HeydrICh as SS·Sturmbannfiihrer and Leader of the Secunly se.....1Ce (lal1er des
Slchefheitsd.enstes) WIth a staff 01 7 c...... lians. set up In September an
lc desk in each SS d.stnct (AbschOltt),J In the spnng of 1933 hecentrahsed hiS personnel and Informers. and set up his own temtol'lal
orgamsallon which he controlled Irom a second floor flat al Turkenstrasse 23. MunlCh·Schwablng. Soon after the SO headquarten;(Zenlralslelle) was moved 10 a small Villa al Zuccallstsuasse 4. MunICh·
Nymptlenburg Apparently so IIlIle money was avarlable dunng thiSpenod that at one lIme the telephone was cut olf lor non-payment 01 thebill.•OurlllQ lhe state of emergency that lotlowed the RelChstag hIe on the30th January. 1933. Hermann Goring was put .n charge of the PrussianMinistry of the InterlOl. One 01 hIS Inst aCllons was to appoint Dr.
RudoIf Diels head 01 Department 1a of the Berlin Police Headquarterswhich dealt with opPosl1lon to the republiC.'
To make the tllsk 01 dealing WIth Opposition to the Hitler regime easier,a Prussian M,msterial Ordinance authorised the police to disregardpaJ8graphs 14 and 41 ollhe PrussIan Administrative Police law. which
imposed reslrlctions on Its powers. As if to underline its new foundpower and independence the Polilical Police moved out of ils head-
~. ." IVk., IJ ",,., 'l~. i) - 'I'~'t..l, -, If",. .... "/.-,,h~ ......
-1-')''/10 I•
(
Security Police were often blought under severe pressure to join the SS.
On the 30th January 1935 the Secu.ity Office (Siche.heitsamt) wasre-organised as the Main Security Office (SicherheitsdienstHauptamt).l!
On the 17th June 1936. by decree of the Fahrer and Chancellor. the
Representatives of the German police as guests of the Italian PoliceCorps in Rome in October 1938. From L-R unidentified. SS-Stubal.
Heinrich Muller. Chef der OlpO. SS·Ogruf. Kurt Daluege. SS-Grul.Reinhard Heydrich. and unidentified section leader (Abteilungsleiter).
party post of ReichsfUh.e.-SS was formally amalgamated with the newlycreated governmental ollice of Chief of the German Police. and the
process of unifying the German Police with the SS began. Himmlerappointed Police General Kurt Daluege. Chief of the Order Police. andSS-GruppenfUhrer Reinhard Heydrich. Chief of the Security Police. t}
The next step in the extension of SecuritY Police powers was theappointment in October 1936 of Security Police Inspectors (Inspekteur
der Sichelheitspolizei-ldS) in each military region (Wehrkreis). Theywere mainly intended to improve co-ordination between Criminal Police
and Gestapo. but in so doing. they succeeded in undermining thetraditional authOlitY of the Police Presidents. I.On the 1Si January 1937 Ihe Security Service Main Office with 372
leaders and men was situated at 102 Wilhelmstrasse. Beriin. near theSeclet State Police Office (Geslapa).15
On the 13th November 1937 the post of Senior SS and Police Leaderwas introduced by the ReichsfPrussian Minister of the Interior:
"In the event of mobilisation it will be necessary to appoint a
commander within each Military District (Wehrkreis) to take chargeof all forces belonging to the Reichsfuhrer-SS and Chief 01 theGerman Police (Orpo. Sipo and SS units):' 16
Originally intended to come into being in the event of mobilisation theoflice of HSSPF (which in many ways duplicated that of the SS Districtleader (SS-OberabschninlUhrer) was never truly established in
Germany. but in occupied territOlies il wielded considerable power.being responsible for both political administration and the command ofSS. police and SecuritY Police forces as directed by the ReichslUhrer-SS.
By the 31 st January 1938 the SO had 5050 legulal and honorarymembers. 11 which by December 1938 had risen to 7230.11On the 27th September 1939 the Security Police and Security Service
were amalgamated 10 lorm the Reich Security Main Office (Reichs.sicherheitshauptamt-RSHA). Once again a governmental office. Chief01 the Security Police. and the Nazi Party office. Chief of the Security
Service wele merged into a single post. Chief of the Security Police andSeculity Service {Chef der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD-CSSD).19
3
In May. 1942, SS-ObergruppenfGhrer Reinhard Heydrich was assas
sinated by British-trained Czech parachutists. and after considerable
anxiety and indecision Himmler finally appointed SS·Ogruf.u.General
der Pol. Ernst Kaltenbrunner as Chief of the RSHA and CSSD. on 1st
January. 1943.
It was inevitable that sooner or later the SO would clash with the
Military Intelligence Service (Abwehr) under Admiral Canaris. but It
was not until Canaris was implicated in lhe 201h July. 1944. plot against
Hitler that the Abwehr was handed over to the SS leaving the German.
as the only major European army without liS own intelligence saNice.
Most of the Abwehr departments were absorbed into ASHA offices IV
(Gestapo) and VI (Foreign Intelligence). Later a special Military Office
(Militarisches AmI) under SS·Brigaf. Waiter Schellenberg was formed
10 work closely wilh Amt VI. 20
By the end of Summer 1944 the organisation of all German sabotage
and political subversion had come under the control of one man. when
SS-Ostubaf. OltO Skorzeny. already head of Amt VI S·. took over
Mil. Amt 0 (previously Abwehr Abt. 11). Skorzeny and hiS ex-Abwehr
deputy Major Loos had their H.O. m Schloss Friedenthal. Oranienburgnear Berlin.
Section 0 of the Military Office was organised as follows:
Amt 0 S Sabotage
Amt 0 J Insurrection
AmI.Mil.O{T. Supply of sabotage materials
Its functions were divided mto ewo general types:
1. To threaten· Allied lines of communication by sabotage and by
fomenting political trouble in Germany and the former occupied
territories. using for these purposes German nationals or Fascist and
anti-Allied elements in the countries concerned.
2. To mount military operations of a special type whIch the regular
army could not normally undertake.
4
To carry oul such operations as lhe rescue 01 Mussolini. the attempted
CapfUre by airborne IfOOPS of Tito. and the abduction of Admiral HOflhy.
Skorzeny had at his disposal the SS-Jagerbataillon 502. which was
later re-organised as the SS-Jagdverbande which had H.O:s and
training camps Widely dispersed throughout Germany.
Chiefs of the Aerchssicherheitshauptarnt. From L-A: SS-Oslubaf. Hubcr.
SS-Oberl. Nebe. chiel of the Klipo. ReichslUhrer·SS Heinrich Hlmmler.
SS-Gluf. Aeinhard Heyduch. chief of Ihe Sipo. and SS-Oberf Heinrich
Mullel. Contrary to regulations Heydnch wears two armbands. (Heinflch
Hoffmann.)
SS-ObergruppenfGhrer Or. Ernst Katlen
brunner, Heydrich's successor on the 1st
January 1943. as Chief of the RSHA
and esso. (Wiener Library.)
The last months of the war saw the final attempts of the rank and file
of the SecuritY Police to hold together the collapsing country. while
their leaders. Himmler and Schellenberg made vain attempts to negotiate
with the Allies. As the war drew 10 a close SO and Sipo furnished them
selves with false papers and scurried underground. only to be flushed
out again to face trial fOf their wartime aClivities or to continue in their
old specialist roles as East and West prepared for what then seemed an
almost unavoidable confrontation.
1 Heydrich und der Anfiinge der SO und der Gestapo. p. 78.2 Ibid.. p.
J Ibid.. p. 70.• Ibid.. p. 91.
J Anatomy of the SS state. p. 145.
6 Ibid .. p. 146.
1 lbid.. p. 146.
1 Ibid.. pp. 149-151.
9 Ibid.. p. 152.
10 Ibid.. p. 179.
1I Heydrich und die Anfiinge der SO und Geslapo. p. 297.
L2 Oer Sicherheilsdienst der SS. p, 53.
I J Anatomy of the SS state. p. 157.
I. Ibid.. p. 185.
B Oer Sicherheitsclienst der SS, p. 53.
16 Anatomy of the SS slate. p. 214.
11 Statistisches Jahrbuch der SS del NSOAP. 1938. p, 39.
I1 Ibid.. p. 39.
I' Anatomy of the SS state. p. 172.20 Schellenberg memoirs. p, 412.
5
A Security Police leader and cadets 8t the Security Police School in
Berhn·Charlottenburg, 1938 (7).
members of the SO Fencing SChool in Bernau. but the fact that il was
not included in the March 1941 SS price list suggests that It was never
In lact introduced.7
1.2 Oar Sicherheitsdienst der SS.. p. 85.l.~ Oienststellenverzeichnis der Sipo und des SO, Berlin. Aplil 1942.
• Original caption to photograph reproduced opp,
() Mil1eilungsblan def AZM • NI. 6. 25.4.38, p. 11.
7 Heydrich to the SS Main Office. 29th June 1939 re. Armband
"Fechtschule Bernau", RFSS T·175156/2687129.
The opening of the new security Police School in Prague in April 1942.
Heydrich talks to Bruno Streckenbach while SS-Oberfuhrer Erwin Schulz
stands in the background. The Oliginal picture caption refers to the school
as 'Aeichsschule fUr Detusche Schutzpolaei',9
UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT
From 1933 until the formation of the Frontier Police in October 1937. SS
auxiliary customs personnel wore the black SS service uniform wilhoutBny special insignia. l
In June 1937 the question of distinctive insignia for members of theHiga. battalions under the jurisdiction of the InspeclOr of Frontier andGuard units was still under discussion and in the meantime existing
insignia was to be worn. 2
In January 1939 SS District Elbe applied lor distinctive armbands for its
frontier baltalions bearing the inscription SS·GAENZSTUAMBANNElBEforthestatl. and SS·GAENZSTUAMBANN ELSE preceeded by thenumbers 1-5 for the five battalions. but it is doubrlul il these armbands
were ever actually authorised. J
From October 1937. ollicials. candidate oHl:;ials and employees(Kriminal-Angestellte) of the following Frontier Police Ollices and
stations were obliged TO wear service dress on duty. although civilianclothes could be worn if considered necessary.·
1. Customs Inspector Generals <In ASHA)2. Customs Inspectors3. Frontier Police Commissariats
4. Frontier Police Posts and Out-stations
Member 01 the Frontier Police of the Gestapo in service dress. 1938.
12
The uniform of the Frontier Police was the field-grey service uniform ofthe Security Police. which was worn with the armband GRENZ
POLlZEI, on the lower left cuff. The basic issue of uniform and equipmentconsisted of the following articles: 5
1 Peaked C<lp.
1 Field cap1 Service tunic
1 Pr. breeches1 Greatcoat
1 Raincoat1 Drill tunic
1 Pr. drill breeches
• It appears that a black peaked cap with white piping was worn with
Grenz·Polizei ollicers' armband. (Dodkins Collection)
2 Brown shirts1 Black lie1 Pr. gloves
1 Pr. long boots1 Waist belt with accessories
1 POftepee or sword knot
From the beginning auxiliary customs personnel were armed and a
photograph in "Oas Schwarze Korps" :;hows a frontier guard (Grenzwichter) of The 341h Foot Regiment (Munich)· C<lrrying binoculars anda model 1896 Mauser automatic pistol. 6
By 1935 Higa personnel were being issued with 98 carbines and rifles.and 7.65 automatic pistols.1
• This particular guard is wearing the "traditional unllorm" consistingof kepi and brown shirt. and over his shoulders a fawn raincoat.
1 Das Schwarze Korps.. No.25.. 21.8.35.. p.2.2 Der Reichsfiihrer-SS.. Az. B 23 d/18.6.37" Betr.: Dienstabzeichen
der Al1gemeir.en SS. Berlin. den 18.6.37.
3 SS-OA Elbe an den Chef des 55- Hauptamtes. Dresden. den 12.1.39..Betf.: Spiegel und Armelstreifens der Einheiten des SS-Grenzsturmbanns Elba.
~ Bekleldungsvorschrilt IUr die Grenzpolizei der Sicherheiispolizei.
Befehlsblatl des Chefs d.Sich.Pol.u.d.SD.Nr.4{42 .. 5.21-22. See alsoRFSS T-175 238{2726976-7.
5 Ibid.
6 Das Schwarze Korps.. No.2" 9.1.36.. p.3.7 See correspondence between SS-Hauplamt and SS-OA Rhein. 30.
1.35. See AFSS T-354 414{4132351.
13
RFSS KOMMANOO z.b.V,STAB RFSS KRIMINAL-KOMMANDO
The SS was originally created as a bodyguard !orce for Hitler and leading
members of his party, and until 1934 two of the flfSt SS men, Julrus
Schaub end Julius Schreck, together with others. contrnued to be
responsible lor lhe Hihre(s lile.
In 1934 the responsibility for Hitler's protection was transferred from a
few trusted veterans of the early years 01 Nazism a more sophist,cated
section 01 the Security Police, the Reich Securrty Service (Reichsstcher
heitsdlenst·RSD). The RSO mainlained permanent sections (OienSI·
stellen). Dlenststelle I was at Obersalzberg (later rn Berlin) and consisted
01 Hitler's personal guard under SS-Slaf,Hoegl l, Oienstellen 11 and III
wele known as the Fuhrer Escort Commando. The commander of thO
RSO was SS-Srigal.Ratlenhuber and his personnel consisted, III the
mOSI parI. 01 elCperienced profeSSional detectives from the Cum,nal
Police.
AI Ilrst these secllons were known collectively as lhe RFSS Specl..1
Purpose Commando (RFSS Kommando z.b.V.), with some 15 leaders,
and presumably Olhe, ranks. l In 1936 It was renamed RFSS Staff
Cumlna] Kommando (Stab RFSS Krlminal-Kommando) Wllh a per
manent establishment of 50 leaders •. It IS thoughl that by thiS date the
RSO had assumed responSibility lor the personal safety of other leadll'19
NaZIS. GOling IS known to have had 15 men assigned 10 him,
Ratlenhuber, whose centre of operations was always at Hnler"s head
Quarters (Fuhrer-HauptQuartier), conlmued to be responsible for Hltle(s
safely untlllhe'end 01 the war. and on 30th April 1945 it was membelS 01
his commando who witnessed the disposal of HlIler's corpse In the
gardens 01 the Reichs Chancellery,
, The last Days of Hitler.. p,194,
1 Guides to German Records microlllmed at Alexandlla, VA.No.39 p VI
1 Dienstalleniste der SS.. 1934.
• Dienstallerliste der SS.. 1936.
, Last Days 01 Hitler.. p.194.
14
Himmler greets members of Htller's Escort Commando l·A, SS·Stal.
(Lawl SS-Brlga!.) Hans Ratlenhuber. Hlmmlef. SS,Sluba!. Kempka.
(Helnrlch Hollmann.) .
SS·BEGLE!TKOMMANDO DES FOHRERS(FOH RER-BEGLEITKOMMAN DO)
While the RSD tracked down and apprehended ally anti·party or
dlssalfected elements who mIght Wish to assassmate Hlller. lhe Escort
Commando was responSible for protecting him against spontaneous or
surpflse atlempts at assassination or abuse on state occasslons. journeys
and public appearances. In addlllon to the permanent escort. which
consisted mainly of his detectives, chauffeufs and persona! attendants.
extra personnel could be drawn lrom his Bodyguard Regiment and the
various SS main offices.
It appears that in 1940 a regular escort consisting of smart Wallen·SS
men who had seN'ed at the Iront. was formed under the command of
SS-Ostuf. Franz Schiidle. l
On the 28th September 1939 Hitler ordered the formation of the
Flihrer Escort Battalion, an army unit. under the command of General
Erwin Rommel. The battalion guarded the perimeter and approaches to
Hitler's field headquarters. such as Rastenburg, while the SS continued
10 be responsible for internal security
I The Last Days of Hiller.. p.194.
Members of Hitler's Escort Commando, drawn from his personal Body·
guard Regiment and the SS Main Ollice;'September 1939. IHeinrich
Hoffmann.l
Hitler greets his personal chauffeur SS-Stubaf. Erich Kempka. On
Kempka's right SS-Stubaf Gesch, and on his teft SS-Hstuf. Schadle.
commander of Hitler's Escort Commando, (Heinrich Hoflmann.)
15
16
EINSATZGRUPPEN DEft SICHERHEITSPOLlZEIEINSATZGRUPPEN DER SICHERHEITSPOLlZEI UNO DES SO
When Germany annexed Austria. Security Police and Gestapo agents
working in conjunction with the Austrian police under the pro-German,
Nazi Minister of the Interior Dr. $eyss-Inquart immediately carried oul
actions against prominent anti-German Ausnians and subversives.
For the invaSion of Czechoslovakia specially formed Action Staffs(Elnsallsliibe) were formed 10 co-ordinate SO. Security Police and OrderPolice personnel and unllS In their speCial tasks. Two staffs were set up.
"K" under SS-Dberf. Jost fOf Prague, and "L o
• under SS·Slat. Dr.
$Iahlecker for Brno. Each Stall consisled of an SO and Gestapo expert
(Referent). Czech-speaking interpreters, specialists and lechnlcal
pelsonnel, and 5 Action Commandos (Einsalzkommandos-EK)- with 1
in reserve. I
HaVing proved successful In Czechoslovakia the system WilS developed
and enlarged for the inVaSiOn of Poland In Seplember 1939, SIX SpeCial
Action GlOupS were formed and altached to each of the live armies taking
part in the invaSion, as well as one for the province of Posen.
- In the event of resistance from ·'Franc-Tlreurs·· and partisans during
the opening stages of the operation. Action Group personnel were to
be armed with carbines. pistols, hand grenades. gasmasks, and light
machine guns. Z
SS-Gruf. Heydrich and commander 01 a Special Action Group during
the invasion 01 Poland, September 1939.
Members 01 a Special Action Group recelye thelf orders. Poland 1939.
Note that thelf yehlcle bears police markings.
In the Free City of Danzig a number of Action Commandos were formed
ifom members 01 the Political Police of the Danzig Crimina! Police and
Protection Police (Schutzpolizei) and General SS. and were exclusiYely
at the disposal of the Danzig Police.
Following Himmler's decree of the 20th Noyember 1939 the Action
Groups and commandos used for the inyasionol Poland were disbanded.•
In Danzig and West Prussia personnel of;
EK 16 Abt. Danzig went 10 Stapoleitstelle Danzig
EK 16 Abt. Bromberg went to Stapostelle Bromberg
EK 16 Abt. Thorn wenl to Stapostelle Graudenz
EG VI Stab went to IdS Posen
EK 1Nl went to Stapostelle Lodz
EK 2Nt went la Stapoteitstelle Posen
EK 1N went ro Sraposletle Hohensalza
In Eastern Upper Silesia members of Action Group z.b.V. went to
Stapostelle Kattowitz.
In the General Goyernment personnel of;
EG I went to KdS Krakau
EG 11 went to KdS Lublin
EG III went to KdS Radom
EG IV went to KdS Warschau
On the 28th April 1941. prior 10 the invasion of Russia. the Commander in
Chief of the Army Field Marshal van Brauchitsch laid down the con·
ditions and zones in which Special AClion Groups could operate. and
also empowere.d them to take executive measures against the ciyilian
population as long as these actions did not interfere with military
operations. The operational zones in which the groups could function
were divided as follows:'
18
Batlle zone
(Gefechlsgebiet)
L of C. Area
(Ruckwlirtiges Armeegebiel)
Rear areas
(Ruckwlirtiges Heeresgeblet)
Under oYerall CSSD (HeydrichjKalten
brunner) command. but subordinate to
army in mallers 01 movement. rations
and billets.
Subordinate to representa\lye of CSSD.
who w.as usually group commander.
but subordinate to army In mallers of
movement. rallons and billets.
The army commander had no juriS
diction oyer action groups. except to
issue "limited" inS!rUCllons when
danger was Imnllnent.
At first the civilian population In the occupied territories. If not actually
pro-German did not resist the occupiers. butthe indlsc/imlnate and brutal
treatment meted out by the secullly forces In general. and the Special
Action GIOUpS in parlicular. soon swung it against the Germans. Large
numbers of Soviet deserters and stragglers cut off behind the German
lines. could now rely on the ciVilian population for support. and began to
disrupt German hnes of commUnications and carry out reprisals on
persons 01 commUnities which had collaborated With the occupiers.
In May 1942 the BdS Lubtin formed a special Action Group (Sander
elnsalzgruppe) which was to disgUise itself as a partisan band and assist
the security forces In the marntenance 01 order. This unit was intended 10
carry out large scale lootrng and reprisals in the name 01 the partisans. and
thus discredit the partisan movement (Gwardla Ludowa) in the eyes of
the local rnhabltants. 11
In October 1942. SS·OberQruppenfiihrer Eflch von dem Bach-Zelewsld
was given overall command of all antl·partisan formallons With the title
of Plenrnpotentiary for the Combatting of Partisans in the East
(BevoJlmachtigter fUr die Bandenbeldimplung im Osten). and in 1943
Chief of Anti-Partisan Formations (Chef der Bandenkampfvefbande).
In Western Europe Action Groups In the extermination sense had not
been used in the initial occupations. but the establishment 01 the normal
seCUrity police network of commanders and regional commanders under
a Higher SS and Police Leader was rapidly set up. The situation however.
developed differently. The resistance movements at first did not take up
arms against the occupiers. but acted as agents and couriers for the allied
powers; their numbers were small and their techniqu?s sophisticated.
and It required moro brains than brawn. on behalf 01 the security police to
track them down. h was not until 1943 that bands 01 partisans began to
harass German lines of communication and supply. as a prelude to the
Invasion of Western Europe.
In the west. SO and security police had no special anti-partisan units of
their own and had to call on the security units 01 the army and the police
These three photographs show Special Action GfOupS in action during the initial stages of the invasion of Russia. A Soviet straggler is captured.
personal documents are scrutinised. and a suspected partisan questioned.
21
Members 01 an AuxIliary Secuflty Police Battalion surrender theirEnglish and Amellcan alms to members 01 the Danish Resistance. 1945.These ale bell8Ved 10 be members of a LaMan Unll. and lhey weal amixture of $chuma. and Waffen·SS uniform and lnslgnla.
Cap and armbadge lor AuxlhalV SecUllty Police personnel. Olllcers'badges were woven In aluminium wire and othel ranks In grey·greensilk Ihread. both on a black background.
29
DIENSTGRADABZEICHEN
B.dgea of rank
Sleeve sUlpes.
Same badges of rank as
Army.
Same badges of rank as
Army.Members of a Ukramlan Securrly Police AUXIliary ballalion are decorated
with lhe medal for bravery and mefl! of the "Eastern people". This
photograph together with others appeared In Ihe 1st December 1944
Issue of "DIe Deutsche POIIZCI".
b) Latvlans. Estonians and Lithuanians:
Oberslleulnant
Major
Hauplmann
Oberleutnanl
Leutnant
Non·commissioned officers and men to have same tItles and badges
The wearing of German badges of rank by foreign auxiliclfles was
expressly forbidden. I and new titles and badges were gradually intro
duced. although II appears Ihat neithel Ihe prohIbitIon. or new regulatIons
were ever uniformly enforced. or obscrved.
The Decree of Ihe RFSS of Ihe 30th May 1942 staled Iha! wilh ellecI
from the 1st June Ihe following badges of rank and tllles were to be
introduced: ~
a) Russians and Ukramians. etc.:
Batalllonsfuhrer der Schuma.
Kompanleluhrer der Schuma.
Oberwgfuhrer der Schuma.
ZugfUhrer der Schuma.
Kompanle·Feldwebel der Schuma.
Vlzefeldwebel der Schuma.
Korporal der Schuma.
Unterkorporal der Schuma.
Schutzmann
as a).
I RFSS T-175 14012668246.
~ O-Kdo I 0(1) Nr.204/42 in Rep. 320 AdJ.Nr.29.
30
• The name gIven to a krul1ed woollen helmet with face opening
Invented. together wl1h 1he cardigan, in Ihe Crimean War. The
Germans called It a head-protector (Kopfschutzer).
ItemField cap
Peaked cap
Field blouse. f'eld Jacket or uniform tunic ,n cloth or serge
Collal liner or 511ff collarRiding breeches. breeches, field or long trousers gathered
at the ankle
Greatcoat Of over-greatcoat (Obermantel)
Raincoat
HIgh boots. or lace· up ankle boots wl1h leather gaiters or
mountain boots
Ankle straps for mountain boots
Shoes. black
Spurs with straps
Balaclava helmet.· or woollen scarfPullover. or woollen Unde'l3Cket Of fur veSl
Leather gloves. Imad or unloned
Handkerchiefs
Washing bag
Sports vestSports trousersWaist beltSword bell (Umerschnallgun)
Map caseSleeping bag
Shoe resoling ,n the vear
Leather lining tor riding breeches (only If able to ride a
horse)
Sword kn01
Officers' trunk
From SS,SlUbaf upwards
Quantity
2224
221
2 prs.
2 prs.
2 prs.
2 prs.
1
11 pI.
3122111
1up to 3prs.
1
21
2
SS·Ogrul. Reinhard Hevdllch. hIS adJutan1 and SS-Grut Frank. Prague.
September 1941. (Cn:. Prague.)
34
Despite the IfHroductlon 01 branch of service colours (Waffenlarben).
members of the Secullty Poltce and SD appear to have continued to
wear white. Instead of police green piping.
This was possibly due 10 the rather vague status of the SD as a branch of
the General SS. whose standard piping colour was White. With the
introduction of police paHern shoulder straps in January 1942. N.C.O.'s
with rank of SS,Slurrnscharlul1rer in the Security Police and SD were
allowed to wear offIcers' caps. wrth black velvet band and aluminium
chin cord. 4
I Erlass des Chefs des SS-Fuluungsamtes vom 19.9.1940.~ Verordnungsblalt der Waflcn-SS. No. 11. 1.6.42. p, 00.l Ibid.. No. 3. 1.2.43. lIlt. 37.
4 Belehlsblatt des Cllefs d, Slch. Pol. u.d. SO. No. 2/42. p. 6.
Members of Ihe Securrty Polrce search suspects, Poland. September
1939. They are weaflng the fIrst model field·grey tunic (Rock) andspecial l,ghtweight steel helmet
36
SS-Sturmscharfuhrer Ackermann. Note the while pIpIng on
his oHicers' cap. and police panern shoulder straps. (DodkinsCollection.)
• Poh2el-Griin. but often described as Glfl-Gl1jn or toxic-green.
I Befehlsblatl des ChdSPudSO.. NO.32.. 23.8.41 .. pp.161-2_
! Belehlsblatt des ChdSPudSO.. No.2.. 17.1.42.. pp.5-6.
J Belehlsblatt des ChdSPudSO.. No.49.• 12,10.43,. p.321.
To prevent members 01 the SO and Sipo from being mistaken for
members of the Waffen-SS. police panern shoulder straps were
introduced In January 1942. for N.C.O·s and men. At the same time the
weaflng of N.C.O·s braid on the collar and arm chevrons was lorbidden. 2
With the call-up of women for various duties within the Security Police
and concentrallon camp systems. six new ranks were introduced. which
were Identified by 0.5 cm wide aluminium braid chevlons. which were
worn on the lower left sleeve 01 the jackel and greatcoat 8 cm from the
bonom of the sleeve_]
SS- Manner
SS Men
SS-Unterfuhrer ohne Ponepee
Junior non-commissioned leaders
SS-Fuhrer
SS leaders
Hollere SS-Fuhrer
Senior SS leaders
1ss- Unterfuhrer mil Portepee
Senior non-commissioned leaders
f
f
Plllte 1 lpp. 38 &I 391
1. SS-Obelgruppenlijhrer
2. SS-Gruppenluhlel
3. SS-Brigadeluhler
4. SS·OberlUhrer
5, SS-Standartenluhrer
6. SS-Obersturmbannluhrer
7. SS·SturmbannlUhrer
8. SS-HauplsturmlUhrer
9. SS-Obersturmluhrer
10. SS-Unlersturmfijhrer
11. SS-Sturmscharluhrer
12. SS-Haul'tscharfuhrer
13. SS-Oberscharfuhrer
14. SS-Scharfuhrer
15. SS-Unterscharluhrer
16. SS-Rottenluhrer
17. SS-Sturmmann
18. SS-Mann
SS-Hstuf Strobel and members of the Maastrichl SO. 1941, (Museet
vaoIOorlogsdoCUment311e.)
DIENSTGRADABZEICHEN
Bedges of rank
At IlrSl members of lhe SO and Sipowore the same badges 01 rank on the
collar and shoulder as members of the General SS. but with the intro
duction of field-grey they began to wear army pattern shoulder waps
which had already been adopted by the SS-VerfugungStIUppe.
In August 1941 SO and Sipo members were reminded that they could
only wear armv/walfen-SS shoulder sllaps il they had police-green'
piping. I
37
PLATE 1 DIENSTGRADA8ZEICHEN DER SIPO UNO DES SO 1942-1945
1 2 3 5
1-3: Outer strands 01
Interwoven cord, gold
finish: underlay, tOXIC·
green.
1, 2· RanI: stars. Silver
4-10 Underlay.l0ll!C
green over black Rank
stars, gold
11-17: Undertay 1111 &
oolel P'PII1O 112·171.toxoc..green
a 9
la
10
39
PLATE 2 olENSTGRAoAB2EICHEN oER HELFERINNEN DER SI PO UNO DES SO
Knmtnalsekretalln
40
Krimlnaloberasslslenlln
Krlmlnalobersekrelarln
Kumlnalobefllsslslenltn zur Prufung
PLATE 3 OIENSTGRAOABZEICHEN OER SCHUTZMANNSCHAFTEN OER SICHERHE1TSPOLlZEl 1943·45
Kapltan
Kompanle· Feldwebel
Starschy Leltenanl
Shoulder SHap for commIsSIoned ranks
Vize-Feldwebel
Shoulder slrap fOf non-commissIoned ranks
Lellenanl
Korporal
41
PLATE 4
2 3
4
5
43
UNIFORMS OF THE JiJtVOLUME 6
WAFFEN·.... CLOTHINGAND EQUIPMENT 1939-1945
Andrew Mollo
K COlKaneHllIO, HaM AOCTanllCb TonbKO CTpaHII"'b1 C cjJOTorpacjJlIRMII.
Windrow&Greene
Typical ~eeno ,n~ldll an SS eoneenuat,on camp cloth,ng works al ,he begmnlng ollhe war.
2
Soon new works for krTltwear and straw overboots. a weaving mill. and atraining school for tailors was established in Ravensbruck. By 1943 theclothing works in Dachau and Ravensbruck had achieved a very high standard.and apart from manufacturing clothing for inmates, were producing some20% of the Waffen-SS clothing needs. Items of clothing manufactured by theSS clothing works usually bore the stamp
SSBW
Another firm. German EQUipment Works Lld (Deutsche AusrustungswerkeGmbH - DAWj was formed in May 1940. and operated a number offactor'eswhich undertook minor economic enterprises, including the sword smithyrun by Paul Muller in Dachau from October 1939."After the occupation of Poland and parts of RUSSia. Eastern Industries Ltd(Ostlndustrie GmbH - Ostl) used Jewish Inmates from concentration andlabour-camps to make winter uniforms and various items of eQuipment fromproperty and raw materials seized by the Germans. In October 1943 Ostltookover the fur working factory attached to the fOfced labour camp at Trawnlkl,where. under the management 01 the German service firm of Schulz & Co,6.000 Jews manufactured and maintained fur caps. coats. and gloves forthe Waffen-SS and armed forces.Byuse of KL inmates, the SS was never short of labour although increasinglyshort of raw malerials. which necessitated restriction on the issue of newclothing and re· issue of renovated used clothing. By 1943 the shortage hadbecome cmical. and In January Pohl reported to the Reichsfuhrer-SS.'In the past year the Situation in the field 01 textile and leather goods hasworsened considerably.' He went on to blame this on 'the absence of suppliesfrom abroad, the continuing expansion of the armed forces, the Increase in thereQuirement lor work clothing for foreign workers and the needs of the
Notes:1. NO-678. This induded a small tailors' shop estabhshed In August
1949. transferred to DAW on 1 January 1941_
2. NO-l 043. The SS economIc enterprises in Dachau were incorporatedIn DAW from 1 January 1940.
3. NO-678. The plant was opened in Dachau In February 1940. andtransferred to Texled on 3 June 1940.
German civilian population as a result of general wear and tear". After calculaung the supply of raw materials available, Pohl estimated that the needsof [~le Waffen·SS fm the year 1943 could only be met up In the followingpercentages:
Wool 26%Cotton 15%Synthetic wool and rayon 25%linen 30%leather for footwear and equipment 50%
Pohl commented. This m<lans that the wearing time of most articles mustbe extcnded by four and more'; adding, .... that It IS only possible to ensuresupplies in the long term if one exercises the utmost economy, and defersall avoidable claims from the troops It IS known, and stressed time and timeagall1m discusSions with the OKW, that compared to the army the Waffen-SSIS still considerablv bener clothed and equipped. Our troop commanders(1ruppenfuhrer) must realise that In tt,e fourtt, year of war It IS no longerposs,ble to get exceptional treatment.'One outcome of Pohl's gloomy fmecast. was Htmmler's recommendationthat a look out be kept fOf sUitable foreign uniforms, but once again the SSme! teSlstance from the army, III Aprrl 1943. SS-Gru!. Berger repolled that 111
Denmark stocks of Danish uniforms could only be utilised (for the Germanarmy) by Commanding General von Hannecken - who was also fmdmgdlff'culty In ob!alning enough uniforms for German and ethniC' Germanconscripts, The situation was no different in December 1943. when theHochste SS-und Pollzei-Fuhrer 111 Italy attempted to extract 100.000 setsof captured Italian unifmms and equipment out of the army. for use by therapJdly expanding Italian volunteer units_ Althougll the Waffen-SS wasunable to clothe 100.000 Italians from its own stocks, the army QUmtelmaSter,OberSllntendant Nierhoff at OKWfVA, played for time by saying that 'therestili had not been any exact survey of available booty, and that the armed forcesrequ,rements are also very greal', He went on, 'it is therefme up to the Wehrmarcht-Fuhrungsstab to decide', and that 'a deCISion In wilting IS not to beexpected before the end of the month'.In 1943. the OKW, faced with similar problems. embarked on the nextIneVitable step -the standardisation of the uniform of the armed forces andorganiSations connected With 11. In September 1940 it suggested 'that theshade and manufacture of the uniform of the Wehrmacht and the organisationsConnected With it should be standardised; especially as the supply situationin the field of raw materials. particularly textiles. make it increasingly difficultto keep sufficient stocks of the various colours III use. and also to fu,ther ease
Re,ct,slul"e,-SS Hlmmle' and Gene,.lobe,sl Model ,nspect the t31h SS Voluntee,Mounlam D,v,s,on (Croal,an) On 12 Janua'v t944, On II,e "ghl IS SS·Og'ul.Pohl. andbeh,nd H,mmle'. 5$·8"gal F,lll,um_ TIH!V all wu, la,lor-made g,eatcoals w,rh sllve'g'eV lapcls and coli., parcl1es_ H'mmle' has a detachable fur colla'.
the labour situation'. The sample of the material they sent fOf inspection wasSimilar to the earth·grey that the SS·VT had used until 1937 - 8. and Pohlcould not resist reminding Hlmmler that 'we realised eight years ago that thisshade was undoubtedly nlore practical and acted accordingly. At the beginningof the war on the intervention of the OKW, we had to depart from this colour.although we were convinced that it was beller',The OKW had to deCide 'what Items of uniform are to be made in future. and
3
Ziff.1S: Subject. SS field-grey field cap for N.C.O.'s.'II has been ordered that the SS lield cap. without chin strap or wire stiIFener(Mutzendrahl). IS to be worn. It must be borne in mind. that it IS not to beworn as a ser~lce cap. but as a Ileld cap. Ilnd thiS fact has been taken InlO,ICCounl when deslgmng the cap All caps currently in use must have thechin strap and sllllener remo~ed
Allhough IOI\lalty IOltoduced as an N.C.O·s cap. II continued to be worn\,ell on InlO the war by N.C O:s and oflocers (many 01 whom were forme'NCO s) In lhe field The cap had a fleld·grey lap. and salt Ileld-gley clothf' vered peak. black band. and whIte pipIng Badges were OrigInally 10 whItefT'l>lal. bUl either metal. machine-embrOidered (from Panzer beret) or.'. 'ven p;llterns wele used The December 1939 order laid down that m the
lOlly of the barracks. senior N C.Os (Porlepee-Unterluhrer) could wear theI, Id grey servICe cap With "eld-grey uniform. On all other occaSIOns. when a
" cl helmet was not specll.ed. the Other ranks' field cap (Sch.ffchen) shouldle worn. However. amendments to the orde, perml1led the weanng OUI of lhe
Id pattern N.C O:S field cap."
DienstmuUes..'Ylce cap-UlCers were the first to receIve an eaflh-grey peaked servICe cap m 1935.. 11 by 1937 rt was betfl.Q manufactured Wllh a fleld-gley top. It was worn by-mmlss,oned ranks· 0 on duty. on all occasions when a steel helmet was
11 t specifIed Aftel lhe InUodOCIIOn of an off,ce-r's lleld cap In 1939. the~(·aked cap was worn Wllh servICe dress. and. after the outbreak of war. Wllh..... "Iking-oul dless.(Hlcers' caps were made of "eld·grey cloth. with black velvet band and
,le piping lor all oHloers up 10 and 'ncluding SS-Slal Semor oHlCers,\ I" the lank of SS-Oberluhrer and above and alumlmum piping. The peak-"as made of lacqueled black fibre (Vulkanfiber). although softef lacqueredkdther peaks were also worn. albeit unofficially Chin cords were made oft ....o twisted aluminium cords. and were fastened 10 the cap wilh two 13 mm~h'le metal buttons. Badges on the field-grey peaked cap were supposedICI have been In aluminIum fllllsh. but Silver plated ones were also worn, as
00 The officers cap was alsO worn by graduale officer cadets (SS-Stand.Ob.Ju.) awaiting P'Dmotlon to SS-Ustul.. and by SS-HauptscharlUhrerd.Res. in Ihe medical or vetrinary services. ~ For the various regulationsgoverning the wearing 01 coloured piping on the peaked cap. see thesection dealing with Waffenlarben.
-
TO() 10 bOuom • Okl ""ne'" 1'(I1d cap lOfothe' ,ank. and N.C.O:. heldcapw'lh cloth pclak.
11
Too 10 bClIIOIn 1938 model .rtlW oH,ee's l.eld np ,onve'Ied loo SS use New ':"lI••nl.eld ap lor other "nu' 19"0 mooel W.ff.,,·SS olfoc».s!lekl cap_
12
were woven or embrOldeled badges 10 June 1940. wearing of lhe whItelopped summel peaked cap by Wallan·SS oU,cers was forbIdden J
The othe, ranks' verSIon of fhe cap was IlIst Introduced m 1939.101 wea, b\5eOlOI NCO s m the v,c,n,tv ollhe barracks. and I1 was anI\, alter lhe b.ac~
uOllorm had ceased 10 be worn as a walking-out dress Ihal other ranks weft"
ISSued wllh. 01 allowed 10 purchase lhe held·grey peaked cap for wea, wher,walkmQ out II had a fIeld grey lflkof top. bl3Ck cloth band. and whIte PIPIngThe chIn strap was black leather. and lhe peak was black Ilble BaOges WelTwhIle 01 malt-g'ev melalConlrary 10 legulallons obsolete pallerns of SS cap badges were wo," 0'both ollicers' and othe< lanks' 5eIVICe caps DUllng the war the dlftlCulty 11
obtalnmg SS InsIgnIa meant Itlal natIonal emblems of lhe almy and othe'pohhcal olga",sauons wele WOHl ,nslead of the legulatlOn SS palternInItIally. manulacture and retaIling of flekl·gley SS peaked caps was controlled by the RZM. bUI In February 1941 Ihey wele freed from RZM controland 'ram then on were obtaInable Irom private hatters and unilorm outflUersalthough the mS'9",a was Stili only Obtamable from the RZM. or one 01 lIS
oUlle's.· As a resull 01 the difficulty 01 obtammg SS caps and InSignia. man\olltcers purchased armv caps. had a black velvet band IlIIed over lhe darkg,een one. and wore the national emblems of the army (Of other politicalorganisations) Instead 01 the regulation emblem (See. lor e~ample. the 11Iustrallon on p. 91 JTho followll19 unusual and unoffiCial prilClIces regardll1Q weallng 01 the se,Vice cap have been noted.
1, Wearmg of Ihe cap Without chm cords 01 stlap.2. A photograph shows an officel m RUSSia wearing what appears to be a
I,eld-grev ctolh COvel over h,s service cap.
Feldmutze (Schiffchen) fur Fi;ihrerOfflce,'s field cap (boal·shapedlThe December 1939 order requlled lhal officers obtain lhe new field cap(boat"shaped rn the all·force cut) by I January 1940 • PrIOIIO thiS date therehad not been a regulallon olflce(s lleld cap Many offlCels had unoff,clallvpUlchased lhe 1938 model armV off,cer's field cap. In black Of field-grey.and replaced 01 covered the nallonal cockade WIth erther the melat SS death·shead. Of the small whlle me,al one from [he army Panlel lloops collar patchThele IS at least one lecorded InSlance of an SS offICer wearing the army fIeldcap wllh army InSlgma wllh Waflen·SS umform. T
The 1939-model offlcer's fIeld cap was made 01 field-grey tukot w,th alumln~
lum piping around the lOP 01 the llap In November 1940. however. Hlmmlel
amended his earlier order. and restricted the wearing of aluminium piping toscnlQI officers with lhe rank of SS·OberfUhrer and above. All other officerswele to wear white piping. ThiS order may have been rescinded. but In anyc"se nobody appears to have taken any notice of It.'InSignia on an olllcer's field cap conSisted of the national emblem and death's!lead. both ot which were worn In Iront_ They were macfllne woven inaluminium thread on a black ground. A Soutache in Waffenlarbe was illsotll be worn rn front. Accordrng to regulallons the correCI dls\nnce between theends of the Soutache was 9 cm,
Feldmutze (Schiffchen) n.A.field cap (boat· shaped) new pallcrnIn November 1940 a new style field· grey cloth (black for Panzer troops)f,cld cap In the air· force cut was Introduced. "Inslgn,a on caps for other rankswas baSIcally the same as for officers. but woven In a silver grey (later mall·grey) artifiCial s,lk lhread, At firstlhe Soutache In Walfenfalbe was sewn 10
the front of the flap of the cap, but In order to bClhtate the changing of theSoutache and cut down on make,up time. It was deCided to pass theSuut1lche tl1l0ugh a loop at Its apex and sew It at both ends only" Weallngthe Soutache was discontinued In September 1942,1l
Einheitsfeldmutze Modell1943Stanclard f,cld CilP. Model 1943By 1943 practical experience "t the ftont had shown the boat-shaped field(.''0 to be Imptactlc;)l. as it afforded InsuffiCient shadmg from the gl~re 01lloe sun. and msufflClent protection to the ears ilnd back of the ned In cold""eafher S'r1ce II could be worn In many different ways it also tended todosfroy the ur1lform appearance of a unit The mountam cap, which had b€enIsslled In Ilm,ted numbers befole the Wilr fOl tralO1I19 111 mQUntilll1QUS regions,wa'i small. practical- and popular.
355. Field cap.I'Instead of the existlf19 field cap[s] (boat·shaped). a new field cap In Ihesame cut and manufacture as the mountain cap IS to be Introduced onpractical grounds, The field cap 13 black for Panzer troops. and fleld·grey forail othcr units. Designation and article numbO! remains unchilngedThe Ileld CilP[S] (boat-shaped) may be worn out.
• It was impractical If1 the sense that crews of enclosed iJrmouredvehicles were perml1ted to wear it back to front, since the large peakmade it difficult to use optical equipment.
Top 10 bottom. 1943 mod"II,,,ld cap 101 Qlher lanh and cltreers t943 modellield upollal" manulaclure w'lh f,nal p.lIern cap badge_
13
Top 10 botlom Peaked serv,ce cap for seniOl off,cers. ofhccts and Olloe, tanks,
14
The issue standard field cap was made of rield·grey cloth." and was similarIn cut to the mountain cap. with large cloth covered peak and flap thaTfastened in fron!. with at !ifSt two and then one bunon. which could belowcred to cover cars. side and back of the head. and chin. Officers hadatuminium piping around the crown of the cap.At first the same insignia was WOIO as on the new pallelO field cap. Thedeath's head was WOIO in fronl. and the national emblem on the leh side 01the flap. In order to save time the Width of the flap In fronl was slightly reducedand both badges worn In Iront. Since It was qUicker and easier to sew ollebadge. a new panern, incorporating the national emblem and the death'shead on a triangulal base was Introduced later in 1943. The new insignlClwas produced In twO patterns. The fifSI was mactllne-embroidered in mallgrey and black artifiCial Silk on a triangular fleld·grey or black (Ior the blackcap) cloth ground, The second pallern was machine-woven In a continuousstrip. although the deSign remained basically similar. There was no officer'sversion 01 this Insignia. Allhough primarily deSigned for the M.1943 cap. thiSInsignra also appeared on other patterns 01 field cap. which remained inservice untrlthe end of the wal.The follOWing unofficial prachces regarding wearing lhe standard field caphave been noted:
I. Wearing 01 melal cap insignia in place olthe woven panern,2. Wearing 01 a combinallon of woven and cloth Insignia.3 Wearing of lhe army M,43 field cap complete wilh army insignia,
but the national cockade ellher replaced or covered by a metal orwoven death's head.
4. Wearing of M,43 caps made of while malerial wilh winler clothing.5. Wearing of M,43 caps made of light colouH:!d lightweight materials.6. Wearing of M.43 caps Wilh tho flaps covered wllh fur.7. Wearrng 01 ski caps of civilian manufactum either wilh or withoul SS
insignia.
StahlhelmSteel helmCIInitially Ihe SS·VT had been issued with a modified version of the 1916model steel helmet. or SS/RZM model, (See Vol. 3. pp. 39 - 41.) On INovember 1935 the chief of the SS-Hauptamt. notified all units of the SS-VTthat since deliveries of tl,e field-grey Wehrmacht helmet Irom the Reich WarMinistry were expected before the end of the year. the intrOduction of thegrey-green canvas cover for the black onc was no longer necessary. The blackhelmet in the possession of the SS·VT was to be used 10r parades.u This
not,ce does not specify which model helmet was to be delivered. but mostprobablY tl was the AClchswehr model, which was, at the time. being fCplacedby the 1935 model In the ilrmed forces.The smaller 1935 model steel helmet was flfstlssued to the SS-VT In 1936,and by the beginning of thc war had been Issued III both field-grey and black"mshes. The obsolete 1916 model and AZM helmets contmued In use withsecurity and Ersatz units until withdrawn In March 1941,' I The 1935 modelwas made m five basic sizes, weighing from 681 -1.200 grms. The lining wasof niltural coloured leather (perforated for ventilation) which could be adJusli:ld to fit the head by means of a drawslrlng and was allached to andsuspended from an aluminium band frxed to the shelt of the helmel by threecOII~r pins. The two,plecc black teDlhor chin slfap was fastened on bOlhsldtls to f1ngs on the band. and buckled on the leh side by a Single prongedwhile metal buckle. In 1943, both cost lactor and ptOductlon speed wereimpflJved when ttle helmet was modified With <In unCflmped brim.
FinishBelufe the w<lr the steel helmet had a smooth surface With a semi-mailfield grey finish. I1 was forbidden to alter thiS finish either by polishing 01
Greasmg, In March 1940 it was decided, for camouflage reaSOns. to apply anew slightly rough finish (schicfcrgrau), Umil supplies of thiS new pilin!""Cle made available helmets were to be camoutlaged temporarily with earthor clay. Durmg the war many different tlnlshes were applied: although toov~lIed and numerous 10 hst fully, mention must be made of the use of commonwl,newash when 'the field' was a snow covered landscape I
WappenschildeEs(;utcheonsFlom September 1935 the standaid escutcheons 01 the SS wele WOIn on theswnt helmet (Vol, 3. p, 41). These werc normally applied by tmnsfef. althoughsome were hand painted. In Malch 1940. it was deCided. for camouUagc'eaSOns. to omit or remove the national escutcheon, which was worn on thelefl ~Ide of the helmet. In November 1943, the SS IUnes, worn on the fightsldt:, was also discontinued. although it continued to appear until the end ofthe ~~ar.u
AccessoriesTho question of eamoull<lging steel helmets was never as impoilanl in theW~ften-SS. as it was in the army. since Ihe Waffen-SS had been issuedWith a camouflage cover as early as 1938. (Sec section on camouflageClothing.) In addition 10 the cover. Wallen-SS personnel used various types
Top 10 bonom t935 model Sleol hQlmel Wllh soml·man lIeld-gl<!V f,n,sh and nallGflalCOIOVI$ 193!> model .....,Ih man 10uOh hlllsh ISI J>;l1!orn sloel helmm covo'.
15
Members of SS Deattfs Hud Inlanuy Regiment 2 d~"ng winter tralnong al M(ins",genmanouvre gro~nd. winter 1939·40. They wllBr the t"SI panern held.grey 9futCoal w'lhCollar plp,ng and have paInted the" helmets with whitewash.
16
of adjustable straps titled to the tlelmet so that foltage and other camoullagematerials could be held In place." Camouflage nelllng III Slrtng or wire wasalso used
Notes:1. SS-Befehls·6Iatt .. Nr 2. 25 Febr~ary 1939. ZIIf.15.2. See Appendix I.3. V 61 dW.·SS.. Nr.2. 15 June 1940. liff.46.4. MlItellungsblatt der RZM. Nt.2. 25 January 1!)4 J. p. 10.5. V.Bl.dW.·SS.. Nr.23. 15 December 1941. Ztff.487.6. See Appendix I.7. Bender/Taylor, Vol. 1, p. 85 Wtth illustration.8 Ocr Reichsfuhrcr·SS. SS· Belehl (Abschrtft). Belr, : Feidgtaue UllIform
der Weffen-SS. Stchcrheitspalizet und des SO. Bezug Mein Belehlvam 10 May 1940. Berlin, den 5 November 1940.
9. V.Bl.d.W,-SS.. Nt.21. 1 November 1940. Zlff.10. lbld.. Nr .20. 15 October 1940. ZIII. 269.11. Ibid.. Nr .17. 1 September 1942. lifl.309.12. Ibld.. Nr.19. 1 October 1943. ZIIf.355,13. Def Chef des SS·Hauptamles, J/U 1 Nr,014481/35 Bctr,: Uberzug
IUr Stahlhelme. Berlin den 1 November 1935.14. V.Bl.dW.·SS.. NI,6. 1 Ap1111941. Zilf,159.15. Ibid.. Nr.21, 1 November 1943. Zif1.402.16. See page 113.
BEKlEIDUNGClothingFeldbluseFlclrl blouseIn 1937 a new field-grey field blouse and long grey trousers began la replacetile' ,Id ealth-grey service uniform, The new field blouse was based on the193', army model but retamed certain SS features. such as the collal. whichWd~ tile same colour as the blouse. deSigned to be worn primarily open buteasli, rimed It had slantlf1g slash Side pockets With bultoned flap 1I15teadof li" pleated army patch pockets The collar (and collar patches and somep,1llo'lns of should~r strap) was piped 111 black and aluminium twisted cordunt,1 A.ugust 1940 when 1\ was discontinued'FC"rI1"t,on of the SS-Totenkopf and SS-Polllel diVISions at the close of 1939ner"~~llJted the supply. by the army. of suffiCient Quant't'es of army fieldunll,'rms to equip them' The December 1939 Older dllscrlood the freldblolJ,e as being of aTlny cut With dark green collar. bunon-on collar liner. andp;Hr,h pockets. The blouse was to be worn open wllh brown shin and blacklie When trarning. on manoeuvres. or on speCial occasions rt could be wornclo:ed by order of lhe commander. Amendments to lhis order stated Ihat thoold'style SS blouse (With the same colour collar) was to be worn out'. andth~1 <ilteratlons to the field blouse were forbidden' If lhe Wilr contll1ued forany length of time, the field blouse would agall1 be supphed With the samecolour collar, The amendment went on to Slate that the blouse was to bewOln closed at the neck. and only opened by order The May 1940 ardelde~("rlbed the field blouse as being basically the s<tme for officers and men.and thm 111 prinCiple J1 was to be worn open with shrrt and tie and onlyclosed by special order.'The results of tl,ese contradrctory orders can be clearly seen In any Walfen-SSgroup photo. where some of the men are wearing the blouse With the collaropcn at tl,e neck. whilst others wear rl closed. It was just thiS 5011 of lack ofuniformity that Hrmmler was trying to prevent.Bv the lime of the campaigns In France and the Low Countries. personnelof the SS-Verfugungs-Truppe-Divlsion were mostly stili wearing the SS"cid blouse. With Just a few army patterns begll1nll1g to appear. The bulk ofthe SS-Totenkopf and SS-Polizei divisrons on the other hand. were equrppedWith <lrmy field uniforms. In 1940. the field blouse collal began. as predictedIn the December 1939 order, to be made of the same matellal as the rest of theblouse. instead of dark green. The next modifrcations to the field blousetook place step by step throughout the war, for the purpose of economisingon matellal and labour. From 1942 patch pockets were made without pleats.
One 01 a se"es of photO{jraphs entllled '8 dav In Ihe hfe of Ihe Lelbslandane SS AdolfH'lle( 22 November 1938. shOWing a sold,er lurnlng h"og POS",OOS uoder the watchtuleye 01 an SS-Umerscharllihrer who wea,s typical everyday dress cooSiSllOll of an armytUniC. obsolele eaJlh·grey breeches. aod Ih" M38 N C.O.·s held cap wlIII chio snap,
17
Typ'cal uain,ng unilo,m being worn by Le,bstanda'10 SS Adol! H'lle, ,ocrUllS On22 Novembe' 1938. The holm.,l.s lhe old black t916 mooot. and H'e lllmy heldblouw 's be,ng worn w,lh lhe IUSI Plltlern nal.om,1 emblem and no cull. band. Thelape,ed Housers (St,cfelhoso) and h,gh boolS Ble on Ihl! pr()CC$$ 01 bemg wOln out
18
and laler the lower edge of the flaps was straightened. Since wartime materialshad less tensile strength than rn peace time. it was necessary to increase thefive front bUllons to srx. Other modifications and simplificallons were made10 the lining and manufaClure of the field blouse. but none of them alteredils outward appearance.After exlenSlve field trials with army units. a new field unrform (Feldunrform1944) began to appear in lale 1944. but never In suffrcient numbers to radrcallyaller the appearance of Ihe Waflen·SS.· The new field blouse bore cerla,nsimilarities to the British baltledress. and COnsisted of a short blouse with widewaistband and patch pockets. and long taperrng trousers which were designedto be worn either inside the gaiter or marching boot. The uniform requiredconsiderably less cloth than the eadier models. and was specrally designed10 facilitate rapid manufacture by semi·skilled labour: the M.1944 fieldblouse insignia was unchanged. The colour of the uniform was also changedflom field·grey to Feldgrau 44 (the officral designallOn for the new greybrown colour). ExiSlrng stocks of field· grey and foreIgn materials were madeup rnto Ihe new field uniform. thus manydilferenl shades of flcld·grey emerged.SeitenhekenBelt hooksEach field blouse was usually Issued wllh four fleld·grey painted steel oraluminium hooks of speCIal deSign. These hooks were ilttached to a fabricstrap which formed part of lhe blouse ilnmg. The stlap was deSigned to takeIhe weighl of a fully loaded waisl bell supported by a metal hook.FeldhoseField trousersThe 1937 model SS field trousers wele identical 10 the 1935 almy modol.Both had long straight legs. two SIde pockets and a watch pocket in front.They could be adjusted at the waisl by means 01 a buckled Slrap and weredesi9ned to be worn with bracesAt fi,st trousers were manufactUled in new·gley clOlh. but lrom 1939 onwardsthey were to malch Ihe blouse In fleld·grey.- In July 1942 ncw standardIrousers (Keilhose) were rnlloduced.;
220. Introduction of new items of clothing.For the Warfen-SS a new standard lace-up ankle boot. and freld-greyKeilhose. will replace the old malching boot and long cloth trousers.With the Kellhose. cloth gaiters or putlees (m Ihe summer) or canvasgaiters (in winter) will be worn. Molol-cycllsts and offic131 pillion passengers(but nOI sidecar passengers) N.C.O.s and men in engIneer units andguard battalions. Will retilm marching boots.
Kdo.dW.-SS/la
In September 1943 an altempt was made to standardise the various differenttypes of trousers and breeches in use in the Waffen-SS.
357. Introduction of new llInd alteration of existing clothing.'For Ihe rest of the war the following are introduced or altered:1. Riding breeches in drill with cloth belt. side and hip pockets with
buttons. fob pocket with flap. and four loops at the waist for the belt.Designation and article number:Riding breeches. drill. Article No. 6/173.
2. Instead of the eXisting riding breeches, breeches will be manufacturedas 1 above.Designation and article number:Riding breeches. grey. Article No, 6/54.
3. Instead of the existing drill trousers. a drill trou~ers with cloth belt.bullon fastening at ankle, pockets. and loops are 1 above Will beintroduced.Designation and article number:Drill trousers. undyed or rush green ... Article No. 6/171.
4. The expected issue of cloth trousers (Kellschnlll)· 10 replace the longtrousers and ski trousers remains unchanged. Trousers described In 1and 4 above may be worn With or Without braces.New trousers Will be issued In relation to production.Existing patterns may be worn out.
New trousers (Feldhose 44) were introduced with the new Field Un,form'14. They had a built· in cloth belt. side. fob and two hip pockets (one was'ntended for a Ileld dressing pack) all With buttoned flaf}S. The bottom of thetrouser leg had a drawstring so that It could be fastened tightly around the3nlo;Ie lor wear with gaiters or pultees.·
• The trousers with a built-in cloth belt were introduced because thewearing of braces was impractical in the field and impossible with
shirt-sleeve order. The new trouse's were known also as Rundbundhose.
Notes:1, V.6I.dW.-SS .. Nr,5. 3 August 1940. Zlf!.2. Soldaten wie andere auch. pp. 268 and 274.3. See Appendix I.4. Die Deulsche Wehrmacht 1934-bis 1945, Heft 1 with illustration.5. See Appendix I.6. V.bl.dW.-SS.. Nr.13. 1 July 1942. lll!. 220.7. Ibid.. Nr.19. 1 October 1943. Zift. 357.8. Die Dcutsche Wehrmacht 1934·bis 1945. Hcft 33 with illustration.
Membe's 01 SS A1!{lHl'ent DeUlschland wea,;nlllhe M1937 I,eld blouse France1940. They have 'emoved tllo" call., patches 10 avold pos,t'vo idont",calion 01tile,! un,' by the onomv.
19
A lI'oUO 01 N.C.D.I hom Ill. I 4tll Com~nv SS·Pl G,en. Rill. 38 (17.sS,P2. G,;m D,Y GOII ~on 8.,I,ell'''II.n) wli"nll Ivp,nl wrv,ce d"I~~ 'MIll ~a"OuS lli1ne,ns 01".Id blous••nd lool~" 111.'1 ''I us'. f"ne. 1944
20
n,...0'
'O'J,.ph oIlWO young SS men apI",e<! by It Cl Ame....:,,,•• during lne ~111e 01S'>ow$,"- gene"! shocld<r'Ie'U.nd IllIlt 01 de11l1'(lfiloon 0' ,,",IOI'm IlltIe end
."Ge"...... PlOSOM'I'I 'l)I,I~ UP by Iht' U S. s..v....lh Almy I,e confronted bylleed '~l"01 Dlchau <:ClnCentrll>Qn ~mp. Apr,l 1944. the SS mount.,n l,DOPe' _.fl the SS...en..,., of the edelweISS on M II.ndIord l.-Id ClIp, ind the sho<l M44 1J4'kl bIouw•
21
,•
An SS·O~lullf.. _;II.n<;I iI I)f.-YllelV l)'...e!\,)Wdolloc...• quM;I'f' __, 0''''1 lor wall""Il·O\oIl.
Neckcloth and coli.....,...'.
22
{El l
i•,,\
I \I ,
\
\\I
F;e.Jd unifOfln 1944.
f'vz ~V·:u ~
C-
C-I
0 -
~!'A :EJ:. C- I ~
" C-"
I
I 1110
nTt
'IOW f~; ,ID •
I •,
I i \y \Y,, i
I iI
I i
0
l.{V ~
field service ",nilOlm wit/l"Keilhoyo 1942-3.
~
\
, '
:EfiJLI C- ,
10
C>
6 6
, • l(i-"(i) •
kj-. 1
~•
i 00 fI
•,I
I II I
•! 1
I!
\I I
I•
I•,I
SS "eld sHVic. "''''form. Model 1931.
23
SS·OStUbif KhngenbergW9i"nll in unusuil vorSlOn ot lha pre·war rumcWIth closed oolli•. Analt'el photograph of rhe Sime olficlI' shows thll lUnlCwllh su:fll patch podets and bUlloned Ilaps and plUlS.
24
RockTunicUntil 1939. ofllcer~ In the SS·Vcrfugungstruppe had only onc f,eld-greytunic (Rock). which was made of field-grey tllko\. ;\nd was Iden\lcalln Cut 10the black SS Sl'lrYlce tuniC It was worn on all occaSions with a blOwn shirtand black t,e, After the gencfalintroduct,on of the field blouse. officers werepelml\led to continue wearing the tuniC on all occasIons when It was con·venient to do so. such as II"l the office or off duty. The commander SIXlclfledwhIch should be WOIl"l so thlll lhe off,cers' corps was uniformly dressed'The tuniC was also made 01 lightweIght fleld·grey gabardine or moleskmwl1h matchmg breeches for wear dUring summer.:At the begmnmg of the wa'. the more ImpeCumouS SS officers avoided theexpense 01 haVing to buy an exua almy field blouse by havmg then tumcsconverted Into field blouses by the addlllon of a dark blulsh·gleen stand·and·fall collar.~Olhefs had tailored alterations so Ihat the coUar could be WOIl"lclosed 1Il the neck. Some. however. had tunics specially m<loe wtlh dark.green collars. although thiS was expressly forbidden.' Waffcn-SS offIcerscontmued to wear then tunics. In regulation Cut 01 wllh rhe above modlf,ca·lions. as an undress or walklng,olll Uniform tluoughout lhe war.Weisser SommerrockWhite Slimmer lumcOn 27 June 1939. Himmler aUlhorised Ihe weaflng of a whnc summertumc by SS office.s between 1 Ap,,1 and 30 Septembel.· h could be WOIl"l asan undress uniform with long black (occasIonally while) IIOuselS and enherblack or white topped peaked cap. On 15 June 1940. and for the duration clthe wal. the authOrisation was wll/ldrawn!but It IS almOSI certain Ihat thecomparatively few officers eqUipped With the white tunic had It dyed Ileldgrey. and conilnued 10 wear It dUring Ihe war.A number 01 officers continued to wear lightwclght field blouses In variouskinds of washable white materials. The cut ,md InsIgnia worn on lheseunoffiCial exlra blouses varied conSIderably.'Another type of washable white jacket was worn by orderlies (Ordonnanzen)while serving al table.Notes:
1. See Appendix I.2. Original elCample in g<lbardine In the aUlhor's cOllechon.
3. Original elCample in author's colleClion.
4. see BenderfTaylor. Vol. I. p. 41 with iIIustratl()(l.
5. Ocr ReichsfUhrer·SS. Betr: Weisser Sommerrock. Berlin. 27 June 1939.
6. V.Bl.DW.-SS.• Nr.2. 15 June 1940. Ziff.46.
7. see Bender!Taylor. Vol. 1. pp. 42 III 76. with iIIUSlrations.
Feldbluse (Fuhrer)(fIj~ld blouse (officels»The RClchsweh! pauern officer's field blouse had been adopted by at leaslone officer In the lelbslandane Adoll Hlller as early as 1935, but I1 was nOIunul 1939 tllal olflcers thloughoul the aImed SS began eqUipping themselvesWIIII a field-grey field blouse lor wear on aChve duty_ During thiS tranSlt,onalpenod a number of stop-gap measurcs wcre laken b\' officelS, who clthermodlflcd Ihen tuniCS, or obtained an Issue field blouse from stores.The December 1939 oldel, concerning lhe flcld·grey unllorm of the Waffen·SS. st,pulated thal an olllcer"s blouse was to be Identical In cuI to that of Ihemen (I.e Ihe Issue blouse), and worn opcn althe neck With blown shirt andblack tie, It could be worn closed only.1 mOn had been ordered to close theirs,Weallng the dark blulSlt ·grccn stand-and·fall collar (army offlcer's field blousecollar) was forblddcn ' ThiS IS Intercstlng, because 11 shows H,mmler's latemdislike of [he stlff·necked PrUSSHln lunker look. which he did not wantemulated by hiS "classless' SS ThiS ordcr had no sooner been typed OUI whenIt WIIS amended by the SS·Hauptaml.ln IUlure, wearing [he blouse open Withsh,,[ and \le was 10 be dlscontmued lor Ihe dural IOn 01 the war. It was now tobe worn closed. opened only by specIal Older, as In the army,: Waflen·SSoffIcers now began 10 order army field blouses. but Hlmmler rnslsted thallhestand and fall collar was 10 be fastened With one hook. no[two l'
But on 10 May 1940. Hlmnllel amended hIS December 1939 field blouseorder, stipulating once agarn (and conlfadlctlng the pre"ious amendment)that Ihe field blouse for officers and men was to be Iden\lcal In all,espects,and In plinciple was to be worn open wllh shirt and tIe. Only on specialoccaSions (rain. storm. or cold etc) could the blouse be closed o"er shirt andtie. The order went on to say Ihat the blouse be altered [0 close lightly andcomfortably o"er the tie.• Few officers had either time or inclination 10 obselvesuch subll!iues.Throughoul Ihe war. then, Waffen·SS officers. wOle eilhel a privatelytailored fIeld blouse in ,limy oflicer's cuI. or with slight differences. such asSlanlong slash side pockets With bunoned Ilaps. as on the SS tunic. or with aSland and·fall collar made 01 Ihe same material as the blouse. During [heCOurse of lhe war the buttons on the front of some lallor-made blouses welereduced from srll. to fi"e, In aClion offlcefs tended to wear Ihe issue fieldblouse, Field blouses fOI summer wear were also made of lighlweight gabardine, moleskrn. or drill in various shades 01 grey or lield-grey, Captured So"ietgrOundsheets were in plentiful supply on the eastern front and the olr"egreen waterproof col1on duck was often made up into lightweight fieldblOuses,
Ss-ogrul 'Sepp' D>e1roch ana memoers 01 his Slall neat Cl\ilr\QV If'! Aofll t943 L·R, SS·HstulMoDous weannll'55U8 \ll'IIIOIm WIth OftoC4lr'S b30ge 01 rank. Olelfich rOl once weanng 11 'easonab/v'egulallOl'l olfoeer's _e dress SS,Slubal. and 0Ms000ill OlMlfatOOlls Qlfltel (lal LehfmaM on.egu"'llOI'l oftoeer's 1181d seMCIl un,fOlm, llfld SS,Slubal Meyer ,n it ore-war lUOlC whOC:lll\ils DelIIIeonvene<l ,mo it 1181d blouse Dv tile add,toon of it stand..od-I"II colla' an<! 51" rellllns IIle _Iv formot nilll(lNl emblem
25
•
An unidenllfied SS·OberSlurmfilhrer hom Ihe SS Death's Heed O"',s;on. photo·graphed sometome atter June 1942. wea"ng a tailor-made lightweight foeld blousetor summer wear.
26
InsigniaGenerally speaking all inSignia could be worn on both lunlC and field blous_On the tunic and tailor-made field blouse. InSignia tended 10 be of olflr'"(quality. Collar patch emblems. Mlional emblem, and cuff-band mscriptll nwere usually hand-embrOidered. In filet. the May 1940 order actually gOf'S
so far as to stipulate that only on the tumc were hand·embroidered lrat!ebadges to be worn. On the lield blouse. oUlters were 10 wear the machln~.
embroidered pallern. In 1940. officers' inSignia began to be machine wov'"in aluminium thread. and by lM end of Ihe war It had mostly replaced litehand-embroidered piltlern on mQSl officers' uniforms.Officers usually wore the field blouse wl\h inSignia as issued. Since brig! Ialuminium embroidery was dangerously conspicuous In acHon OIfiC("ISretained the Issue rnslgnia only addrng thell rank badges. often omlllrng th!IWlsted aluminium cord flom lhe collal patches.Stiefelhose (Breeches) und lange HoseBreeches and long trousersThe officer's tuniC was worn With tailor-made new·grey (neugrau) trllllbreeches without piping. Aiding breeches were made of a speCial hea'.tynew-grey tnkot. and were usually reinforced With grey buckskrn on t cseal and rnside leg. or just at the knee.' With the IIgtnwelght summer tun-,;.bleeches were made of matching ',eld·gloy gabardrne or moleskin.Dlf-duty oUicers could wear long new· grey trousers with white plpll girrespective of branch of service. t Piping in Walfenfarbe was Introduced I 'It
discontinued alter 31 December 1940.~ BOlh breeches and trousers h.odsimilar pocket littings ~ two slanting slash pockets fastened With a bullen.a watch pockel in llOnl. and a slraight slash pockel With button on the 10 Ithip. Trousers were filled With ollher loather or clashC 100tSlfaps (Stegcl.Trousers and breeches deSCrIbed above continued to be worn With the tunicand field blouse throughout the war. but front-hne officers tended to W£>ilrlong field-grey Issue trousers. or cavalry breeches With the lield blouse ofother ranks. In August 1944 officers were ordered to wear long trOusers w'lhcorresponding footwear (when their men had been ordered to turn oul nlong !lousers without gaiters). They were also to wear long trousers (rnstc"d01 breeches and boots) with inlormat service dress (Kleiner DienstanzuJ)and reporting dress (Meldeanzug).Notes:
1. SS-Kleiderkasse Katalog.. pp. 5.18.25 with Illustration.2. See Appendil( 11.3. Der Aeichsluhrer·SS.. SS-Selehl; Betrlfft: Feldgraue Uniform der
Waflen·SS.Sicherheitspolizei und dcs SO.. Berlin, den 5 November 1940.
SS medical OU,ce.S who volunlwred for medical durlCS ar rhe llberaled concenuauon camp 31 Neuengamme. May 1945. The SS·U~1Uf. on lhe leh wears rhe 1944mOdel hid unIform. The olflcer In rhe cenue (whose badges of ran~ On Ihe collar palch and shoulder straps do not maleh) wearS rhe 1943 modellleld blouse. lrOUSerSand marching boots. The SS-Osluf. on the "ghl wears standard Ileld cap. tailor-made held blouse from Issue Quality cloth. and of1icer's breeches and boots.
27
SS·OSlu1. Bohm(!r wea"nll 01her 'Bnh unrform cOflgralulale$ membe.s 0' lI.sbanahon. The SS·Slabsscharfuh.el (Spoess) wears a most unusual wmle. head·dress. whrlo lhe 'esl 0' the me" weD' both panems 0' lhe 'reld cap. andgrealcoatS wnh eilher lhll dark g,een 0< "eld·grey colla•.
28
MantelGreatcoatThe orrglnal earth·grey greatcoat was Identical In cut to the black one. andtlad an earth· grey collar which was piped in tllack and aluminium tWistedcord until August 1940. Shoulder straps and collar patches were alwaysworn. but not the national emblem.Introduction of the fleld·grey unifOlm was accompanied by a m;;Jtchlngregu!atron almy gleatcoat With dark blUlsh·green collar. ThiS IS confirmedby the December 1939 dress regulations which stated that the Waffen·SSgreatcoat was to relam liS eXIsting CUI but have a dalk green collaL l Both theSS and army paltern greatcoats we/e wom SIOO by SIde. With or Withoutcollar cord and patches. until the old earth·grey model was weaned In
March 1941. iI For the rest of the war. and until the Introduction of the standardgreatcoat. the Waffen·SS wore tho army pattern greatcoat which al 11Isthad a dark green and tater a lield·grey collar.
28. Standard greatcoat. l
In order to continue the standardlsa\lon of the uniforms of the armedforces. a standard greatcoat IS tlereby Introduced.DeSIgnation and an,cle numberCloth greatcoat ... Arllclc No. B/87.The old surcoat (Ubermantel) for drivers. andlhc old pallcrn cloth greatcoatWill continue to be worn. EXisting Stocks Will be used up.
SS·FHA/laFijhrermantelOfflcel's greatcoatBy July 1935. the leibstandarte Adoll Hitler had been issued With earth·greyuniforms. which Included an eanh·grey greatcoat wuh matching collar.While cellaln officers drew Issue greatcoat from regimental stocks. otherswore privately tailOled army pallerns. with colla/ 01 slightly darker lace cloth(Ablclchentuch). Both issue and plivalely made greatcoats had collarpatchcs. shoulder straps. and cuff-band. but at first the national emblemappeared only on private coats. At this time the greatcoat collar was notpiped in tWisted cord. FollOWing army regulations. the colour of the greatcoatcollar gradually became darker. unlll it was a datk bluish-green.The next step In the development 01 the officer's greatcoat came in 1937.with the introduction of field· grey. Once agam officers wore either issueNotes:
1. See Appendix l.2. V.Bl.d.w.·SS.. Nr.4. 1 March 1940.ZilI.t21.3. Ibid. Nr.2. 15 January 1944. Zifl.28.
greatcoats with appropllate InSIgnia. Of had them tailor made. The tallormade held·grey SS office(s greatcoats differed !fom that 01 the army onlyin its hall belt. The SS design was Idenllcal to that on the blacl( greatcoat being 5 cm wide and buttoning at each end The afmy half belt lorned III Ihemiddle where It was fastened with two buttons.l The Issue held· grey SSgreatcoat was Iden!lcal to the army pattetrl. Collar patches. shoulder straps,and cuU·band was almost Inyarlably worn. whereas the national emblemappeared only on some coalS.With tile military deyelopment 01 the armed SS. there was a tendency tofollow army fashions In matters 01 dress. which led to the remoyal at coliarpatches Irom the greatcoat By the outbreal( of war. the Situation was prctlymuddled. Wilh officers weanng fleld·grey greatcoats With either matchingor dark green collars, either With or Without collar patches. so Ih,11 a numberof orders had to be ISSUed lhroughout the course 01 the war to clarity theSituation. (See section on Issue greatcoats.)SenlOI officers With the ranI( 01 SS·Oberfuhrer and above were allowed 10wear the greatcoat w,th the tOp three butlons undone. thus elCpOSlng sllyergrey lapels. In February 1941. holders of the Kmgh(s Cross olth& hon Cross orWaf Serv,ce Class were also allowed to wear Ihe tOp two bUTtons undoneand to laid back the lapels so that any decoration - which was worn at theneck - was Ylslble,' A comparatlYely common. but unoffICial practice. wasthe wearing of twisted aluminium cord on the darl( green greatcoat collarAccolding to Waffen-SS legulatlons all Inslgnl1l could be worn on the grealcoat. allhough. for reasons already Slaled. there was a tendency to followarmy praCtice, and Ilmll the mSlgnla to shoulder straps. national emblem. andcuff·uand In addlllon to the regulation cloth gre3tcoat. officers were allowed10 wear the follOWing exlra coats:Regen-WettermentelRaincoatThIs fleld.grey raincoat was firSt Inuoduced In 1938. S ilnd could be purchasedand worn bv officers and senior N CO.s. The only InSignia offICially wornon Ih,s coat were shoulder STraps During the war officers oflen unoffiCiallyWore the motOl·cvclist's coat as a ramcoat.ledermantelleather greatcoatThe field-grey leather greatcoat was an extremely elCpenSlve elClra Item ofclOthing. which was purchased by lhe wearer. It was supposed to conform toregulahon greatcoat cut. but many yaWlllons in colour and cut were wornAgain. shOUlder straps only wer€' offiCially acceptable. but some officersWOre all msignlil.
55·0g'uf. 1.1. Gen. d, W.·55 D,el"ch With o",cer~ of lhe 12.55.;>1. D,v. HIlIe'Jl.lgend. sprong1944. D'emch wears a 'egulal,on lI'llilrC08t wlTn s,lver g,ey lapels and da'k green Colla'.MOSI 01 lhe Olher oU,ce,s appea, to De weatlng Issue greatcoats. wh,le one has addeda fur collar.
29
....----.... Tragen der Spiegel auf dem MantelkragenWearing of collar patches on the greatcoat collarThe wellllng of collar patches on Ihe g,ealcoat was nevel very uniform.and the following Iou, o,ders were Issued In :m allempt la regularise thesituation.
le>-,
1.0-,
b·!,:0-
!;
!,;!
,i
<;>;;
!fo! '\,,~ \\1i\,."._-_-.l'..~.,__..~
••
231. Collar patches on the greatcoat collar.•The Relchsluhrer·SS has Oldered Ihat collar patches wlIl be worn on Ihegteatcoat collal. as well as on the blouse. by all units of the Waffen-SS.Collar patches must be put on Immediately The removal of collar patchesfor reasons of camoullage may ontv be aulhotlsed by the RClchsfuhrer·SS.
Kdo d.W.·SS IVa169. The wearing of collar patches on the greatcoat.'With immedlale eltec!. and by order of the RFSS. the wearing of collalpatches on the gleatcoal must cease until further notice because ofshortage of raw materialsfor Ihe sake of uniformity. this order does not onty apply to the manufacture01 new collar palches lor grealcoats, bUI Ihose already on greatcoatsmust be removed and used elsewhere.
Sgd. JUllnerSS·Gruf.u.Gen.Lt. del Waffen·SS
37. The wearing of collar patches on the greatcoat collar."The Relchsfuhrer-SS has orde,ed:
FollOWing the published order In Ihe V.Bl.d.W.-SS. No. 11 of 1 June 1942.concerning Ihe wearing of collar patches on the g,ealeoa\. It is orderedthat collar patches Will be worn:
1. Bv the Alfgemeine· SS on all gleatCOats2. By the Waflen·SS on all greatcoats With the exception of:
(a) Leather greatco:n (grey)(b) Raincoat (Iubberlsed or impregnated fablic)(c) Surcoat (for dlivers)(d) Guard coat (fur)(e1 Motor·cychsts coat (rubbeflsed)(f) Field greatcoat (Feldmantell
Standa,d llfCalCOa1.
30
2. The wearing of collar patches on the greatcoat.:I Item (llUet) 37 01 the VBldW-SS. No, 3 or I Febfu;nv 1943 IS
hereby amended2 On lhe grounds 01 (shoftage of) law nUlleuals colla. patches and lhe
cull-band will not In IUlule be worn on 'SSue 9reatcoalS (truppenclg.enen Mantcln)
3 Collar patches and cull-bands may conllnue to be worn on all pllvategreatcoats wl1h the exception 01 .(a) Leathel greatcoat (9Iey)(b) Ramcoat (rubberised or Impregnated fabriC)(c) Surcoat (Ior drivels)(d) Motor-cyclists coal (rubberised)(e) Field grealcoa! (Fcldmanlel)
4 In the AlIgememe SS. collar patches and cuff-bands Will COnlmuc 10be worn on all greatcoats.
SS-FHA/laTo summarise. Ihose possessmg their own p"vale greatcoats could conllnuewcanng colla. patches. but Issue greatcoals we.e to have the collar palchesremoved prior 10 Issue. and were to be worn wltnoutlnSlgnla. with lhe exceplion 01 shouldet straps In thIS connectIon II IS mlercstlng to note Ihal eventhe SS Guaod Banahon. wtuch was drawn from lhe Lelbstanda,le·SS "AdollHitler". and whIch callHK! out guard dulles at the Relchs Chancellory ,nBerlin. wore the greatcoal WIthout colla. palches.'
Notes:1 Unllormen-Markt. Nr 4. 1940. p. 27 With Illustration2 V.Bl.d.W.-SS . Nr.1. 15 January 1941. lllf 5.3. SS-Bolehls-Blan. Nr.3. March 1938. lllt.ll.4. V.Bl.dW.-SS.. Nr.IO. I October 1940. lifl 231,5. Ibld Nr..11. I June 1942.lif1.1696. Ibld Nr.. 3. 1 February 1943. lllf.377. Ibld Nr.. 1. 1 January 1945. lltl.28. Hamburger lIIustrleJ1e Nr 16. 17 April 1943. pp. 4·0) wtth IIIUSlratlons
31
TVPIC811SSll8 o'ev woollen $O(:~s and WllII wa'me,s. F,om one to IOIJ'1H11I$ dflnote(l the Srl0 ollhe a,ucle. One nng waslhe s~lIesl.
32
UNTERKLEIDUNG/WASCHE(Underclothing)Issue underclothing conSisted of Ihe following Items:
1. Brown shllt2. Neckcloth or collar liner3. Black [le4. White undershill5, White underpanls (Iong-Johns)6, Braces7. Pullover8. Handkerclllels9. Socks
10 Footwraps1. Brown trlkol collaHl1lached shllt wllhout pockets. Replaced. together
wllh while undershut. by the new standard shirt In 1943..'!. The neckcloth was made of earth·grey or black COllon and was fastened
around the neck by a tro-strlng. It was designed to be worn In conJunction wllh the collarless white undershirt. and to give a neat appearancewhen worn With the closed field blouse.The collal liner was Issued Instead of the collar·allached shirt or neck·c1oth.lt was allached 10 the inSide of the field blouse collal by five smallbuttons sewn there for this purpose and enabhng easy removal forwashing. The hnel was while on the InSide (next to the neck) and fieldgleyorrush green on the outSide. When the field blouse was worn open atthe neck. the hner was buttoned so thal it followed the hne of the opening.BOlh neckcloth and Irner were disconTinued after Ihe rntroductlon 01the standard collar·attached shlll.
3. The standald SS tlO was of black aruflcial Silk as woln With the blackse,vlce unilorm. It was only issued together WIth the blown shirt
4. The standald army Issue natural coloured aettex underslllft was Im·practical in the front-line because of lis conspICUOus cOlour and wassometimes dyed green, It. too, was replaced by the standard shin.
5. Long·Johns (or underpants) were made 01 natural Coloured wool orCOllOn. three-Qualter length. and tied at the rear 01 the waist and atlhe legs With drawstlmgs, They did not stand up very well to the rigoursof continuous marching. so In September 1941 a speCial lining was madeavailable fOI the 'speedy and durable Improvement of underpants',
G. Field·grey elastiC braces With metal flllmgs and leather straps were notissued aftef the IntroductIon of trousers wllh built· In belt. Other rankswere entitled to a pair per yeal.
7 Fleld·grey knitted woollen pullover with long sleeves and V-neck.Pullovers wl1h turtle necks were also Issued late! In the wal.
9_ The grey knitted woollen socks had 1-4 bands at the top During thesecond half of the war there was a tendency to wear the tapered trousers(Keilhose) Inside socks and roll them over the top of ankle boots. ThiSpractice was forbrdden In August 1944.
10 In the Russian army footwrap clothS were. and still are. conSidered tobe a hrghly rmportant part of an Infantryman's kll. and far superior tosocks. bUl In the German army and Walfen-SS. they were only Issued rfsocks were not available. The footwrap cloth was square and foldedaround the fool. Its advantages were that It d,dn't slrp down tIle foot assocks tended to do. and could be re-positioned so that the sole of thefoot was always wrapped in a fresh and dry part of the cloth. ClothSwere eaSier to wash. dried qUIcker. and lasted longer than sacks
Officers"1 Officers' brown shrrts for wear With the tuniC were made of poplin With
detached collar. White shuts were never worn With the field-grey tunic.4 Officers' vests were made of natural coloured wool. cotton. Of aertal[.
and usually had short sleeves. For the Winter there were long-slecvedshifts With lined fronts.
5 Underpants were also made of wool or cotton. With an elastiC waist.SpeCial re-inforced short- Of long-Johns In either light or heavyweIghtmaterials were wom lor riding.
The above Items were recommended by the SS Officers Clothing Counter.but officers could purchase CIVilian underclothing If they wished. Later In thewar. shirts of almost any colour could be worn under the field blouseFinally. In August 1943. a standard field-grey shllt was ordered to replace thevallous types of shirt in use. The new pattern shut was manufactured Invallous materials and colours. but tIle most typical were field· grey Irlkot Of
aerlel[. Although the introductory orders clearly stale that the special badgesa! lank were 101 wear on clothing Without shoulder straps. some shrrts weremanufactured With loops for the shoulder straps. and shoulder sHaps wereqUlllt commonly worn on lhe shirt.
335. Shirt with collar attached.It, Instead of the brown trlkOI shift. and wtme undershlrlS. a grey· green
Collar· attached shirt Will be introduced.DeSlgnal10n and article number:Collar-attached shin .•. ArtIcle No. B/415This shirt Will be supplied as and when ready. There IS no pOint If.
making applications for preferential delivery. Other types of shirt areto be worn out.
Top Issue colla' lItlacrle<! b,own woollen sh"l.BOllom Issue cOlla' allactled !Ield·g'ey aenex sh,n.
33
In summer, clOttl gaiters or puttees, and In Winter canvas gailers wdl beworn with the Keilhose,Motor-cyclists, official pillion, but not sidecar passengers, and N,C.O.sand men in engineer units and guard ballalions Will retam their marchingboots.
Kdo,d,W,-SS/laNearly all new foolwear was issued In lIS naluralleather colour, and was thenstained and polished by the recipient. In peacetime only the best pair ofboots was actually polished. while field boots were lust blackened and leftWith a dull finish, In 1944. the blacking of Issue footwear was forbldden. a
OfficersWith service dress (Le, breeches) officers worc high black riding-type boots.wtllch were privately purchased and thus not of standard pallern. Some hadplain tops, others had various kinds of straps and buckles around the top toprevent the boot slipping down the calf: boots were either suff or soft.·Like everything else during the war. boots became increasingly scarce, sothat regulations governing the wearing of boots were generally relaxed InAugust 1943 Waffen-SS officers were ordered to wear long trousers andankle boots al all occasions allended by other ranks. With undress uniform(I e. long lrousers) officers wore either black or lacquered leather lace·up orelastiC Sided ankle bOOIS or shoes.' In action and as war progressed, Issuemarchmg footwear was Increasingly worn WIth long field-grey trousers byCQmpany and field officers.
SpursOfficers wore variOUS types of spurs with different orders of dress, Withservice dress, officers with the rank of SS-HauptsturmfLihrer and above worerust-proof, nickel plated spurs with straps and buckles, With either a straightor slrghtly curved neck and eUher a sharp or dumb (non-spIked) rowel·With undress unrlorm they could wear speCial screw spurs With straight neckand dumb rowel or plain (huntmg) neck For dancmg thele were speCialSCrew dancing spurs {Tanzsporenj,e• Although the high black boot (contemptuously mrsnamed 'jackboot' by
the enemies 01 Germany) became one of the hated symbols of NaZI militarrsm, there IS a touch of Irony m the suspicron that the Germans would them·selves have held the boot In disrepute after the war on the grounds that rtsstrff shaft caused varicose veins!
Top Slanda'd ma'ch,ngl>ool (Knooolbeche' 0' 'd,ce sha~er') w,lh hrgh shalt.BOl1om: Standard lace·up ankle l>oor wh,ch graduallv replaced Ihe cosllv 'dice shake,'.
35
Canvas and Italller g"I., lor wee' wtllltlle ell~le 0001.
36
It was obvIous that many SS officers clanked around In SPUIS and leath' lposterlOI relnlorcement to thell bleeches with no aspirations In horsemanshl[nevertheless, throughout Its short history there were many SS orders COlcernlng the wearing of spurs. Finally, In June 1943. Hlmmler Issued t~~
follOWing order217. Tho wearing of spurs.:The RClchsluhrer has orderedThaI In the whole SS - Allgcmelne. Wallen. and Pohzel - only members fllmounted or hOlse drawn units may wear spurs If they arJ authorised to (\"so In the relevant regulationsAll other members at Ihe SS and police. oU,cers. N C Os and men of tl .}Allgemerne-SS. Watlen-SS. Order and Secullty Police may only we.1spurs when gOing to fide. while rid 109. and on 10turnlng from riding
SS·FHA!11In add,tion to spurs, there was an adjustable black leather strap (Marschflemer Ithal fl\1ed under the InSlep. and around the ankle, 'I prevented movement Ilhe foot InSide the bool when marching.GamaschenGaitersWhen leather became scarce In November 1939 the marching bOOI had to l<!replaced IOf economic reasons, In July 1942 a standard lace-up anklc bOI twas issued In place of the marching boo!. 10 be worn wllh canvas gano1;In Wlnler and punces In summel. The gaiters. made of field-grey or olivegreen canvas Wl\h enher black 01 brown leathel fittings and blndmg. werealmost Identical to those Issued to the 8f1tlsh army The garter was not J
popular innovation and was given a numbel of disparaging names. such <1-';
'dog blanket' and 'retreat gaiters". With utmOSI cunning Ihe German soldl!'tfled to relaln hiS marching boots for as long as pOSSibleIn summel 1943 there was a COnespondence between Hlmmler's adJutalland the head 01 DepartmenT B. SS-8ngal Lamer concemlng Stynan galler i
(5lelflsche Ubergamaschen) Hlmmler had approved 01 them. and want€ Ithem tested In the field b\( SS-Gebllgs·OlVlslon Nord. It IS not clear from 11 <!
correspondence I1 they were fOf Ihe exclUSive use of mountain Troops. or tl 'whole SS, nOf IS there any descllpI,on 01 Illustration of the gallors In questIonbut It IS Ihoughtlhal Ihey are the ones Illustrated on p 51. which appear 11man\( Wallen-SS photographsAbschlussbanderPutteesGerman putlees were made of an elasllcated cloth and were 73 cm long and8 cm Wide With a 20 x 2} cm strap and patent buckle
Wearing of gaiters and putteesGaiters were worn over the top of the ankle or ski boot and bonom of thetrousers and fastened by two leather straps and metal buckles on the outsideso that the straps faced Ihe rear. The coneet method of folding the trouser legwas to grasp the back and fold It to the front on the inSide. ThiS was to pfeventthe insides of the trouser legs rubbing togelher and wearing out.A popular habit was the rolling of socks outside the trouser leg and over thetop of the ankle or ski boot. but this was finally forbidden In August 1944."Notes:
1. V.Bl.dW.·SS.. Nr.13. 1S November 1940. Zlff. 335.2, Ibid. Nr.13. 1 July 1942. Ziff.220.3, Ibid. Nr.l0.15 May 1944. Ziff.233.4. SS·Prelsliste, Gultig ab 1 November 1940. p. 41 with illustrations.5, Ibid.6, lb'd.7. V.BI.d.W.-SS.. Nr.12. 1S June 1943, Zllf.217.8. Ibid. Nr.15. 1 August 1944. Zilf.'l33.
TARNBEKlEIDUNGCamouflage c10lhlngThe deSign. development. and manufacture of ctothlng made from a fabrrcon which a camouflage pallern had been printed was the most 01l9inal of allSS IIlnovatlons in the field of uniform and equipment. and was to have anenormous IIlfluence on wartime and post-war uniform development. Todaymost armies In thc world wear same form of camouflage clothing.'Camouflage clothing was tested III Ihe field by SS·Standarte Deulschlandin December 1937 and January 1938. and In June 1938. after further investigation bv the Reich Patent Office. a patent in respect of each item ofclothing was granted to the NSDAP Reichsfuhrer·SS. By 1 November 1938
• Weidinger in his history of the Das Relch division attributes the Initiativefor the design and development of camouflage clothing and equipmentto the commander of the Aufklarungs-Abtcilung/SS-VT. SS-Stubal.Dr.lng.Brand\.· Responsibility for the manufacture of prototypes andinitial delivcries rested with OtlO Schick. and it was proposed thathe and hiS assistant should be found a post in the inspectorate of theSS-VT. Hausser pOinted out that It was unlikely that the army (OKH)Would agree. since it was working on standard camouflage clothingfor the army and air· force. Hausser thought it would be easier if Schickand his assistant were given an SS post outside the inspectorate."
The l,rSI patte,n SS C4moull81le j8ckel 8nd helmelcOVe! bt"ng worn In France, 1940.
37
.- -' -
LIQJ1:~<::",,-'--"---------------.:.,:--- -:;.::---./
38
quanlltY produclion of camouflaged groundsheets. steel helmet covers an,jface masks was already undef way IOn 27 Janua!Y 1939. SS-Bflgaf. Hausser reported to the chief of the SS.Hauptamt that despite great difficulties In obtaining suffiCient quanlllies t Iwaterproof cotton duck. and the fact that pflntlng on the matellal had to 0\1carried out by hand. 8.400 camoul!age groundsheets and 6.800 hellllttcovefS had already been supplied to the SS-VerfUgungs\lUppe. It was hopedthal the remainder would be supplied by April 1939 Hausser added that hathought 11 adVIsable to Issue 20 camouflage jackets per company fOI aSSllU tHOOP training The face masks he found unusable."Camouflage clothing was used spallngly dUflng the Polish campargn.and. probably due to Hausser"s suggestion. was only Issued 10 ilssaulltrOOps. but thiS new SS InnOVation dId nOt go unnoticed by the army. A~parently GenerJ(major Werner Kempf. In a report to the Oberkommandodes Heeres. praised the camouflage groundsheets and helmet covers used 1;;1
SS-Standane Deutschland while under hiS command. At the request of thlOKH the SS agreed to send a sample of the groundsheet and helmet cover t::lOKH Section In.6. at the Bendlerstrasse. Bellin.' The arnw. howevel. did nutInaoduce camouflage clOIhlng until 194213. and the only other branch of thearmed fOlces to make extenSive use of SS camoulfage clothing was theall-force General GOllng Regiment (later. Hermann Goring DiVISion).By June 1940 the tedium 01 hand plinting had been superseded by tl erolter pllnllny press. and the lollowlng Quanlllies of camoullage jackets IId dbeen delivered:
SS·VerfUgungs·Divlslon 10.900LClbstandane SS Adolf Hitler 3.000SS·Tolenkopf·Divlslon 9.000SS-Pollzel-D'VlSlon 9.500
By September delivery of a further 30.000 jackets was anticipated. but thiSwould use up the peacetime stock of material. The reqUired quanlltY vIcamouflage Jackets had been determined by the fact that only field unllS(diVISions) wele to be equipped wllh them. but It was then ordered that tl eSS Death's Head leglments wele also to receive them. It was hoped. however.that 75% of the Death's Head regiments' requirements could be suppliedfrom the 30.000 jackets delivered by September 1940.The big problem. even at thiS early date. was raw material supply. Apparentl.,..thc SS war requllcment for waterproof cotton duck had been liKed by It eOKH at 42.300 metres pef month. but thiS was only sufliclent for 8.9foundsheets. 6.000 camouflage Jackets. and 14.000 steel helmet cover,I1 groundsheets were nOI Included. then 18.300 sets of jackets and helm.t
covers could be produced Pohl hoped 10 overcome this deflcll by gelling aliuger allocation out 01 the raw matellal ofllce at Ihe OKH. and he wasconfident thal I1 he hi,ld sulllClerll mi,llerli,ll. i,lny quantity 01 camouflage nemscould be mi,lnulactured because pllnllng i,lncl m~ke·up presented no problems. IThe Orlgmi,ll helmet cover. Jacket. i,lnd lace mi,lsk were followed In June1942. by a camoullage pe<lked !reld cap. and In January 1943 by a camouflager:ombmallon lor armoured vehicle crews. On 9 Januafy Pohl repolled thi,ll I1was now no longer possible 10 use Ihe high quall1y COllon duel:: for camouflageuniforms. and 111 luture the Wa!len·SS would have 10 make do will I drillrnaterlal. which had no waterproofing qualities As 11 happened. even drillmatclli,l1 was In short supply. and atthough sulllclcnt for the manufi,lcture 01camouflage Jackets for the combat strength 01 mUShng diVISions. no lawmatellals 01 any kmd would be available for other kmds of ci,lmouJlageclothing ~ In lact the Jackel was also manul~ctured from drill matenal Irom\ 944 until the end 01 tl,e warC.mouflege pltterns tsee reer end peperlAs already deSCribed. the ci,lmoullage patteHl Wi,lS flfst hand Pllnted. then,oiler printed In averi,lge four colours The desrgn valled conSiderably and thegeneri,ll tendency dUllng the war was lor an II1creasmgly spotted deSign mlighter Shades. Earlier Ci,lmoullage uniforms tended to be much darker thi,lf1laler onesMost camouflage garments made f!Om waterproof Imen duck were pllntedon bolh Sides. and lhe articles made from thiS mateflal wele reverSible.which was not the case With unllorms made from dflll mi,llenat On one SIdethe deSign was predomll1antly green for wear during Hle seilson of milXlmumfoliation. whilst on tile reverse It was In vallQUS shades of blown for use Inautumn. Winter. and early SPlll1g. There WilS no Slgm!lcilnt reason for thedifference between one camouflage panern and anotheL To suggest. as dosome Post-war publications. that cerlaln units had speclat deSigns. or Ihi,l!speCial patterns were deSIgned to blend With speCifiC regions In whichoperations were to take place - or as two BlIllsh writers suggested In a recentpublication on Watlen·SS uniform. that 'there was i,l speCial ··brlck" patternlor wear In predomrnantly bUilt· up afCas· - a!1llbutes almost supelhumanorgan,sauoni,ll ability to Ihe supply SCIVlces 01 the Walfen-SS.JacketThe lacket was a smock-like. revelslble. pullovel garment I1 had no collar.and was gathered at the neck. wrists, and waist With elastiC, The Ilfst pallernhad no pockets. but two vertical openrngs 111 front. above Ihe Wi,lISI. whIchgave the wearer access 10 hiS Ileld blouse. which was worn underneath.Wartime modtllcallons to the smock were to sew loops In threes to the Iront
SS N C.O. wcallng a steel helnlel Wllh camouflage cover.
39
Group Of WaU",,"SS Offoee<S eonfer"ng.o th(t r,&Id, ltIey wea, f~st pattern camouflagehelmem COVOIS and smocks At ngnt. I'IOle llle applied ~r sleeve raok badge.OllI'lOI'ng a company olfice,
•, "
• •• ••.., ,
•- '"r .'..,~
"""•
•,,>;,
A Wafleo·SS IIreoad,el wea"oll the herfl0llbooe Iw,11eamouf. d,,11 urulo<m Hungary. August 1944 IBundesarcluv)
0' the shoulder and upper outside sleeve. and replace lhe vertical openingswith IWO side pockets with buttoned flaps. below the waist, Some photographs taken lOwards the end of the war show whal appears to be a smockwith a collar. but this was In fact the collar of the camouflage field blouseworn underneath lhe smock dUflng the summer.The jacket was worn in many dltlerent ways. Some personnel tucked lhecutis and skirt of the jacket inSide the elastiC at the WIlSt and waist. but Incold weather It was often worn on lOP of the greatcoat. The jacket appearsto hllVe been the only camouflage uniform which scems never to have beenworn with insignia An example In the lmperJal War Museum. london. ISmade 0' camouflage dnll mateflal and modllled by a Zip fastener filled In frontand the culls removed jusl below the elastiC. It ceased to be manufaclured In
January 1944 with the InlrodUCIIOn of Ihe camoullage drill blouse.Steel helmet coverThe reverSible steel helmet cover In camouflage material for wear on the 1935model steel helmet bcgan to be Introduced In 1939. s It was atlached to thchelmct by threc rust-proof. spring-loaded, double,slded metal cliPS, Helmctcovers made from 1942 onwards often had loops sewn onto the fron\. top,and back of the cover. to hold foliage. The cover was sometimes worn on llsov,," as an ImproVised camoul/age head-dress.Fece maskThe lace mask was one 01 the original Itcms 01 camouflage eqUlpmenl whichhad undcrgone !fIals belore the wal and was pronounced useless by HausscrIn 1939.1 Since Quanlll1es had alfeady been manufactured It was decldod toIssue them In Apfl11942.
134. New introduction of the camouflaged face mask."In order 10 complete Ihe camouflage of men, and In addition to the eXlsllngcamouflage clothing (jacket and helmet cover) a camoutlage face maskWill be inlfoduced.DcllvelY la the diVISions and brigades. elc. 01 the Waffen·SS will follow.Indents from lhese units for up 10 30% of the lighting strength. for the timebeing. must be senl to the SS,Wlrtschafts·Ycrwaltungs-Hauptamt.Berhn·Llchtcdelde·Wesl. Unter den Elchen 129For !raining purposes each company of Ersatz unllS Will be enlllled to Iwoface masks. SS-FHA/Aml IV
Tho face mask was baSically a series of strings which were filled to an elastic·ated strap, At the bonom the Strings wC/e woven together. so thal thcv formeda CUlIaln which hung in front of the face. The mask was usually worn on ,heSteel helmet. and when not In use was eithel thrown back over the helmel orhung round the neck.
41
Top FUll ~ll''" "rnoutJ.ige "eld "PoBonOI'll C.mouflage f.-Id cap W1lh ",gut.llon 1n5'O"1I.
42
·P.nzer·M~. III SS SIM1dIflentultre. Ind c~. 01 the 12 SS·pz _ 0HltleflU{)e1lO. welt"'ll' r~"p.""blouse mMle lIomltlllln clmounage male'
Field capIn June 1942. a camouflaged field cap was mtroduced :
170. Introduction of a camouflaged field cap for troops.The Relchsluhrer·SS has ordered the mlloductlon 01 a camouflaged flcklcap fo' Ileld units The cap IS to be worn without mSlgnla.Delivery can begm at the end 01 May Kdod W ·SS/Ia
The cap was made 01 wate'plool duck. and could be worn wIth elthe' theautumn Of summe' pattem on the outsKie. although the sweat band of the capwas sewn on the autumn SIde
432. Camouflaged field cap.By o,der oft~ Relchsfuhrer-SS. the held cap WIll In lutufe be worn withInStgnla ExIsting caps Without InStgma muSt be WOIn OUt
SS·FHNla!IVn> s necessitated the manutacture of specIal InStgma which wele woven InblOW'n ilrtlllclat silk thread 101 the autumn. and brIght gleen thread lor the$I.lmme, paltern The background 01 lhe Inslgma remained black Thete we,eothCl' Items of clothmg and equipment made from camouflage matelOalsbut these WIll be dealt WIth under Ihelr ,especltve sect,ons as lollows:Gloundsheec. EQUIpmentCombmallOfl fOf tank Clews. Tank umfOlmQI,U unllolTTl, 01111 unllOlm01111 umlOlm 101 tank Clews. Tank unllOlmWJnte, umlOlm. Wintel umlOlmP;tfachute smock Palachute umfolm
Non-regulation camouflage uniformsThe,e ale a lew lecorded Instances of Wallen·SS troops wearing camouflageunIforms. other Ihan lhe standard Walfen-SS panem In June 1944 HlmmlelVISIted SS·Flerwllllgen DIVISIon GallZtefl m lIamlng al Helde1a9C" Photoglaphs of thiS V'Slt show Uksalnlan volunteers weaflng 81my camouflagesmocks and SS camouflage helmel COVCl'S -In 1944 large quantllles 01 camouflage umfomlS In German cut. but manufactured Irom Italian camoullagemateflal. appealed In Normandy There were also Isolated cases of Walfen·SSPersonnel wearing Umted States camouflage SUIts In NOlmandv
Notes:
1 J G Quo Sch,ck an den Relchsluhrel'SS Beu.: Abschluss derArbelten lur die Tarnausruslung . Munchen. den I November 1938.
2 Del Inspckteur del SS·VT. SS-Bllgal Hausser an den Chef desSS·Hauptamles. Inspcktlon der SS-VT Betr.. Tarnausrustung zu
.....mbe<$ 01 Itw SS HeornwelT' D.n;rog _I"'" lhe ~IU'~ c:oIou,MI heom"QlbOlle Iwtlldull uno.torm. NOM -'to lne~ SS Pll1em ......etJOong litr~ps liupporl"'ll. Au9uli1 1939
De! Relchsluhrer-SS. PCl'soohcher Stab Tgb NrAR/1938/1 Wa./Luvom 13 1238 Belrlln. den 27 January 1939.
3 Dct Chef des Beschallungsamtes-SS. SS-Oberl. Gartner an SS·StalDlesterweg. Hauptabtellung IX/2. BellIn. den 8 Novembel 1939.
4. SS-GIUI Pohl. Chel des V.u W ·Hauptamtes an den Relchs!uhlerBetr Tarnlackcn. Tarnschume und Tflppelwagen.. Berltn. den (7)June 1939
5 SS·Oglul u Gen d W.-SS Oswald Pohl an den RelchslUhler-SSBelr . Benchl Ubel dlC Rohstofllage au! dem Splnnstofl-undLedCfgcolel.. Berlin. den 9 January 1943.
6. V.Bl.dW.·SS.. Nr.8. 15 Aprt11942.llff 134.7. Ibid. Nr.11. 1 June 1942. Zlft.170.8. Ibid. Nr 23.1 December 1942. Zlfl.432.9. Die Woche. NI.23. 7 June 1944. p. 5.
43
Tile rusll ",elm dull un,torm beln9 wo,n bV Bosn,an ~('IlunlCl!'S ,n Till! WaUlln·SS.Janus,., 11144.
44
ARBEITSANZUG/DRILLlCH(Working and doll uniform)Al the outbleak of war the armed SS had two basIc patterns of drill un,formThe fust was the SS-YerfugungstlUPpe one consls!lng of a field blouse andlong trousers. Identical In cut to the field-grey SS field blouse and trousersbut made of a cement coloured herrlng·bone twill (Drillichstolt) The fieldblouse was filled with detachable buttons. shoulder strap loops. and wa\worn with shoulder straps nallonal emblem. and collar patches Alter thebeglnnmg of the war. thiS blouse was often worn dUllng the summer as asummer UnlfOflnW,th me very rapid expans.on of the Waffen-SS 10 t 939---40 It was necessa,-.to Issue large auar\lllieS of unbleached natural coloured linen hefllng·bon..Twrll. as used In The German ,HOlY. The Jacket had five detachable bunons Intrant and two flapless SIde patch pockets No Insignia was IOtended to beworn on thiS Jacket The trousers were the same as thel' cloth counterpafl_Durlllg the war ,he unbleached drill Uniform was considered totally Impracticalbecause of ItS colour. and " was either dyed rush green or replaced by onr>made of rush green IlOen hemng-bone tWIll ThiS wartime working unlfon"ulcluded either the Wallen- SS palleln Sctlllfchen or the standard field capmade of the same material They differed from cloth models Insofar as neuhelcap had a separate flap which could be lowered The standard field cap wa~
Idenllcal to the one made of camouflage matellillWatt,me experience and lhe need to standardise Walfen-SS uniform brougl1laboul lhe Introduction of iI combrned summer field serVice and workingunltorm
99. Camouflaged drill uniform.'To utilise front·hne experience. a camouflaged drrll uniform consisting ofDrill blouse ..• Article No B/40Drill trousers •.. A'llcle No B1l7!IS rntroduced as a camouflage and working uniformOn those drrll blouses In the same cut as the clott, field blouse. the ranKbadges for Items of clothing Without shoulder straps (according toV.Bl.dW.-SS.. Nr.4. 15 February 1943. Zrlf63.) are to be worn 0.5 cmunder the natiOnal emblem.Collar patches are not to be worn.Existing types 01 drill uniform as well as the camouflage jacket are to bedIscontinued EXISllng stocks may be used up.
SS-FHA/laThis uniform was made of unbleached tWill on which the camouflage patternhad been printed on one Side only. and was therefore not reversible. Insignia.
other than the nOhonal emblem and special rank badges. were nOI Intendedto be worn on the blouse. but there were Instances 01 shoulder straps and otherinSignia appearing.
\. V.BI d.W.-SS.. Nr.5. 1 Malch 1944.llll.99
SS-SPORTBEKlEIDUNG
SS Sports clothesSPOilS clothes were pulchased from the RZM belole the wal. but soon altelthe oUlbreak 01 Will stocks were reserved lor officers and UnitS ot the WallenSS. who held stocks of SPOilS clothmg whIch was ISSUed as and whenlequlfed and letulned altel use Those members of the Wa/fen-SS who hadbeen ISSUed WIth SPOilS clothing belole the war continued 10 use it. In 1941.Waffen·SS troops In Greece used spoilS clolhmg as tropICal dress. Instead 01theIr fleld·grey fIeld UnlfOlm.SS sports clothing conSisted oflhe lollowlng Items:'
Shorts. saun. blackVest. with SS badge. whiteTramlng Jackel. WIth SS badge. blackTramlng trousers. blackSS badge for Fencing JacketSpoltS shoes. natural colour. leather
The same Items are listed In the MarCh 1941 SS puce Itsl. but the ltalnlnglacket and trousers are desc..bed as blue." SpoilS shoes were mcluded as part01 the wafllme ISSue schedule In September 1940."Notes:
I SS-Prelshste. Apul 1939. p. 3.2 Ibld.. p 33. V.Btd W ·SS . Nr 8. 5 Septembel 1940.llff 45.
VARIATIONS ON THE STANDARD FIELD SERVICE UNIFORM
1. Cavalry or hors. drawn units.In addition to tong trousers. mounted personnel were ISSued With a pall offield-grey clOlh breeches WIth seat and InSide leg letnfolced Wl1h grey leather.In place of drrll trousers. they received drrll breeches. In October 1943'standard riding breeches on both cloth and tw,ll wele intrOduced. whICh had abUilt-In cloth bel\, Side and h.p pockets WIth buttons and a fob pocket WithlIap. and lour boil loops at the wa.st. Instead of marching boots. mountedpersonnel rece.ved a pair of lidlng boots complete wl1h SpUIS. Laler in the
The 1944 umoultage droll in<! summer loeld servICe uniform.
45
SS cav~.ym.n ,n RussIa 1941. It Wil'j; common IlrICl>ee 10 lUoCk the culls .ndsklfl 0111!41 camou",ge stnQCl( uoder lhe .1,urH; ill The _,sI and WIISI.
46
- - '.Gl--..T
IF-',--.... (il•
fI \II
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, :,.
war mounted personnel made increaSing use of ankle boots with puttees orgaiters for training on foot2. Artillery and Flak (axe!. Panzarjagar (anti-tank) and Sturmgeschutz (self-propelled gun) personnel).Artillery men wore standard field· grey uniform of the Walfen·SS. or withvarrallons for mounted personnel, If they were serving In horse drawn unIts.During the course of the war varIOUS kinds of overalls were worn In actionInd on maintenance work. In September 1942 anti-aircraft gun crews were,ssued with black overalls.'
308, Protective clothing for anti-aircraft gun crews.For anti-aircraft gun crews serving wl\h Ileld Units a two-piece overallconsisting of -Protective jacket. black. drill(Manufacturer's code 8/307)Protective trousers, black. drill(Manufaclurer's code 8/308)IS 10 be Introduced.Field unit requirements must be forwarded via clothing channels.
Kdo,dW. SS/la3, EngineersEngineers also wore standard field·grey uniform (8lack special clothingIf crews 01 armoured vehicles in Panzer·Pioniere units). bUl because of thclfspeCialised tasks lhey wore many kinds 01 protective clothing and equipment.such as rubber waders for bridge building and hie jackets lor crossing rivers:these articles were nel1her clothing or personal equipment but technicalapparatus Issued for the task in hand.
4, Mountain unitsBelore the war great importance was attached to the training of SS personnelIn mountainous regions and winter sports, lor which purpose the follOWingblack, (Ior Allgemeine-SS) and earth·grey (for SS.Verlugungstruppe) skiclothing had been introduced In 1938:1
Ski cap. gabardine. black or earth-greySki blouse. gabardine. black or earth-greySki trousers. gabardine. black or earth greyPuttees
Before the war ski clothing was issued to personnel only for the duration oftraining. then returned to stales, but in 1940 Waflen·SS units serving inNorway were already being issued with suitable clothing and equipment lorwear in mountainous regions.
The black overall for crews of anl'·aIJcrah guns. Russ,a Wlnler 1942·3,
47
I1 IS nOI mtended here to deSCribe the elfaclluncllon and manulaclure 01 everyarllcle IIsled above. since this would reqUire a manual on mounlamee"ng.so It IS only pos.slble 10 desc"be lhose Items 01 clothing whICh dlfleredconSiderably from standard patlefn. EQUipment Will be COveted In the sectIondealing With that subject
2. In the above IIsllng.the mounlain cap IS Included In adchtlOn 10 the fIeldcap (Schlflchen). because 011 the lime It was SIIU classlhed as an Itemof special clolhlng for wear when mountaineering. It had nOI yet becomea dlsl'nctlVe head-dress. Being an ISSue Item I1 was ldenllcal for allranks. although officers could buy elClfa caps of supenor Quality. ollenWith aluminium pIping around the crown and on lhe front 01 the flap.The Ileld cap was worn In barracks and on "eld ualmng when the steelhelmet was not specified In March 1941 the mountain cap was offiCiallyrecogmsed as a dlstmctlV1t head-dress.'
A"icle
A2. Bread bag43. Bread bag strap44 Mess-11n45. Ealing Implements46. Idenllly disc with cord47. Ousl· and sun·glasses48. Towel49 Carrying slfaps for blou~50 Sleel side hooks51. sewing bag52. Cleamng bl'Ushes. set
(W) - Issued only In winter
Quantity
111II
II24
11
Moun~... llooP o"cers In TypoQI Wf'\ItCe dress 19.3. Three of the offlCel'l _ sl."OUMI'I. wh,-' I.... _ If' llle IO'IOddlol _.-s f)Ivs Iou<s and kn,ned woollen 1OC'ks. I1 IS.....eresllng 10 noM 1Nl ~II lour ill ups be... 61"erentl~. L-A _ "'''0...1emblem...cl "n"" .....ad on '.onl~ SS edelwe>u on lhe !eh. mel~1 dUI,,'i ....ad onIronl ~nd ....Iat mv todelwerss 01\ left. met.l1 de~I"'S ~ In Ironl. _ dUI"'.head lA "On! _Ad 110...1 emblem on llIe ..1t.
306. SS Mountain c.p.
The AelChsfUhrer·SS has authorised all members ofSS-Geb.rgs-OlvISlon Nord and SS·F,elw,Ulgen-Oivislon Prinz Eugen10 wear the mountain cap.
The AelChsfuhrer·SS has forbidden all officers. N.C.O.s and men m Olheruruts hom weanng Ihe mounlain cap.
Kdo.dW.·SS/la
49
SS mOUOla,,'1 t'oops wnh heav,lv loaded ,uckucl:s aod the specIal laf9c capacItywale, bOllle.
50
But In Septembe, 1943 it was decided to introduce a standard field cap lorthe whole Waflen-SS. 10 be modelled on the mountain cap. and it was therelore necessary to preserve Ihe special idenllty of Wallen-SS mountaIn troopsby the Introduc\lon. In OClober \943. of the cloth edelweIss fOI wear on theleh side of the standard Ileld cap and mountain cap. (For detaIls 01 theinsignia and melhod 01 weallng see Vol. 7 of the p,esent series.)
3. In wintel a white knitted woollen cover was WOln over Ihe mountaincap. and ,n the forests of Lappland the steel helmet cove' was worneither on tOP of Ihe mountain cap or on liS own as camouflage headdress. and thIS practice may well have been responSIble for the introduction of a camouflaged lield cap latel in the war. I
4. The a'my pattern wind cheater is Included In the above listing. althoughphotographs of 11 being worn by Walfen-SS personnel have not so larcome to light. ThiS double-bfeasted. lO-button. olive green calicojackel. had two slantIng pockets wIth buttoned Ilaps above the waist.and two patch side pockets with centre pleats and buttoned flaps.It had a half belt at the back with two buttons. and the cuffs could befastened tightly around the wrist by means 01 a tab and button. AllbUllons. e_cept those 101 the shoulder straps. which were In metal.we(e either horn or plastiC. Only inSlgnra normally worn on this garmentwere the shoulder straps.
5. Field-grey mountain trousers were cut wider in the leg than standardlong trousers. and were relntorced in the seal. The trouser legs werefastened at the ankle by dfaw·strmgs and held If'Islde the mountaIn bootby foot straps. In 1943 mountain trousers we'e gradually replacedby the new Keilhose. 'I Popular with mountaineers were the nonregulation Climbing I,ousers or knickerbockers. which were buckledjust undor the knee and worn with long woollen socks.
6. The snow smock or shirt was a loose fllUng slngle-b,easted undyedcottOn smock. deSIgned to be wo," over the normal uniform and equipment as camouflage in snowy terrain. I1 was litted with a hood andcollar. and had \Wo vertical slies above the waist to enable the wearerto reach hiS blouse pockets or ammunition pouches. Bultons werestandard metal pattern wllh malt-white finish.
8. Canvas mlllenS with leather palms and wrist stfaps were used In conjunction with woollen gloves 10 improve insulation and keep the gloves,,,.
9. Boots had a specially designed lace-up ankle and thick studded soles fOIclimbing and skiing. Many olticels and mountaineers wore thei, own
privately purchased mountain lootwear. whIch did not conform laany standard pal1ern. Mountaineers also wore special rock climbingcanvas ankle boots with rope or felt soles.
la. Wrist warmels were made of field-grey. baUle green or grey knllle<!wool. and were 10 cm long and open al both ends. They were deSIgnedto seal all the sleeve at the WflSt to exclude draughts and prOtect thewrist where the sleeve and glove jOined.
49 On the outside ollhe field blouse at waist level. lour sets 01 three (latertwo) holes can be seen In IIont and at the back. These were deSigned totake a metal hook 01 special deSIgn. which on the inSide was attachedto a labrlc strap whICh fOlnled part 01 the blouse IImng. The stlap wasdeSIgned to take a hook. and dlSlflbute the lully loaded weight 01 thewa,st beltthrooghoulthe shoulders of the Ileld blouse.
50 Mountain troopS were olten called upon to carry considerable weightsand 'I was lound necessary to reinforce these labrlc straps by two94 cm long webb,ng ones (Trol969une). The metal hooks were attachedto lhe ends 01 the straps. whIch were then worn Ovel the shoulder insidethe blouse. By supporting the hooks lhe straps transferred the burdento the wearet's shoulders and thus relieved lhe sualn on the bloose.
The following Items ale known 10 have been ISSUed. subsequent to these hSTS.At lhe end 01 1942 a new anorak and overalls began to replace the ..... ,ndcheater In the almy. and was soon ISsued to Waffen-SS personnel. The anorakand overalls were made 01 a spec,al revelSlble layon. while on one s,de andtan or rush green on the other. wh,ch had excellent watelproollng qualitieswhen wet and good ,nsulatlOn when dry
Initially ne'ther puttees nor gallels appear to have been worn by Waflen·SSmountain troops. and the trousers were held Insrde the mountilln boot by afootsllap. Eventually shorl elasllcated army· Style puttees (Wickelgamaschen)wele ,ssued (measuung 73 x 8 cm. With a 20; x 21 cm strap) which securedtrousers aM top oflhe boot and gave added ankle support. Meanwh,le theWatfen·SS was developing liS own ""pe 01 gaiters based on the old Austrianarmy 'Styrlan' pilllern In June 1943 Hlmmler requested Ihat ten paus of fourdlflelent pallerns be senllO SS-Geb,rgs·D,vlslon Nord lor "eld evaluallon.·The gaiters. made from various types and colours of canvas. coveled thetop of the boot and laced on the outSIde. Straps and binding wele made01 webbmg A combined webbing and metal footstrap. is one leature whichsuggests that these gaiters were prlmallly deSigned for use by mountainIfOOps. since a webbing Of leather strap would have been severed by the metalstuds and nails alfll<.e(i to the soles of mountain boots.
TOp Sr,nd,.d 'n.... "'>01,'"1"" boor.Bonom Mo","I,," boot w,th 'Styll,n OIlIer.
51
A Bosnl3n Moslem bemg Issued wllh brand·new mounla,n trOOD clothing, 1942.
Notes:1. V.8I.d.W.-SS. Nr.19. 1 October 1943. lrl!.3!"!7.2. Ibrd. Nr.17. 1 September 1942, Z,ff.308.3, SS-Plerslrste.. Nr.3. 1 Januarv 1938.'I. V.8I.dW.·SS" Nr.14, 1 December 1940.lllf.418.5 Ibid. Nr.17. 1 September 1942. llff 306.6. Kampf untel dem Nordllcht IllUSlIatlon between pp. 176 and \ 77.7. V.Sl.d.W·SS.. Nr.19. 1 October 1943, lllf.357.8. De! Chef des Amles B 11. SS,Wlltschafts und Velwaltungshauptaml
SS·Brigaf.lorner an SS-Ostubaf.Dr.Brandt (Pers.5tab. RF·SSl.. Berlin28 June 1943.
5. Training and replacement units_Before the war It was normal practice to rssue a new recruit with one completefield service unllorm for wear during basIc training. on completion of whichhe was Issued wllh a second seL The fnst. now somewhat wOln and oltenstripped 01 inSignia was relegated for wear In barracks. while the new unilormwas reserved for wear on exercises ilnd manoeuvres outside barracks.Even before the war and the rapid expanSion of the WaHen-SS. the flfsteveryday unIform. or part of It. conSisted of odd Items of the old earth-greyservice uniform. untIl finally Withdrawn In March 1941,' Already by 1939training and replacement units wele being Issued wllh the most unusualselection of Uniforms lor thea baSIC training. Members 01 the SS-TotenkopfErganwngssturmbann III In 8reslau. for example. were wearIng FlfSt WorldWar tunics of the lelb-Kurassler-Regt Nr,1. WIth black collar and wh,teIItzen, 101 stable duty and training. Without SS Illslgnla. DUllng the PolIshcampaIgn they were refelred to by the German army as the 'strange guards'.'By 1940 mosttrainll1g and replacement personnel were being Issued With twOfIeld· grey field uniforms and a set of dnll. As raw materials beCame scarceand stocks depleted. Ersatz unIts were the first 10 suller: In 1941 they were nolongel issued With malchrng boots but two pairs of ankle boots.' By the endof the wal the Waffen-SS was not even able to Issue the two baSIC sets offletd and one set of dill I uniform. and were lorced la requislllon stocks ofmrscellaneous uniforms, 01 manufacture new selS out of whatever matellalswere available In 1944-5 members of lhe Feldersatl. ballafions of the Toten·kopf and Wlklng diVISions In Schrotlersburg (Welchsel) were wearing fieldblouses made out 01 two dlftelent krnds and colours of matel ial. The breast andback porllOIlS (above the waist) wele made 01 dark doll material. while thelower parI of the Ironl and back portions (below the waist). collar andsleeves. were made of the normal fleld·grey material. The greatcoats were
-_.'
,\
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./'~
~ \\\.~
:./
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....
,'()o
'-"
"/!,
/ j. i~"-..j
,,
l,
_.._-_._--~-._- ..
Snow smock with del'll or coil"•.
BEKLEIDUNG DER PANZEREINHEfTENClothing of armoured unitsThe German definitIOn of the term armoured troops for lhe purpose of .ssulngthe special tank black Uniform. was the crew and exchange crevv oflanks. armoured cars. and radIO vahlCles With enclosed superstructures.All othe' personnel In armoured Units wore the standard field-grey uniform.Towards the end of the war there was a tendency to ISSue the special blackundorm to all p8rsonnelm an armoured UnitThe specIal black Uniform was fIrst Introduced in 1938 for wear when onduly With an armoured vehICle. smce dill and grease marks would not showup. Wllh Other orders of dress the standard field-grey Uniform was normallyworn later In the war lhe black Uniform was pl"oudty worn at every opportunlly. even when walking-out on RelCh lemtory. In fact Ih,s was due tolteld-grey uniforms being no longer ISSUed In add.llon to the black. At firstthe special black SS uniform was manufactured by the SS (Iolhlng Works andd.lfered slightly from .IS army counterpart. but once again rapid expansionnecessitated the Issue of army Uniform. In complete contrast to the SllUallonwh,ch came about Wllh the field-grey SS field Uniform. the SS managed tomaintain the supplies of liS own special black unIform. and It is therefore rareto see the army paltern being worn after 1942 As In the army. there was noSpecIal black greatcoat to go WIth th.s Uniform. and standard field-grey was.ssued.
earth-brown.' Many a young SS recruit. aUracted by the glamour and appealof the SS Uniform. must have sullered severe disillusionment as he stared at themotley collection of'hand-me-downs' w.th which ne was issued on reportingfor servIce.
Schutzmutze/BaskenmutzeCrash helmetThis specIal head·dress was deSigned to act both as a protective head-dressand a smart Item of military uniform. It conSisted of a round black. clothheadplece.· padded With rubber and lined With American cloth. With fourrubber ventilation holes. Over the headplece filled a large black. felt beret
Notes:1. V.Bl.d.W.·SS Nr.4.1 March 1941.Z.11 121.2. Der Frelwllhge Nr.l, January 1970, pp. 16-17.3. V.Bl.d.W.·SS.. Nr.20. 1 November 1941. Zltf.428.4. Feldgrau.• Nr.1. January 1956. p. 19.
53
A,moured Car crews from rhe SS Re<:onna'SSOlnce Ballal,onin the SS verSIon ollhe specIal black clothing. France 1940
On the front of the beret were worn specIal versions of the nallonal emblllrnand death's tlead. both of whIch were machIne-embroidered rn SIlver greySIlk thread on a black ground. ThIS Issue Item at head-dress was IdentIcalfor all ranks. However. the beret was WIthdrawn alter proving ImpractIcaldUflng combaT experience: In ITS place. eIther the Schlffchen. standald fIeldcap In black cloth (see sectIon on head·dress). or the steel ~lelmeT were worn.
FeldjackeField jackeTThIS was a short double·breasted black Jacket fastened wllh seven blackplasllc bUllons. WIth collar worn open or closed with brown shirt (later grey·grllen) and black tIe. I1 dlffe'ed from liS army counlerpartlnsolar as Ihe frontwas CUI vertically Instead of slanting. and had much shorter lapels. Jacketswere also privately made Irom vanous lrghtwelght or camouflage malellals. 'The COllar 01 Ihe black Jacket was sometimes piped In pink lor other ranks.and enher pInk pIpIng or tWIsted aluminIum COld for offIcers. I1 has beensuggesle<! Ihat pInk pIpIng was only worn by members 01 the SS Plo Regt 5(Wlkrng Dlv.).' but thiS IS nOI conllrmed by pholographic evidence. 'I t IS morelIkely tha! early In the war almy field jackets WIth pink pIping were rn fact wornby bOlh olllcers and men WIthout legard to the unIt. Alumrnlum TWIsted cordon the collar was lfadlllonally worn by SS offIcers. and appears to have beenworn by mOST on the black field jacket.Collar palches 'or other ranks were also pIped In pink. but again phoTographIceVIdence does not hmit It 10 members of Aufkl.AbI.5. as photographs of Itwo,n bv members of the AufkI.Abt,LSSAH.1 do eXIst. IllS moslllkely thaTprnk pipIng was Orlgrnally Inlended to Idenllly members 01 reconnaissanceballalrons Irom those In Panzer reglmenls. but thIS fine dIstInctIon. like manyothers. became blurred In wartIme.N.C.O.s (With the pOSSIble exceptIon 01 those in PZ,Rgt.LSSAH.1.) did notwear lace on the collar 01 The black field jacket
-The base 01 the Panzer berel had a second lease 01 Irle when eXls\lngstocks were covered WIth tan matellal and. 'med wllh rabbtt lur flaps.Issued as WInter head·dless.
Notes:1. Die Deutsche Wehrmachl1934 bls 1945. Heft.12 with IlIustrallon.2 The Watlen·SS. I(S dIVisional lflSlgnia. p. 22.3. See lor example the pholO 01 Max Wunsche as SS-Stuba!.. and
Chef I.{SS.Pz.Rgt.LSSAH.l .. in Bender-Taylor Vol. 1. p. 44.This quite clearly shows pink pipIng.
FeldhoseField trousersThese were similar to the army panern. haVing slanting sIde pockets with flapand bullon (later two buttons). watch pocket. and bUlloned hip pocket.They were baggy and cut like ski trousers. the bottoms lastened around theankle by draw-strrngs and lootstraps.
FussbekleidungFootwearOllginallv both marching and lace-up ankle boots were Issued with theblack uniform. butlrom 1941 1• ankle boots and gaitels only were to be worn.allhough It appears this order was disregarded and those In possession ofmarching boots continued to wear them.In August 1941 the need for a practical working and summer uniform. andthe necessity to provide reconnaissance personnel with a less conspiCUOusUniform when operating on loot brought about the Introduction of the reedgreen drill uniform.
355. Protective clothing for personnel in armoured reconnaissance units. ~
1. Crews of armoured cars ale to be issued with protective clothing In thesame cut and make-up as the black field uniform. This protectIVeclothing is to be worn as camouflage over the black Uniform. or on ilSown in summOf. and also to prOtect the black uniform.Designation and arllcle number:Field jacket. drill. reed green.
for tanks ... Arllcle No. 309:Field trouselS. drill. reed-green.
fOI tanks ... Alticle No. 310.
2. The dflll unilOlm for these units IS discontinued.
3. Divisional reQuirements must be sent to the SS-Verwaltungsamt withthe next clothing Indent.
V3/431/8AI.Although the basic cut 01 the jacket and trousers remained unchanged.there were minOl modilications. such as a large patch pocket With flap andbutton added to the left lront of the jacket and left thigh of the trousers.In JanualY 1943. the reed green drill unifOlm was replaced by a new onepiece reversible camouflage combination. The old reed gleen drill uniformcontinued to be worn. and was suit In use in Normandy in June 1944.
Maetlln<! embroidered badges lor the Panzel beret. The nal,onal emblem ,sohen ml~laklln
for the slellve emblem but was o! speCial design.
55
;i
\ ~-L
26. Camouflage combination for tank cr8ws.~
V.Bl.dW.·SS., Nr.16. 1 September 1941, Ziff.3551. The crews and e)(change crews of tanks. armoured cars. and radio
vehicles with enclosed armoured superstructures are 10 be issuedwith 11 camouflage combination instead of the protective clothing,drill, reed green.
2. Designation and article Number:Combination, camouflaged. fOf tanks ... Arlicle No. 306.
3. Field unil requirements must be forwarded to the WVHA.SS-FHA./a/Amt IV.
The combination was made of water repellent colton duck with aUlumnand summer shade camoullage patterns. It was usually Issued wl\h the nallonalemblem on the left sleeve. shoulder strap loops cmd detachable metalshoulder strap buttons. Later models had a large patch pocket With flap andbutton on the front of the left thigh. Nevertheless. the need 10 pfOvldecrews with bener winter clothing was anticipated.
27. Winter combination for tank crews.'In order to improve the winter clothing of tank crews and exchange crews.a new combination is Introduced.Designation and article number:Winter combination for tanks ... Article No. 396.Field unit requirements must be forwarded to lhe WVHA.
SS- FHA./l a/AmI-IV)The winter combination was basically the same cut as the camouflaged onc.but was made of two thicknesses of cloth. white on one side. and fleld·greyon the other.Because of the difficulty in getting in and out of a combination. it was neververy popular. and so in January 1944. It was decided to re·issue the two-piecedrill uniform in camouflage material Instead of reed·green. This was alsodone to coincide with the intfOduCllOn in the rest of the Waffen-SS of thecamouflage working and summer field service uniform.'
"
l SpeCIal black clothIng 'orarmoured vehlckl crew•.
Unofficial uniformsOn the whole the clothing of armoured personnel appears 10 have beenfairly standard. but there were two major changes at diVisional level. bOthof which took place in Normandy in 1944. The fifSt was the wearing of variousitems of camouflage clothing. field caps. jackets. and combmations bymembers 01 the Hitlerjugend and its parent Adolf Hitler Division. which weremade from Italian camouflage material.' The Adol! Hitter Division arrived in
SS-Stub<J!. Muhlen~amp (Kdl. SS-Plo Rill. 5) alle' the award ollhe Kn'9hl's e,o••. Ru.s,a. Seplember 1943.Th"$hQw~ a good c,oss·secllon 01 Panze, troop cloth,ng.
57
Captu'ed SS men wea"nu lhe ,uSh g,wn d,,1I u",ro,m !Of a,mouled vehIcle crews.Normandy June 1944.
58
France In Decembel 1943 alter helpmg dIsarm lhe Ilalran armed forces andIlghung pal1lsans In nOlthern Ilaly. and provIded 11 cadre for Ihe formanoll01 the HltlerJugClld DlvlsrOll. large quantllles 01 Italran mOlal llanspOfl andolher materIals werc used to replace dIsastrous German shortages.' In Ilalrannaval depots large quantities of German feather U·boat clothing (ollglnall'rsupplied by Germany 10 Ilaly) were discovered. requlSI!loned. and Issued 10
German tarlk crews In Normandy."
Notes:1 V.BI dW.-SS.. Nr.13, 1 July 19. ZI1I.220.2. Ibld .. Nr.16.1 September 1941.Zlff.355.3. Ibid. Nr.2. 15 January 1943. Zlff,26.4. Ibid.5. Ibld.. Nr.5. 1 March 1944. ZIII, 99.6. See illustration on p. 42.7, DleWalfen-SS. pp. 181-3.8. Verbal conversation With the former divisional Ordnance Offrcer
February 1972.
FElDGRAUE SONDERBEKLEIDUNGFleld·gley special c10thmgThe special fleld·grey clothing was first Issued to members of the Slurmge·schutz· Ballerre LSSAH In trme for the campaIgn in the Balkans In the summerof 1941. but 11 was not unlll Augusl 1942 lhatll was issued to crews of sellpfOpelled guns (Slurmgeschutze).
283. Special clothing for assault gun units.'Assault gun crews will be equipped With the newly Introduced specialclothing.F,eld Jacket. field· grey(Prod. code 311. subject B)
'odFlcld tlousers. fleld·grey(Prod. code 314. subject B)EXisting field blouses and trousers Will be worn OUI.ln accordance wllh thrpublished order (V.Bl.dW.-SS.. Nr.16.. 1 September 1941. Zllf.348)non-mounled personnel are issued wrth one pair of ankle boots Instea(J01 the marching boots with ordinary uniform.
Kdo.d.W.-SS/liIn December 1942 the wcaring of the field grey speCIal clothing was alst'extended 10 self-propelled anu·tank gun unrlS (PanzefJagerernheilen.(Sfl.) ,The uniform consiSled of a field-grey Jacket and long trousers. brown shut
The cemOllfl~!le Pan;re. combln~llon. Russia summel 1943. ·Panzermllyel' wearing llle .eve'slble wrnter combInatIOn for rank crllW1O. dunng lhebal1le 01 CharkOll. February/March 1943.
59
SS· p,......KhuUe <;.....,,\1 In. D.ale ot Nor_ncl1 ......."ng lheC:_'qOr·" unatoomtor l.nk Cfews.
GO
BI:Ioc:k ":101"-< U _I dothong llI'ltIg WOIn Dv ....maers ollM 2!Pz Resl1 12 (H1lIer"JU\IetICI0_1 ',n, Rl'>I"ms. Novemoe. 1'.3
(laler Ileld-grey) and black 111'1 Although not mentioned In the above ordera fleld·grey verSIon 01 the black beret was <11:,0 produced' but ,t was not wornunlll the ,ntroductlon In 1943 01 a self-propelled rocket launcher Wllhenclo~ed superstructure (Mauluer S(tKfz 3) Officers usually WOH.' Ihe ISSUllfield urllform wllh lhell badges 01 rank:, N.CO,s (with the e~cept,on of thoS()in SS Sturmgesch Abt and SS Pz_Jag Abl lSSAH.l.) dId nOt wear lace onthe lacket collar' Pink piPing was worn on the collar by certain members ofpz Jag bauahons. and a few oU,cers wore !Wlsted aluminium cord. butlecorded cases 01 these practices ale rare.Notes:
1 1/ Btd W.-SS. Nr 16. 15 August 1942 UI2831 Ibld Nr 23. 1 December 19a2. Z,t/4343 There IS an example of a fleld·grev berel with InSignia In the COlleCtion
of Davld Delich. Kansas e,lV. OhiO. U.s A.
FAllSCHIRM-SQNDERBEKlElDUNGParaChule c10lhlng01 olllhe branches of the SS. least 's known about Ihe CIOlhlng and equlpmenl01 SS parachutists. SS 1I00PS tOok pall In two well-known all borne operallonsthe Iiberat,on 01 Mussotrm ;!Od the ,memplcd Capture 01 T'lo In hiS mountainHO In YugoslaVIa. Despue these evenTs there IS lUlle or no relerence 10 lheclolhlng and eqUipment of the [lOOPS who palllc,p,lled In the operallons.
'It appeals that lhe alr-Iorce assumed responsibility nOI only for lhelr parachutetraining and transportal Ion by air. but also the equipping of SS parachut'STsw,th speCial all-force clolfllng and eqUipment. Normally then SS parachutiSTSwore standard fleld·grey uniform wllh lhe paraChUTiSt helmet Insle<ld 01 TIlestandard 1935 model The best method of ascerlalnlng e:oaclly what Theywore IS to analyse eX'Shng photogr<lphs of lhem.
liberation of Mussolini. Gran S8SS0, Italy, 12 September 1943.SS Stulmbannluhfcr Skotzeny and hiS small glider·bolne SS commandoWOfe German alr-Iorce lrop,Cal clolhlng With all-force nahonal emblemon the head-dress. shllt. and field blouse. and Waffen-SS shoulder straps.Skorzen'l hImself wore a Waffen-SS sleel helmet leather equipment. suchas lhe sub machine-gun pouches appear to have been the early SS leatherpauern At a rally In the Berlin SPOrts Pal<lce aller the rescue. OltO Skorzenyand members of h,s commando wore lield-grey Waffen-SS service dress.
Raid on Tito's Headquarters, Drvar, Yugoslavia, 25 May1944.On thiS operation (Rosselsprung) two companies of SS parachU(lsts. IromSS.Fallschlrmlager-BataiIlOn 500. were dropped by parachute and twOlanded by glider. The parachutists under the command of SS·Hauptslurm-
Thflle NCD's from tile SS·Pl. Jag Abl ·lSSAH'. Spr'''lI T943 In AV5S'" Ihev 81. all we811"l1
Ihe sp&CI3l held-gflly cloth'no Only N C O_s on ItllS d'Ylsoon wele perm'Ue<l to wear Ia<;e on thecoiIlIr 01 th,s iKkel lhe 'SPItlSS' ,n the C8fIlre wea's an army nal00na1 emblem and lan~ trOOPdealn's head on h,s held caP.
61
fuhler Rybka. wore Im-lofce clothing and equIpment II conSISlcd of sl~1
helmet (will' or wlthoul camouflage nel). geometriC pattern camoullagesmock. complete with alr-torce nattonal emblem on the light breast.· f,cld.grey 110users w,th the sIde opening \11,gl1 pOCkCIS. canvas gaIters. and anklebOOIS SS untform was represented by the field cap (Sch,lfchen) With SSinsIgnia and the bell buckle.Towards the end of the war. SS. like ,III-Iorce parachutists, were thrOwn IntoaChon as Infantry. ,InCl contmued 10 weal standard t leld-glcy clothing and theparachulIslS helmet
SCHUTZANZUGProtect,ve clothingProtective clothing was Issued to Wallen-SS personnel. IHespectlve 01 theirbranch 01 service. to protf!Ct therr ordinary clothing and person from severeclimatiC and phySical conditions. but which cannot be claSSified as wmterclothing.
KradschutzmantelMotor·cyclist's coatThiS was Illst Inlloduced lor army dispatch riders and personnel In urlltSeqUipped With motol-cycles. and later adopted by ttle SS, and worn by allbranches ollhe armed lorces. Waffen-SS and polJce until the end of the war.The coat was made 01 a fubberlsed fabriC. bUI like the greatcoat. also had alIlrst a dark green clOlh collar, bUI already In 1939 coats With f,old-grey clothcollars were In use I The coat was double breasted With Wide sleeves that
.~I·T-
/ I.
•SS paratroopers du"no ,he 'a,d Oil r,!o·s HO. O'~ar. YugQlsavi. May 1944
• Reccmly a batch of brand new (one only WOIn) parachu\lsts smocks.made of SS camouflage dllll matellal Win, the SS national emblemon the nght breast. [Ulned up In America. According to unconllrnlll(lreports thf!se werf! found by American troops In the SS Clothmg Depotat Dachau m April 1945 Thell wme brOught back to America. like somuch SS camouflage clothing. because they were thought to be Idealfor duck shooting ThiS IS the only recorded Instance ot the SS nallonalemblem sewn on the light breast. and may have had something to doWith the statlls ot SS parachutists under all·force operational command
62
Notes:1. In April 1944 It was announced that only those who were phYSically
suitable could wear parachute clothing. This excluded those Withlarge thighs and thick lorsos. V.Bl.d.W.-SS., Nr.S. 15 April 19·14,Zlf1.189.
.....
.0-," --
"
!ii ...-
'--....- "-.. -----.;......--- .....
'-------. ...,'-----. ; _._--~_.-.-_.. • • • Liole venoon 01 lhe IOf torce ~KhUI~l' .teel ~lmet.as 'ssued 10SS l»'~lf_'.
63
D,spalCh "der wearmg lhe r",bbe"ied rTI(IlO< CYChsfs CO<l!. and brown leatherga",nllels wllh seperaled lh",mb and forefInger.
64
could be fastened IIghtlv around the wnsl. The skill of lhe coat could bedivided and bUlloned around the legs. Although or,gtnallv Inlended as amotm-cvcllng coat. 11 proved popul<)r <)s a rainCOat and oflen worn as suchby Waffen·SS personnel, The rubbellsed materIal was not very Strong anddid not stand up well to the rigours of !lont·hne use, so the follOWing orderwas Issued:
216. Motor-cyclist's coat. IThe malar ·cyclisfs coal may onlV be worn on duty bv members of lheWaffen·SS. who have been offiClallv Issued With It. The mOlor-cychsfscoat must be worn over the eQurpment OnlV when action IS Imminentmay lhe belt be worn over the coat
SS-FHA/laIn addition to the coat. overalls were made oflhe same malerlal. and deSignedto be wom over bOlh the ordmary lrouselS and footwear dUllng wel 01 muddycondl1lons. Other speclahsed protectIVe clothmg fa/ motor· cyclists werevanous types of goggles With either nOlmal 01 smoked antl·glare and sunlenses. and ellhe' gauntlets 01 mlltens In canvas or leather. The gauntletswere made of a dark brown leather and had a separate lhumb and forefinger.and could be fastened at the WIISt with an adjustable suap and press studs,
Note:1. V.Bl.dW,·SS., Nr.3. 1 February 1943, Zltt.216
WINTERBEKlEIDUNGWinter clothingIt IS well known lhatthe Germans hoped to defeat RUSSia before the coming01 wmte" and therefole made little or no preparations for wagmg Wlfllerwarfare. Failure to prOVide troops with adequate warm clothing resulted mdisaster For the a"..erage German Winter. a pullover, knllled woollen gloves.greatcoat. and toque wele conSIdered suffiCient additional clothing loruoops able to return and sleep In modern quarters, alter the campaigns of1940. extra winter ctothlng had to be prOVided lor IrOOpS servtng m Norway
419. Special clothing for especially cold zones,'1. The following items are rntroduced as addlhonal winler clothing for
especlall.,. cold zones:Anorak With hood. fur lined.Fur waistcoat.
These aflldes WIll onl.,. be conSIdered for unllS Quartered In formerPolish territory and Norway. The anolak IS nOI SUitable for cavalryunits. and so IS nOI prOVided. These unus Will be Issued wllh sheepskins
2, The enlltlement IS.Anorak with hood. fur lined fOf 10% of the fighting slrength.Fur walstcoal. one pef man.
The anorak with hood IS to be used fOf patfols over fairly long distances.The guafd coat. fur. is imended for statlonafY Of walking guard dutywithin the afea olthe barracks.Allocation Will be made on procurement and accorOlng to availablestocks by application to lhe Verwaltungsaml def Waften·SSUnits in Norway will be given prlOflty In supplies.
V/3431/December 1940PelzwasteFur walstcoalThiS was a shOIl (just below Ihe waist) sleeveless waistcoat designedfor wear undef Ihe greatcoat fOf additional warmth. and was made fromany available types of fur and to no standard pallern,
Windbtusa mit Kapuze. pelz-gefuttartfur Imed anorakII is not known whethef thiS was the same as the garmenl lhat appeareddUring thewlnter 011942-3. bUlltlS conSidered unlikely. So far It has nql beenpOSSible la Idenllfy thiS item In photographs.
NacktpelzSheepskinsThe version Intended for use by mounted units was a threc-QuarlCf lengthdouble-breasted sheepskin coat wllh lamb's wool collar.
WachmantelGuafd coatThiS was a traditional garment for sentlies on static guard duty In extremecold. The coat was made of sheepskin with lamb's wool collaf. and was verylong - almost touching Ihe ground. It was usually worn together wilh strawovef boots,DUflng the fllst RUSSian Wlntef of 1941-2 Gefman troops were forced to
augment their meagre winter clothing with whalever lhey could lay theirhands on. and ImprOVise as beslthey could. The Items listed above were madeavailable whenever possible. and often two greatcoats were issued, wornone on top of the other. But the greatcoat and surcoat were not very practical10f wear in action, and weight alone Imposed qUite a burden on the weafefSloch of clothing originally Inlended for mountain troops. such as woollenScarves, mlllens, Wlntef underwear. and most imporlant of all. the snowsmock, were Issued 10 the fighting troops whenever pOSSible. Where shortagos
.0
,
~ "
r# ..-• :,~
I \
W;nfel clOThing 'ssued to EsTonian volunt~ers near Leningrad. December 1942. Thehooded wh'Te conon smock was p"ma"lv fc. camouflage. and was worn ove' othertypeS 01 Warm w,nle' clOThing. The bOOTS w~'e malle (It ",hlte canvas with lealherblndmg and 'ubber soles.
65
For drNers only}
330, Issue of winter clothing_ ~
From 15 September 1942 all untts must be Issued With articles of Wlnkrclothing:
Woollen glovesBalacfava helmetSurcoatGaUnllets or ml!lensPulloverOver socks
were stili apparent. captured Russian Winter clOthing. particularly capwere issued. Sheepskin Clothing, the tradmonal Russian peasant Winterclothing, was enher requIsitioned from or manufactured by the Russ,ar"themselues, and either sold or bartered to the GermansIn Germany a maSSive collecllon of winter clolhlng was Instituted, and thou.sands 01 ladles' old lur coats, ruSly skiS. and old toboggans were rushed tothe Iront. olten w,thout repair or alterallon. Nevertheless. the wrelchedsupply situation at the front was not allev'aled unlll winter had broughlmuch suffenng. hardsh,p, and death to many Ill-eqUipped !fOOps.In Apnl 1942 winter clothing was 'e-collected for repau and storage unl,1IUrlher need.' Throughout 1942 the Wallen· SS developed and manulactUlcdits own winter combat clothing Independent 01 the almy. It consisted 01 alur·lined pullover anorak In a water lepellent. cement coloured gabardln'Imed with various kinds of black. brown, or while furs. or sheepskin Overal swere unlined and unqUllled. and deSigned to be worn over ordonary tlouserThe bottoms of the !fousers fln,shed on a gallel, which f,tted ovel the top ....1the boot WIth laces and footstraps, by this time the lace-up ankle boot was ,ngeneral use, and the gaiter preventod melted snow from entering the bm IWhen snow lay on the ground, on undyed cotton overall, consistIng 01 ,1separate smock with hood and Irouscrs (specially deSigned to go OVE'[anorak and trousers) was Issued. The advantage of thIS arrangement was th"tthe white OVCl garments tended to get very duty but being separable could beeasily cleaned or replaced.Head-dress conSisted of a fur cap. based rougl11y on the Russian modr,l,with ear flaps. The head piece was usually made of leather, sheepskin,field· grey cloth, or the same material as the anOlak, Another pattern UTilisedeXisting stocks of Panzer berets by covering lhe black head pIece wtlllcement coloured cloth and fitting rabbtt fur to the front and ear flaps_ Th smay have been originally intended for crews of armoured vehicles. as phot(graphs of it being worn are very ,are,
An unidentif'&d SS officer wea"ng one of rhe many d,lfe,enr paue,ns 01 sl>eepsk,n capend COlt wh'ch wele made for the SS ,n Poland end Russ'a,
66
ReqUirements of these articles are to be forwarded to the competent serviceoffices.Fur clOlhing and other special Winter clOthlOg· is not issued la Ersat7units. The provision of thc field reserve (Fcldersatz) wllh these aruclesWill be undertaken in due course through collecting POlOtS. poss bly Rlga.Stel1ln. Warschau and Kracau. There Will be funher IOSlTuctlons. EXlstlOgstocks from the fur and textile collections by the German people are 10 beIssued on transfer 10 the front as additional clothing. and a Simultaneousentry to that effecl is to be made In the pay book.The addilronallssue of a second a,my blanket or greatcoat IS not permissible.Field Unl1S Will be supplied With wlOtef clothlOg by a special regulation ofthe SS·Wntschafts -Vefwallungshauplaml.
SS·FHA/IV
KopfschutzerBalaclava helmet/toqueThiS was baSically an open ended cylll1der of knl1ted wool (measurlOg33 x 29 cm) which could be worn 10 a number of different ways - round Iheneck like a scal!. on the head like a cap comfollef. Of fOund Ihe neck andpulled up over the back of the head. coveflng the ears. like a Balaclava helmet.
ObermantelSurcoatThiS garmenl. Introduced as early as 1937. was a long. loose fining and heavilyIlnod version of the greatcoat. deSigned to be worn over the ordinary greatcoat.or sheepskin or fur waistcoat by dnvers of open motor veh,cles. Early modelshad black and aluminium twisted cord around the collar. the same cOlour asthe coal. and the national emblem on the left sleeve. Basic cut was Identicalto thal of the greatcoat.DurlOg Ihe war many dlflClent patterns of thiS coat were issued. and 10addition to the normal side pockets they were equipped wl1h two verticalpockets above the waist. which were so placed and suffiClcntly large toconvemently take a gloved or mlttened hand. The sUlcoat was lined with darkgrey blanketll1g or brown fur; some had lleld-grey leather patches on Iheshoulders_
"The term 'speclal winter c1Olhlng- (WlOter-Sondefbekleidung) wasreserved for the speCial wlOter combat clolhlOg SUltabte for wear in action.as opposed to other types 01 winter clothing worn by personnel behll1dIhe lronl
I~SllO held·g,~y knllled woollen toque (KoplsehullerJ and wr'$1 walme'$.TYPical ear·delender$ made hom held-g,ey cloth hned Wllh lamb"s wool.It CQvered the ears and wu ned under the chin.
67
WachmantelGuard coatThiS was a Irad'lIonal garment (sulcoal) 101 sentries on stallC guard dutyIn extreme cold. I1 was usually made of sheepskin and worn together wl\hstraw over b001S.
In January 1943 Pohl reported thal 'thanks 10 supplies obtained in theBalkans. and by the change of domicile of the Jews, the WaHen-SS wasable la obtain suffiCient stocks. and was able also thl$ year 10 line anoraksWith fur. Next year. however, we must also change over to the Winter clOlh,ngintroduced ,n the army','FollOWing a crash programme. the army succeeded in iSSUing liS new wintercombat Uniform 10 field units In time for the winter of 1942-3. but apartlromodd sets obwined from the army by the Walten·SS, liS own verSion 01 thiSclothing did nOt enter service until the winter 01 1943-4. The clOthingconsisted 01 a hood. jackel. trousers. and mittens. made Irom twO layers ofwind ploof material. With wool-rayon interlining. It was reverSible. beingwhite on one side and SS autumn camouflage on the other. and was designedeither to be worn OVOf the ordinary field uniform or In conjunction withspeCial qUilted under garments. The white Side of thiS unllorm tended toget filthy. which defeated ItS purpose as camouflage In a snowy lilndscape.so troops behind the front were ordered 10 wear It With the camoullage sideout.
0
I0
,Q- 0 0
I 0
'0-I
:~ I'?! II
\0- 0,, ,; ,
I0- Ol
.I,
\:,0- !
Q' .. -
----.---d
••
RecognitionBecause of baSIC Similarity In shape (or shapelessness) and coloUl of winterclothing. a system 01 markings had to be Introduced to Identify one Sidefrom the other. On the RUSSian Iront a strip 01 black cloth was worn on theupper left or right arm. and changed dally. so that It could not be Imitatedby the enemy. the 1943 pattern winter COmbat jacket was prOVided wllhbuttons on the sleeves. so that the Strip could eaSily be changed. Waffen-SSpersonnel also wore the death's head on the front of the lur cap. sometimesaccompanied by the national emblem.
Su.coal. O!lverse and reverse and dela,l of raIsed hOod
"- -' .. ' ..--_ _----_ ./.- ..,-
",
Notes:1. V,Bl.d.w.·SS.. Nr.14. 1 December 1940,2111.419.2. Ibid.. Nr.8. 15 April 1942. ZiH.13fi3. Ibid.. Nr.18.15 September 1942.ZI!f, 330.4. SS-Ogruf.u.Gen.d.W.-SS Oswald Pohl an den RF-SS. Seu :Serlchl
Uber die Rohstolflage auf dem Splnnstofl-und Ledergebiet. Berlin.den 9 January 1943.
68
I
SS-Grill.",. Gen L. d W SS Feh~ Sle'ne, we.rong an '.sue Sulcal' w"lIlealhe, ,lIool!le' p,d.t.,. SS O,cll•. we3rS lhe il~nd'Jl' "elll Prey g''''eall.
Tile 1942 SS w,nle' cornbal un,form. The lokl,e. on ,roe "\1111 Welr5. toque.
69
Gro",p Of SS gfenad'C1S on 1944. wearong the new pane,n f,eld caP. wh,le one w~r$ a capl",'edSov,et Wln1er cap wIlh SS ,ns,onla, Some 01 Ihe men wea, lI'e SS vars<on 01 1ha spec,al armywinle' combal ",n,fo.m.
SS 'eversible ...... nte' combal ",,,,Io,m conSISlono ofJacket. ll005l:"S. hood and mlllens. onuod",ced In 1943.
70
-----
TROPENBEKlEIDUNGTroPical clothingTropical clothmg came lather late to the Waffen-SS·. and IS believed to havebeen first ISSUed to members 01 the S!Urmbngade Relchsluhrer-SS on thenarnval on CorSica In September 1943 Although there was talk of sending theWalfen SS to north Africa. the clothing was designed p(lmaflly lor wear In
southern Europe. the Balkans. Adrlauc. and southern RUSSia. and conSistedof the following Items:
1 Sun helmet2 Field cap (Schlflchen)3 Standard Ileld cap11 Field blouse5 Shirt6 Field trousers7 Shorts
All lhe above Items were basically the same In CUt and manufacture as the.rfield grey counterparts. but all were made out of a sand coloured cottondull
TropllnhelmTropical helmetThe shape was the same as that Issued to German trOOps In North Africa, lwdwas made 01 cork covered With olive green cotton dllll, All external leiltherUrmmlng was In field-grey. and the helmet had a red IImng The SS runesand national colours were the same as those worn on the steel helmet. butwere detachable white metal shields I
Fllldmutze (SchiHchen)Field capIdenhcal m cut 10 the new pattern field-grey field cap. (See p_ 73 )
Einheitsfeldmu t;reStandard field capTho same shape as ItS field-grey counterpart. but Without separate Hap andbuttons In frOnt The same inSignia was worn on both caps. and consisted ofa national emblem and death-s head. machine-woven In sand colouredirtchclal Silk thread on a black ground
• The Irrsl mention of tropical clothing In the SS-Verordnungsblalt IS In
NI 19. 1 October 1943. Zlf1.370.
fmpro.nsed IfOpOl;.1 c101hong III G,ee<:e 1941. f;OflSlSI.ng 01 sports doll>eS .nd C.plUled6<.'JSh sun hel....ts.
7.
SS-Obv'Slu.m~nnfuh.n' Gesele. commander 01 !he Sturmb"gade Re,chsfuh'e.-SS,lOOn ahe. h's unO! had been 'ssued w,th t,op,c~1 CIOth,ng. CO'$IC~. Seplembe1 I !l43.
72
FeldbluseField blouseThere were two basIc piHternS 01 tropical field blouse, as well as a number ntmmor vatrants. The fl,st was Identical In cut la Ihe 1940 model army Ilelclblouse, Ihe second was basetl on lhe velY elfltlent Italian bush jack(1(Sahanana),Normally only badges 01 rank and lhe naltonal emblem were worn on th"troDlcal flcld blouse. allhough Olher InSlgma. such as colhn patches antinilllonaltly badges. were also worn by mdlYldua\s.' The nallonal emblemwas machmc·woven m sand coloured arl,l,c,al silk on a black ground. anotNCO s lace. which appeared on lite colla, and sleeve chevrons was ai'woven m sand coloured arllllClal Silk
HemdShlflThe shin was also manufactured In llle same way as the lta!tan SaharlanilWith IWO breast patd, Dockets.
FeldhoseField trousersT1lese we'e In lhe standard trouser cut. wllh bullHn clOth belt, twO sl,lIlf,n(jSIde Dockets with flaos and bunons. walch pocket. and hip pocket wuh bunonThe bOllom 01 the trouser leg lapered and was fastened around Ihe ankle wltl,a draW-SUing and footstrap
KurzhoseShOIlSPoss,bly nOI olllClal Issue. but certainly wo.n by cerlam Waffen-SS personnelSame cloth belt and pocket a"angement as Ihe Ileld trousers.
Notes:1. ThiS is a desCllptlon of the helmet Illuwated (only surviving example
known al lIme 01 wtltmg) from Ihe colleCtion of Mr James van Flecl,Slanhope. New Jersey. U.S.A,
2. See the Waffen-SS. Its D!vislonal InSignia., p. 63, with iIluSlrallon
'\Cl
Two ~n."nVoll<sdltulKh. '1'1 lhe .....'kong DIVISIOn. _<t\Q UOOIUII......>form lIncl mounu,on bOOtS.
73
Nallonal embl~ms fo, wea' on 1he sleeve. l·R: hand emb,o.dNCd and machine wovenpane", 10' oU,ce,s. Bottom fOW. l-R mach'ne embro'dered and machlnc woven panc",10' 01hc' 'anks.
ARMELHOHEITSABZEICHENNational emblem for the sleeveTIle nahonal emblem first began IQ be wom on the upper lell sleeve of theearth-grey SS Uniform rn the summer of t935 Conllary to popular beliefrt was not generally worn by all ranks on the field-grey tunic. blouse. anugreatcoat until 1938. Prior to thal year oflicers usually wore a hand-embroidered versIon. other ranks a machrne-embrOldeled velsron rf the freld blouseor greatcoat had been issued with It on.In 1938 the second and frnal pattern of the SS natIonal emblem In aluminIumhand embroidery 'or oflicers. and machine embroidered In silver gre'l SIll'thre<ld for other ranks. began to be generally Issued. and were listed In the SSprice list issued by the RZM.' PhotographiC eVIdence suggesls. howevel,that the orIginal pattem was still in use In November 1938.' In 1939 thenallonal emblem began to be woven In alumInium thread fOI oU,cers and SIlvergrey thread for other ranks. Thrs pilttem was to remain in use unlll lhe end oftile wal.A common habit (open to a numbel 01 ullerplelatlons) was the wearing bvWaHcn-SS officers of national emblems olher than that of the SS on both thehead-dress and sleeve. Most common wele those of the army. althoughnallonal emblems of lhe NSDAP were also wom. This pfactice. whIch was ofcourse, unofficial. was most common between 1939-40. when the SS-VTbecame the Walfen·SS.During this period of fapid expansion. SS insIgnia for the l1eld·grcy uniformwere SIlII controlled by the RZM. who gave pllollty to clothing depOls. sothat RZM outlets had difficulty in obtaining stocks. Army Inslyma on lhe otherhand wele in plenllful supply and avarlable. over lhe counter. In military outflHers lhroughoutthe country. The appearance of army national emblems onSS uniforms later In the war was due to the fact that those who had earlierpurchased almy emblems contInued to wear them. and army insignia remainedeas.el to obtaIn at the 'ront and in occupied terfllOlles than that of the SS.Thfoughout the war the national emblem continued 10 be wom on lhe upperleft arm 01 nearly all Wallen-SS uniforms and clothing (In CIOlh. cotton drilland camouflage malerlal) although offiCially II was nOllO be worn on camouflage clothing.'The wartime pattern was In fact the woven type. manu'actured m aluminiumlhread 101 officers and silver grey silk for olher ranks. The shade of the threadused lor the national emblems 01 other ranks varied considerably includmgwhite. matt·grey. and beige. added to which fading and ,dirt tended to alterthe colours. However. the followmg different coloured lhreads were used lotspecifiC types of uniform:
74
Top 10 bonom l-R' Badges for the old and 'law p<1nern field caP. Combined badge forlh. standard field cap, macl"n. emb'(lIde'ed and mach,ne WO~en pancm. for wear onfield gtey head·dres•. Mach,ne embto,dered and maeh,no woven palle",. for wear onbli'Ck head·dress.
HOHEITSABZEICHEN FOR KOPFBEDECKNUNGNational emblem for head·dressAt flfst Ihe SA and SS shared the same small while metal (tin) national emblem.which was worn on frOnt at the service cap. above the SA button. Of SSdeath's head. In the summer of 1935 the Lelbstandane-SS Adoll Hitler wasequipped With earth·grey. and a photograph 01 seven offIcers In brand newearth·grey uniforms shows twO wearing the Relchswehr n<ltlonal emblemon their service caps. I1 may be assumed Ihat thiS was JUSt anOther case 01'ElgenmiichtlgkClt" (personal vanity). or that certain LAH officers Wished toemphaSise their military standing by wearing army as opposed to politicalinsignia. In February 1936 Hitler Inspected and approved a new SS verSIOnof the natIOnal emblem for the service cap. The badge was made of sllveledLupal (synthetiC alloy) for the black extra cap. and matt aluminium fOI' theblack. eanh-grey 01 fleld·grey servIce cap.·ThiS national emblem remained In use unt,lthe end of the war as the standardpattern metal SS n<ltlonal emblem. although both types of metal and fln'shused valied cons,delably. Hand·embrOldered verSions of the SS nationalemblem were vefY rare. and most of those In private collections were m<ldeafter the war for use in theatrical productions. Certain olllcers wme either thehand-embrOidered or woven army nat,onal emblem on theil field servicecaps. while olhers wore the SS sleeve version. bUI none of these unoffiCIalmodes had any slgnlflC<lnce whatsoever.
Aluminium wire on black ground for officersSllvel grey thread on black ground 101 other ranks,Light khaki (sand coloured) thread on black ground for wear on tropical
uniforms.Brown on black ground for camouflage uniforms (autumn). ~
BlIgtll green on black ground for camouflage uniforms (spring) •
Notes:1. SS·Preishste Nr,3. 1 Janu<lry 1938,2. See photograph on p. 183. SS-Preisliste Nr.4. March 1939,4. See orders Quoled In sectoon on camouflage clothing.5. See source of th,s mimmation ,n footnotes to section dealing with
camouflage clothing.6. Adjutant des FGhrers. Hptm.a.D.Wiedermann An die ReichsfGhrung.
SS Belr Hoheltsabzeichen fur dre SS· Mutze, Berlin. den 3 February1936.
Standard mmal cap Insignia.
76
TOTENKOPFABZEICHEN (STOFF)Death's head badges (cloth)The fust cloth verSion of the death's head badge was not made for the SSPanzer beret.In 1939. SS death's heads began to be machrne woven rn aluminium threadfor the new pattern SS offrcers' field cap.l W,lh the introduction. in Novembl!r1940. of Ihe new Slyle SS field cap, the dealh's head began 10 be machinewoven In sliver grey Silk thread far other ranks, In addlllon to Ihe pattern 10
alum,nlum thread. ThIS patlern was manufactured unhllale m Ihe war. whenit began to be replaced by Ihe new combrned death's head and nationalemblem for wear on Ihe M.1943 standard field cap,' The machine wovendeath's head was manufactured m a standard size for wear on alllhe variouskinds of field cap. and was even worn by some personnel on the service cap,A slightly larger verSion was, however, produced for wear on Ihe Fez. (SeeVol. 7; sectIon on the \ 3th SS D,v) The same colour threads were used forthe manulacture of death's heads as were used for national emblems.
TOTENKOPFABZEICHEN FOR DIENSTMOTZEDeath's head cap badgeThe dealh's head was worn on nearly all Items of SS head·dress beneath thEna1l0nal emblem. The death's head was adopted by Hrtler"s SIOSSlrupp In1923. and was to remam the symbol of the SS until Ihe end of the warThe first pallern was tdentlcal 10 thal worn by the PrUSSian Lile HussarRegiment Nos, 1 and 2, and was made of silvered tm, In 1934 It was replacedby a specially designed SS model. Both old and new badges were wornconcurrently, but by the outbreak of war only a few Watfen·SS otlicelscontinued to wear Ihe old pallern,'Like the national emblem. the dealh's head was manufaclured IIfSI m SIlveredtIn, and then In an alloy. The death's head for wear on the grey service capwas to be rn matt alumrnium. and Silver plaled lor the black walkmg-out capAlthough rntended for wear only on the serVice cap and the N.C.O.s fieldcap, the metal death's head was worn on other types 01 head·dress suchas the field cap. standard tield and ski cap, and on varrous kinds 01 fur cap. I
Notes:1. SS·Preishste. NrA. April 1939, With hand-wrmen amendments2. See section on head-dress.3. See illustratIon on p, 58.4. See illustration on p. 70.
SS.VT/WAFFf:N·SS 8ADGES OF RANK IDlf:NSTGRAOABZEICHENJ 19)9·1940.·
ss QI>orl.......SS~_
....... u.... w'\;SSS-Ooooo-""...• e;,." • W ss
,/.
'''.SS 01>0,,,,,,.,'.'."
.'.'
.......:/SS S,U''''''''.....' ..I·'..
"DespIte o,,'e,s to the conualy c<llla, /NI'cl!fl we,e seldom pIped III blac~ and ;t1~mln'lJm , ....."te<t cc'd......tll!'eas the IIIPlnO ..... as s"ll.etalned on 'M colla, DU,e'I ,.nls shQ",kfm ~".' 5wIth po,nted l!f'lds and oU,ce, S WllllOut .l1e blac~ unde,lay .....e,e 5"11 tile m05' common '" 19~O
86
o
•
ss _ .. ,.,ss SCh.ll" "-I......
,,-
SS-I.l .....5$·Ob'''I<....''- ~."w.
••
li,,//
" ..:./
o
'"I
SS 1l''lI_lulut'u. G..,. M.,. d. VI SS
SS "'"p_l"~,..yG.... llG.W.SS
SS·Ot>o'~ulll"m'yh~1u.G.n.G.W.·SS
WAFFEN·SS BADGES OF RANK IDIENSTGRADABZEICHENI 1942.1945.
~. ~. ~.,
I0 0 0 ., 0 0,
0 0 0 0 ,. 0
•
SS·UnlOawrmluJu.,
ss·O.,..,,'·G'uPP<'nlu....'u. G.n. 01>0,. G. W.·SS
88
•
••
•
ss·OI>t,"'.....". u .........
•
•
•
•
SS ot>et"u'"\W1..r""~'.'
89
An hton'an SS·Slandarteno!J.e'lunker, wearing off,ce(. cap (wIth non'egulatlOn natoonal emblem) and bell, The badge. on h,s lell breast pocketare estonIan.
Of1icer cadelS (SS·Junke') at lhe funeral of SS· Bnga!. Ff1lz Wm. ~Illed nearCaen on 12 June 1944. Ahhough lechnlcally cadelS held N.C.O. ,anklhev ale not wearrnll glove•. Thev all wear the cull·band 01 Ihe" formerunIt to whIch they wIll return, and nOl thel 01 I~.e school.
91
WAFFEN_SS POTENTIAL OFFICERS AND OFFICER CADETS. BADGES OF RANK (DIENSTGRADABZEICHEN). ACTIVE. 1940-1945.1940-1944
•
ss "n'....,'" If01SS Stl'", .... w.w ('0'
•
SS S""".,.,.,,,.. [fillSS 5,,,,,,,.,,,,,,,,,,·,lSS,Sc"'l
•
55-5''''''' ,'''...,'''''.«(SS I"c )Feb. 1944·Mey 1945
SS Se""". " ,w IfS)
••
SS 5'""" ..."",,,,,.,(SS·S'I "
SS 5' "<,,, .,.'....•..e'(SS· ~.,J
92 See nOlI! at 1001 Of page 86
ss "'<lW,,," IRrs)SS St_""." ",w. (RFRI
• •lID ffiJ I
, -
SS u.,", ..".,M".,d.R., lRfAI
SS O_XNo',,",.,• R... (RrAI
SS I.."',"..,... " .....,d R~, (RI"')
Feb. 19411.M.V 1945
WAFFEN·SS POTENTIAL OffiCERS AND OffICER CADETS. BADGES OF RANI( (DIENSTGRADABZEICHEN). RESERVE. 1940·1945.
1940-1944
•
SS-St"""." ,.w (RrD)
~LW
•
ss s,"'"....."" (RrD)SS Jun••, d. ReLSS·Sto.u.,_"",,,,",,d.ReL
•
93
•
SS·SlUrmmann andss- Unlerfuhre,anwarter(12 V's servIce)
94
SS·Slu,mmann andSS· Unle,fur"eranwa,ter(less than \2 y,s servIce)
UNTERFUH RER-ANWARTER-ABZEICH ENPotential N.C.O.s badges
78. Potential N.C.O.s badges."I! has been established that the badge for potel1lial N.C.O.s who haveSigned on 101 twelve years. IS oo.ng worn by other ranks not entitled 10 it.The potential N,C.O:s badge IS:
(a) For potential N.C,O.s who hOle signed on lor twelve years.a 0.9 cm Wide. regulation aluminium lace bar across the bollom ofthe shoulder strap.
(b) For potentIal N.C.O,s who have signed on ior less than twelve years:a 0.4 cm thick tWisted cotton cord In Waffenfarbe across the bottomof tIle shoulder strap.
Only olher ranks who have successfully completed a potential N.C.O:scourse (Unwrfuhreranwar!erlehrgang) are entitled to wear thiS badge.or If. because of their conduct In the ranks. they have been recommendedfor appointment to a potential N C.O. by llleir company or battalioncommander.If a year nlter their attendance at the course a potential N.C.D. has notbecome a section commander (Gruppenfuhrer). he must remove the badge.
Kdo.d.W.·SS libKragenspiegelCollar patchesIn February 1938 the introduction of army badges of rank rendered the SScollar patches. which denoted both the rank and formation of the wearer.superfluous. In the Waffen-SS. badges of rank. branch of serVice, andformation insignia (Cyphers. numerals. and leners) could all appear on theshoulder strap. In addition. the formation name or deSignation already appearedon the cuff·band.An order of 10 May 1940 concerning the field-grey uniform of the Waffen·SS(issued on day Germany Invaded western Europe) rendered obsolete. forsecunty reasons. all the pre·war SS·VT and SS· TV collar patches With the SSrunes or death·s head With numerals and letters. From that date on. the SS
Notes:1. SS·Betehls·Blatt.. Nl.lO. 15 October 1934. Nr.5.2. Ibid .. N1.3. 25 March 1935, Nr.16.3 V Bl.d .......... -SS .. Nr.12. 1 November 1940. Zlff.297.4. IbId.. Nr.23. 15 December 1941. ZifI.487.5 lb,d" Nr.4.15 February 1944.Ziff.86.6. !bld.. Nr.24. 15 December 1941. Zilf.78.
~sa
Development 01 the SS ,,,,,es and death's head colla, palches, L-R 1sr parternhand embroidered SS runes arld death's head fOI othcels. Th,. panem was worn onboth collar patches. 2nd panern hand embrOlde.ed death's head 101 ollrce's. also wornin pelfS. F,nal panem fOI offIcers. woven ,n alummlum thread.ht panem mechlrle emb.oidered SS runes end death's head I(lr OIller r.nks. The death'shead was worn on both collar patche,. t 940 partern machIne emb,o.de,ed de.,II'·'head whIch was also worn on pa"s. F,nal machme woven pallern fo' other ranks.
runes and the death's head became the standard collar patches of the Wallen55. 1The change-over from the old paltern 10 the new could not take placeovor night. and as an interim measure units selvlng In the front-line withold collar patches removed them. Since one collar patch could hardly beworn on Its own. they removed b01h.· To complicate maners even further,othel units. mainly those in the Totenkopf DIVision. were stili wearing thedouble death's head.Allgemeine.55 badges of rank. as warn in the Waffen-55. remained unchanged unTil AprIl 1942. when The Fuhrer approved the introduction of anew rank - SS-ObersT-GruppenfCihrer - and corresponding badges of rank.ThIS, however. entailed the alTerallon of the deSign of the eXisting collarpatches for the ranks SS-STaL - SS·Ogruf. There were no further changesTO the deSign of SS collar patches for the rest of the war.
Manufacture55 collar patches were made In the shape of a parallelogram (60 x 40 mm)consisting of a piece of buckram (or metal for the removable ones). covered Inblack badge cloth or felt for all ranks up to and including SS·OberSlUrmbannfCihrel and black velvet for all rankS from 5S-5Tandanenfuhrer to 5S-0OOrstGruppenlUhrer. The collar paTch was usually sewn to the collar of the tunic.fletd blouse. or greatcoat. unless It was the removable pallern With metalbase and a screw fllting at each corner. in which case It was screwed TO thecollar.Before the war and unTil August 1940 the collar patch for oTher lanks wasedged in 1t mm black and alUminIUm twisted COld.' Olllcers' collar patcheswere edged In 1t mm aluminrum twisted cord. although during the war thiSwas ohen omitted flom the collar patches on the field unlfOlm. All ranks fromS5-UnterscharfCihrer up to and includIng SS·Obersturmbannfuhrer wereIdentified by 12 mm aluminium stars (maximum 4): inTermediary ranks had inaddition 6 mm wide aluminium lace with a black Slripe (maximum 2).Oak leaves for the ranks SS-StandanenfUhrer up to and including SSOberst·Gruppenfuhrer were hand-embrOidered In aluminium wire. as werethe 1 cm sq. Slars. Metal stars were never wom on collar patches by generalolllcers.
Notes:1 V.BI.d.W.-SS., Nf,23. 15 December 41. llff.482.2. See photographs in Waffen-SS Im Westen.3 Der Relchsfuhrer-SS, Tgb.N.RFjV.Betr. Dlenstgradabzelchen der 55
und Polizel. FLihrer-Hauptquartler. 7 April 1942.4 V Bl.dW.-SS .• Nr.18. 15 August 1940. lif!. 155,
95
._a
unllS In addItiOn. army Waffenlarbe piping was 10 be worn between lhe braidand lhe black underlay General off,cers were 10 have general's palternbraiding {IWO gill and one alumlntum) on a light Silver orev underlay onl,.Company and !leld officers were 10 have 20 mm bronzed and general offlcets26 mm stars In silvered metal.'InlrodUCllon of army shoulder straps was lhe most radical depal1ule from thepredominantly politIcal traditIon 01 the SS uniform· No sooner had Ihe'"been IntJOduced than the queshon Immediately arose as 10 whICh SS office,s(partICularly those In the SS Hauptamt) were to considel tl'lemselves merT1
bers of (he Waffen-SS. and thus ehglble to wear them On 14 May 1939.SS-Oberf frank. chief of the Verwaltungsamt-SS. was Informed Ihal 'u eRelchsfuhrer-SS does not want. apart from the Inspector of the SS -Verlugung- _truppe. SS- Bflgaf. Hausser. olher SS general officers In the SS·vr and SS-TV.to wear army shoulder Slraps The weallng of army shoulder straps by office'sup 10 the rank 01 SS-Sta! In lhe SS·VT and SS-TV IS permitted bv the Relchsluhrer-SS t
TOpl-R 51,ndard RZM vl!r~lon of Ihe 0011·1942 hand·embroldered eQUal patch forSS·Ol>etgruppen/uhrer and SS·Obe,fUhrer. Collal Pllch far SS·OberSlUrmh,tll",r Wllhrogull"an 'lars and Intermed,ary rank lat".60tlllm L·R Standard RZM vemOn of Ihl! p,•. 1942 hillld ambrQ,de,ed colla' palch lorSS·B""adelutl,•••"cl SS·Slandanen!uhfe,. Collar palch for SS·UntelSlurmfutlfe, WIlh000"8';IUI8Iion stars.
5chult.rstucke (Flihrer)Shoulder sl/aps (CommISSiOned ranks)In July 1935 officers 'of the SS.Verfugungs!tuppe were ordered to wealAllgemelfle·SS shoulder cords on both shouldets (see Vat 3. pp. 48-50) ofthen earrh.grev. aod later fleld-grev lunlCS. blouses and greatcoats. Theywere worn until Match 1938. when the army pattern was Inlloduced. Alllfst.SS officers purchased a'mv offlce(s shoulder sllaps with ellhe1 mall or !lflohtaluminium braid on a while underlay. Wllh 0111 melal Slars.The December 1939 order slaled thal the army pattern shoulder SlrapS were10 be In mall aluminium braid (brlghl aluminium was forbidden). and Ihal theunderlay was to be In lhe baSIC colour of the SS (black) for all offIcers In all
96
-AlIer the war Hlmmler was In favour 01 reintrodUCing the pre-war blatkservice uniform complete with ItS Single shoulder cord. but real!sed Ihalthlsmight not be very popular wllh an oUlcer of the W<ltfen·SS. who was onlyeligible la receive the 'commdely salute' from members of the armed forceswhen wearing army badges of rank To allow Waffen·SS personnel 10wear army shoulder slraps on lhe black uniform would have meanl diVidinglhe Waffen-SS hom lhe AlIgememe-SS. which was. aller all. the 10undJtlon of lhe SS order. ThiS solution also created other problems A retlledWallen-SS officer would automallcally become a member of the Allgemelne-SS and would only be enlltled to wear Allgemelne-SS Uniformand badges of rank The proposed Solullon 10 Ih,s problem was lhe Intro·ductlon of Slandard shoulder straps With Ihe nallonal emblem embroideredIn aluminium wire for offIcers and white Silk lor men These shoulder strapswould not denote the wearer's rank. bUl would Idenllfy h,m as an exmember of the Walfen-SS H,s rank would con\lnoe to appeilf on lhe collarpatcn •Three of these shoulder straps have surVIved lhe war. and until now deltedIdenl!licatlon There are IWO dlsllncl types_ The fllSllS 41 cm Wide with 0111embrOidery and a gilt metal bunon bearing lhe SS runes The second rsshghlly narrower (31 cm) wnh Silver emb4'oldery and a while metaldeath's head builon The wIder gilt pallern may have been Intended fOIgeneral officers. while the death's head bullOfl may have denoted elemembers 01 the SS-TOlenkopfverbande.
\11
lOp 'ow. L·A Oetachable shoulde' strap tOI SS·Dg,ul. U. GCIl. d. W -SS. Sew''''panern to' SS·SrU'mb"llnfuh'"r alld SS·HauPISlwmfumer alld derachable panern forSS· Un!eISlu,",fuhrel.BOl1o", row. L-A Pre·1939 SS·V! and Walfen·SS palleln shouldc. snap rOt SS·HauPlsehalluhrer Ind orher ranks (MannsehaI15dltm51{l.ade). POS! 1939 WaUen·SSpallem for SS·Scharriil""r and orher ranh.
Notes:
Sec Appendrx I.
2 Der Chel des SS·Hauptamtes. SS·Gruf Helssmeyer an SS·ObedFrank. Chc! des Verwaltungsamt·SS. und SS·FUhrungsaml. Inspekteulder SS·VerlUgungslruppe und F0hrer der SS·Totenkopfverbande.Berlin. den 14 May 1939.
3 Ocr Relchsf0hrer-SS. Ober das SS-Hauplamt zur Veltellung an aneHauptamter. Berlin. den' 3 December 1939.
4 Sec AppendiX 11.
5 Undated draft report With penCilled amendments. possibly by Berger.on suggested development ot the SS uniform. from 1he files of theAdJutantur des SS-Hauptamles.
On 13 December 1939 Hlmmler sent the following directive to aJl his MalOOffice Chiefs:"
'1 refer to my order concerning the IntrodUCllon ef Reserve Waffen-SSofficers. and request that Main Office Chiefs ensure, With all powers atthelf disposal. thal no SS leader under their command wears Walfen-SSshoulder straps on his servlCC dress unless entrtled 10 do so The followrngare so enlltled:
(1) Waffen·SS oUrcers
(2) Reserve Waflen-SS ollrcers
(3) Securrty Polrce and SO leaders on active duly. regardrng those peoplewho are to be rncluded rn Ihrs calegory. please ,"qurre la the ChIef ofthe SO· Hauptamt
(4) Cena," of your Marn Offrce Chiefs. as proposed by the SS·Personal·hauptaml. and With my personal approval.
On 10 May 1940 Himmler amended hiS December 1939 order as follows.Offrcers' shOulder straps were to remain the same wrlh black underlayand army Wallenfarbe prplng. but the metal inSignia was to be rn bronzedmlllal for all company and freld offICers. and silvered metal for generaloUlcers wnh the rank: of SS·Blrgaf. and above. The old gIlt rnsrgnra couldbe worn unlll 31 December 1940 al the latest. I In filct rt was worn untilthe end of the war.
97
P,ototype SS shoulde, boa,ds for wea' on black unlfo,m 10 dlst,ngUlsh ex·membe.s01 the Watfen·SS.
9B
SchulterklappenShoulde, SlrapS (Olhe, ,anks)In July 1935 all members 01 lhe SS-VT we,e ordered 10 replace lheuAllgemeinc·SS shoulde, cord by a,my patte.n shoulder slraps (measuring11! x 4.1 cm) on bOlh shoulders of the earth-grey field tunic I AII,rst thesewe,e made 01 eanh·glcy. and later black cloth With rounded ends. edged In
2 mm black and white or 1.5mm black and aluminium tWisted cord: theydid not however idenllfy lhe wearer"s rank.In March 1938 N.C.O.s began to wear aluminium lace and 20 mm whitemetal stars on their shoulder snaps. which by thiS dale eXisted in lwO distlnCIpatterns. The lirst was made 01 black cloth With rounded ends and black andalUminiUm lWlsled cord piping, The second was made 01 a coarser qualityblack. ClOth Wllh pOlnled ends and no PiPing. ThiS pattern was Intended forwear with the lield blouse. and had a tongue which passed through a loopon the blouse or glcatcoat and lastened With a bUllon.In December 1939 new black cloth shoulder straps wllh rounded ends andpiping In a'my Walfenfarben were Introduced,' During the ensuing change·over a Iimlled number 01 shoulder straps With pomted ends and piping weremanufactured and Issued. J In May 1940 It was announced that as soon asfield units had been Issued with the new shoulder slJaps. replacement Unitswcrc to receive them.' Also in 1940 lace began to be manufaclUred In mouseg,ey or flcld-g,ey alllf,clal silkNotes:
1. Oer Chef des SS-Hauptamles an SS-Obe'abschnltte und SS-Verfugungstruppen, Berlin. 27 July 1935. Beu.; E'dgraue Rocke.
2 See Appendix I.3. See WaHen-SS Im Westen, one from last page. With Illustrallon.4 V.Bl.lnsp.(E) .. Nr.3_ 1 May 1940
Dienstgradabzeichen fur MannschaftendienstgradeBadges of rank for other ranksArmy badges of rank for lhe lowesl SS ranks are believed 10 have beenIntroduced In March 1938. at the same lime as the army paltern shoulderslraps.' They wele worn on lhe upper left sleeve 1" cm under the na\lonalemblem on all but camouflage uniforms.' In February t943 the weal 109 01these badges on camouflage umform was offiCially permllled. J
ManufactureSS-Mann{SS·Oberschutze U,S.W. Machine-embroidered 2 cm·sq Slal InSilver grey artlf'clal silk lhread on a circular black cloth ground,SS-Sturmmanll. One 9 mm Wide lace chevron on a triangular black clothSS·Rottenfijhrer. Two 9 mm Wide lace chevlons on a lflangular black cloth.
Top 'OW. L-R. Slee¥e sta, 10' SS·Oberschune eIC.• and ehe¥/ons.n mou~e·grev
311+"e.ol1<11<.. reglllal.on paue'n. lace IQ< SS· Rouenliih,er.aadges ot lank lor lInrlorm~ w,thOlll sholllder straps. L·R SS·GIlI!. wllh oak lea¥esmachIne embroIdered In YOllow arlll,elal Silk lhread. lInd yelrow celloph.line lace bars.SS·Unrersru.mlllh'et ,n g,een anol",al s,lk thread and g,een cellophane b.rs. BonomrOw: Pflllled panem ,n black on bf",hl green .11,1",.1 s,lk ground for SS·Slulmb.nn.fuh'er and SS·Obe'scharlllhrer.
-+Notes:
1. The exact date of rntroductlon has denied confirmatiOn 10 date.h was certainly earlier than 1940 (see Taylor/Bender. Vol 1. p. 110)srnce a photo of the Lerbstandarte rn the market place at Eger rnOctober 1938 shows an SS·Sturmmann wearrng the Single chevron.It seems logical that once it had been agreed to adopt army badges 01rank the SS would have adopted them all. and not In stages as hlthellogenerally accepted. FM·Zeltschrllt . Folge 11. Berlrn 1 November 1938.
2. ThiS conllicted with the wearrng 01 the national shield (Landesschlld)and so rn April 1944. the regulation was amended. so th,lI the shieldshould be worn under the national emblem. and the rank badge underthe shield. V_BLd.W.·SS.. Nf.8. 15 April 1944. Zill.164.
3 Ibid. Nr.4. 15 February 1944. Zlll,63.
Oien5tgradab~eichenan Bekleidungsstucken ohne Schulterstuckeb~w. Schulterklappen.Badges of lank on c10lhrng without shoulder s\fapsNo sooner had camouflage uniform been generally adopted than difficultyIn identifyrng rank was soon encountered In tt,e field. As early as May 1940the use of strips of lace or cloth on the sleeve. already In use In the air-forcewas advocated. l At the begrnnmg of It,e RUSSian campaign officers of theSS·Aufkl.Abl. (and pOSSibly other units) Identified their rank group by stripsof white tape or aluminium lace on the upper sleeves of their camouflagesmock. 1 Thrs system IS believed to have been that Oflglnally rntroduced In1936 for motoflsed units of the SS·vr fOI wear 011 overalls and greatcoats.~
It conSisted of stripS of aluminium braid for overalls. and whde rubber for therubberised motor-cyclists coat Each stripe was 1 cm Wide by 8 cm long andthe distance between each s\fipe was 0.3 cm. In September 1937 the originalorder was amended. so that the StripeS went right round the arm.•
SS-Unterfuhrer N C.O.s One StflpeSS· Fi.ihrer Company officers Two stripesSS-Stabsfuhrer Field officers Three stripes
The German army was faced with a Similar ploblem. and designed andIntroduced a completely new syStem 01 badges of lank in August 1942.In February 1943 Ihese same badges (wilh mlllor differences) wele introducedIn lhe Wallen-SS.•
The 9 mm lace was at first woven in aluminium Wire, but from 1940 onwardsI1 was also manufactured in either mouse grey or field-grey artifiCial silkthread for wear on the field uniform. or sand colouled thread for tropicalulllform. The two chevrons for SS·Rollenfuhrel were also woven rn one piece.
99
Ofl,ce!~ 01 Ihe SS·Aulkl.Abt onte"O{jale a captu,ed Sov,et ofhcer du"ng the openmll~Iage~ of Ihe ,nvas,on 01 AUSS"I. The SS·Hauplsturmluh,er on Ihe "ghl 's Identified l)ytwo bB" on borh sleeves 01 htS camouflage smock.
100
63. Badges of rank for clothing without shoulder straps.1. To Idenuly the lank of officers and N.C.O.s ollhe Waffen·SS on lhe
Snow and fur anorakSheepskinWinter comblnallon lor P,JOzer hOOPSDrill uniform. black and reed greenCamouflilge JacketCamouflaged combinatIOn for Panzer troopsDoll JackelTroprcal ShlllTrallllng costume (SPOilS). and working dress
Specral mach,ne·embro'dered badges on an oblong black. ground (a~,
Illustrated in Appendrx 11) are Introduced. and are for:(a) Gene'als of the Waflen·SS. rn golden yellow(b) Offrcers, IIlcludlng SS·Ober!.. III bright g'cen(c) N.C.O.s. rn bright gleen.2. POSitiOn of the badges Upper left sleeve - top of the badge 10 cm
from tile shoulder seam. On cJOthlng without shouldel seams the badgeIS 10 be worn at the same height as on clothing Wilt, the se<Jms.
3. The wearing of other badges of rank on those Items of clothing listedunder para. 1 rs not permrtted.
4. Othel ranks wear the same badges 01 rank on those Items 01 clothinglisted under para. 1 as on the fleld·gfOy and doll uniforms.
5, Units and offices are to Indent for their requ,rements as follows:(a) Officers In a collective order Irom the SS·Clothlng Counter, Berlin
Wllmersdorl. Karserallee 42:(b) Other tanks vra the normal clothrng supply channels.
SS-FHA./Amt 11/1..1Long after the IntrodUChon of these badges of rank shoulder straps and otM!InSignia continued to be wom on camouflage Clothing.
381. Badges of rank on camouflage clothing.-Shoulder straps are not to be worn on Uniforms made from camouflagedJlII mateJlal. Only thOSe badges of rank published on VB.d.W.·SSNr.4. 15 February 1943. ZIIl.63 are to be worn.
SS-FHA /1;0ManufactureThe 9 cm-tong oak leaves were machone·embrOldered rn euher golden yelio....Of brrght green afllfrclal silk thread on a rectangular black badge cloth ground.The 9 cm·long bars were made Of a 1 cm wrde golden yellow or blightgreen cellophane lace. The badge lor SS·Oberst·Gfuppenfiihrer was unique
In thal II had a sIngle 2 cm-wide golden yellow lace bar. on which wasmachine-embrOidered In sil ....er grey SIlk, three 20 mm stars A cheaperversIon for all ranks up to and mcludlng SS-Obelfuhrer were screen pllnledIn black on bllghl green artifICIal SIlk. Although hitherto thiS pallem waspresumed to have been made smce the war, those In the author's collectioncame from a huge stock found In Paris, and tholr orlgmality can be confnmedby compaflson with that shown In the IllustratIon opposIte
Notes:1. Undaled draft report wl1h penCIlled amendments on suggested Im
pro ....ements to SS unIform from the f,les of Ihe AdJutantur des 55Hauptamtes. May 1940.
2 See IllustratIon on p. 100, and DIe Deutsche Wehrmacht, Heft 12. wIthan i1lustraJlon which In fact shows ,In SS off,cel (With two whIte bars,on IllS camouflage combination) and nOt an SS-Oberschaduh,or asstated.
3. SS-Befehls-Blatt. NrA. 25 June 1936. Nr.2,4. Ibld.. Nr,9. 25 August 1937, Nr 2.5 V Bl.d.W -SS .. NrA. 15 February 1943. ZIff636. Ibld.. Nr.14, 15 July 1944. Z,ff.381.7 See IllustratIon on p. 102 which shows the special pattern for working
o....eralls,
WAFfENFARBENBranch of ser .... ,ce cOloursUnlll the Introduction of army shoulder straps, the question of Walfenfarbehad nOt aflsen In the SS-Verfugungstruppe. All piping on SS uniform (peakedcap and long trousers) was while, irrespective of tI~e wearer's branch ofser .... ,ce Wllh the adoption of army shoulder straps With underlay In Watlenfa rile. officers began to equip themsel ....es Wllh peaked caps and long trouselSWlttl coloured plpmg. The attached amendments 10 lhe flrSl SS order concernIng the field-grey unlfo!m of the Waffen-SS, dated 12 December 1939.clearly state, hOW(!VOf, thut tho piping on peuked caps and trousers was to((I maIn wh,te,' The next order dated 10 May 1940. states thal the trousers<ire to be uniformly piped In a grey colour and the peaked cap III Wal!cnfarbe.11 concluded by orderrng lhat HIe cOllect Waffenfarbe be adopted Immediately.and that Items not conforming to this order may only be worn until31 December 1940.'On 5 November 1940 Hlmmler changed hiS mind once agarn amending hisMay 1940 order as follows;
SS·Hauptsturmluhrel Joseph Krimer commandam at Bergen·Belsen concentralion camp alle! hIS capture by Br'lLsh troops, He wears an Issue shin wnh looplor shoulder SHaps and Ihe primed panern 01 badge 01 rank for wear on clOlh,ngw,thoul shoulder straps.
'01
An SS-H~upl.ch~rfuhrer (Iefl) and all SS·Obe'Slu""fuhrer ollhe In.!arldsellungsstaflol des H. SS-Panze,ko,ps nea, Cha,koll, Spring 1943. TIIflVbo1h wear Ih" special versIOn or badges of rank 10, wO'k"'lI overalls.
102
1. The piping on the SS peaked cap fOr officerS, N.C.O.s and men iswhite. Officers With the rank of SS·Oberflihrer and above are to havesilver (aluminium) piping. Watlenfarbe is to appear only on lheshoulder straps and field cap.
2. The aluminium piping on the officer's field cap is in future to be wornonly SS-OberfUhrer and above, All other oHlcers are to wear whitepiping .•
3. On the long grey trouselS the piping is to be white. *4. Items rendered obsolete by thIS order may be worn until 31 December
1940."Paragraph 2 appears to have been ignored. and there IS no eVidence orsurvllllng examples of olllcers' field caps piped In white.As the end of 1940 drew to a close. SS officers. who by this time must havebeen In some doubt as to what exactly they were supposed to wear, werereminded that:
439. Application of Waffenfarbe I
The RF·SS has ordered. that all officers of the Waffen-SS, must In accordance With flW order of tIle 10.5.1940, halle the sllOulder straps with theconect piping of their unl!. by the 1 January 1941. (See In this respect theorder of the RF·SS Hauptamt fUr Haushalt und Bauten - 1/3 1501 ~ ofthe 19.6.40).The continued wearing of non· regulation shoulder straps, or those Withthe Incorrect Walfenfarbe beyond the 31,12.1940 IS hereby forbidden.This equally applies to the field equipment for N.C.O.s and men.With regards to the wearing of white piping on the peaked cap and longtrousers, see the order of the RF·SS of the 5 Nov, 1940. according towhich the wearing of those of a different manufacture also terminateson the 31.12.1940.
Kdo.der W,-SS/IVa*Although permission to wear piping in Wallenfarbe on the peaked cap(and long trousers) had only been offiCially permitted for a matter of sevenmonths, a large number of officers and men continued to wear It until thecnd of the war.
Notes:1. See Appendix I,2. See AppendiX 11.3, Ocr RF-SS u, ChdOtPol. SS-Befehl (Abschrrh) Betr,: Feldgraue
Uniform der Walfen-SS. Sipo. und des SO.SeW9.: Meln Befeh! lIom10 May 1940, Berlin. den 5 November 1940.
4. V.Bl.d.W.-SS., Nr.15. 15 December 1940.Zill.439.
WaHen·SS adJutanfs eords.
'06
Explanatory guide to the Waffenfarben listingThe listmg is compiled chronologically by lhe date of Introduction of eilchcolour. The original listings have nOI been altered or corrected In anV Waydespite known omissions. The final listing has been compiled fron anumber of different SOUfces including Dich rult die SS. p. 92. and the 1943edition of Oer Soldatenfreund (Ausgabe D:Walfen·SS). Tafel17.
Notes:1. Appendix 1 to the amendments to the RF·SS-Befehlvom \ 2 December
1939, HHB 1/3009. Betr.: Feldgraue Uniform der Waffen·SS.
2. Appendix 1 to the RF-SS-Befehl (Abschrlft) vom 10 May 19-)0.Beu.· Feldgraue Unlfolm der Waffen-SS. Sichcrhcnspolizcl (me!des SO.
3. SS-Fuhrungshauptamt Abt.la.Betr.: Waflenlarben der Wallcn SS(Abschoh). BCllrn·Wilmersdorl. 30 May 1942, and supplement ddted19 June 1942.
4. Officefs retained the Waffenfarbll oltheu former unit. V.Bl.d.W.·SS.Nr.17, 1 September 1943.ZIIf.322.
5. Ibid.. Nr.17. 1 September 1943. Zlff.307.
6. Ibid.. Nr.13. 1 July 1944. llff.368.
7. Ibld .. Nr.3. 1 February t 943, Zlff.37. Pleviously lemon yellow was w- m.
8. Until the intfoduction of orange. staff retained the Walfenlarb<' oftheir former unn. Der Chef des 55- Hauptamtes SS-Ogruf. HeISSfT1C' er.Betr.: Abzeichen lur die Angehorigen der SS-Standort-Kommandar turPrag. Bellin. den 7 March 1940.
9. Pilar to the mtroductlon of led and gley twisted cord plpmg tOI
Fachfuhrer In June 1942. oUlcers and N.C.O.s in special sor",ce(Fuhrcr und Unterfuhref Im Sonderdlenst) wOle dark green Waif, n·larbe. RF-SS-FGhrungshauplaml. IIb/(l) Az.64: B 16 h Nr.221111.1941 vom 6 November 1941.
10. SS-Fuhfungshauplamt Kdo.W-SS. Abt. la. gel. JUlIner. SS_GlUT u.Gen.Ll.d.W.-SS. Bell.: Waflenfarben der Waffen-SS. Belug.: SS·FHA. Abt_la, vom 30 May 1942_ Berlin-Wllmersdod. den 3 July 19-12.
11. V,BI.dW.-SS.. Nr.18. 15 September 1943. ZI1I.334.
12. Ibid.. NI.16. 15 August 1944. Zilf,482.
13. Since 1 July 1942. members of the Kraftfahrtechnische lehranstaltalso wore orange. Ibid.. Nr.13. 1 July 1942. Zllf.232.
,AUSROSTUNGEQulprnentFor the purpose of this book. pefsonal cQUlpmenl has been defined asswndard equipment rssued to a soldrer on enterrng tile Walfen-SS. and kepton charge by hrm throughout hiS service. To avord unnecessary repetrttonthe following descriptiOns generally apply to materials used ,n the manufactureof standard German Issue personal eqUipment.
leattler, Normally black. bUI brown was also used for small fll1rngs. straps,relnforCUlg and hnrngs.Webbrng: Erther freld-grey. olive green. or !rgtl[ khakr (sand colour) Inv"rlous Widths Towards the end of the war many dltlerelll kmds of nonstandard webbrng were used.Canvas Usually olive green or f,eld·g,ey, but the old pre·war black andgllly canvases contrnued to be used throughoutttle war. Durrng the last1'....0 ye<lr$ of the war any avarlable canvas was used. and It IS qUlle commonto lrnd one piece of eQurpment made-up from two or more different lypeSan,J colours of canvasStltchrng. ThiS was a very distinCtive leatUle 01 Second World War Germanequipment and was usually white. No attempt was made at manufacturmgstdge to stain It to match the colour of the materials sewn. smce thiS wO\lldhave Impaired ItS durability: In any Cilse. repeated cleanmg and pollshmgby the wearer soon stamed itMFtal flllmgs Buckles, clips. flvets. and studs were usually made of a!lglll mOlnl alloy or steel. mostly pall1ted freld-grey_ The colour of the frnlshv~lied conSiderably from IIght1Q dark grey. Towaros Ihe end of the warIllcre was an allempt to Inlroouce a standard colour for Ihe Watlen-SSand armed forces (previously the air-force had blue·grcv fl\tmgs). ThiSd~lk steel-grey colour WilS used on all metal "ttmgs mcludmg metalbuttons. but was mtroduced too late 10 become standard.Mess tins and metal cups were at fllst made 01 all,lminlum witll ;) maltblack finish. which usually chipped oil, exposing the aluminium: they""ere later made 01 steel With an olive green enamelled finish.G<rs mask containers were painted field-grey throughout ttle war.
General noteIn!llally all wooden and metal contamers as well as ordnance and vehicleswere painted field-grey. by 1943 the colour had proved impractical when usedOn lronts With dlllerlng terram and dark yellow was adopted as standard baSICCOlOur I Contrary 10 popular belief items painted in thiS colour were notnecessa"ly Intended for North Ahlca. but for all war theatres. both temperateand tropical. Since it was much easier 10 apply a darker camouflage pattern
Duty N.C.O. (Unter/uhrer vom D,ensl) was d,slonguised by weallng an ~Iuminium cordlanyard on the righT shoulder. ThiS practise which was nOl common In lhe SS.
107
Top 10 bQllom 11'132 mootl SS othC&<$ bell bul:Ue 1932 model SS Olher ,,/nU beltbuc~tl. Prototype olher rankl Dell buckle made b~ Auman & Sohoeilnd p<obilbl~ l\I!'Verp<oduced ,n an~ quanlOllU
108
(to surt the tilfrilln) to a Ilght glound than vIce versa After thiS date ~I
eqUIpment left the factory finished In the Slandald colourFeldeusrustungField equipmentKoppelWaist beltThe waiST bell was ISSUed to all othe' ranks and was worn With all 0ld9rs l'dress Since II conSlllUted a degradation to have the belt laken away whol~t
under arreSl those serving In penal un,ts were rssued With a strap for lho!bread bag rt lhey drd nOl alreadv have one • The Onl'l soldrers alioNed 0'"
wrthout a bell were those rn m,lolary hosprlals 01 convalesCing It was USUdlpractrce lor lumOI offlcels to eqUIp them5CtVCS wrth belts of other ranks Irom!hell U01t"S stocks 101 wear rn the held bUI thiS was drscontlnued In Jul ..1943 because 01 shollages $
The leathet belt was 4";' cm wrde With a melal hook at one end and a leathf'1longue wrth two lOWS of holes on Ii'll.' reverse of lhe other Cfld. to whch Uebuckle was attached and adlusted Belts wl\h a lacquered Irorsh were m tofltClallyallowed Webbrng belts do not appe,lllo have been genelally ISSlK'Jto Walfen-SS personnelKoppelschlossBell buckleThe standard rOClangulal SS bell buckle .... as or,g,nally rnlreduced In 1932 •Before the wal the blIckle was usually made of n el Dhlled steet, and laterIn an alloy wllh iI m.iI1 srTVCI" (alumrnrum) fmlsh Dunng the wal the rssuebelt buckle .....as painted lteld-gleySeitengewehrBayonetDurIng the Second World Wal the frnal pallorn of 84/98 bayonet wastandard rssue 11 had wooden gllps and had Ollgrnally been ISSued to mountedtroops In 191!i JUSt befole the war baketne grrps began 10 replace the woodones. but rn 1944.4!i W en grrps began 10 be used agarn. Durrng the walonlV those rssued wrth a flUe lecelved a bayonet. and when Gefman bayonet'wale nOl avartable foreIgn ones were rssued When no bayonet was avallabt.the frog was worn emptySeitengewehrtascheBayonet frogThe bayonet was carrred rn a black lealher frog (20 x !i cm) worn onthe left hrp suspended from the waist belt The standa,d frog was producedIn twO palternS - the cavalry versron. as opposed 10 the rnfantry one. had anarrow leather sl,ap whIch held the grrp of the bayonet!O prevenllt swrnglng
l-R 84198 twyoner due<! 1939 Wllh ~~t. {lf1PS ~od ~~tn WIth Ilog 101 mountedpenonnel SUoo..rd Irog 101 unmounted~~l 84/98 beyonel dlled 11144 WIthwooOan Of'PS.nd ,nolltl,n<shed shnth lod frog Ill< use .. eonJO..ll\CtlOl> WI1h lne foldingeflllenchong 1001. F,n.1 Panern frog 1o, mounted personnel.
•
\lIolentlv_ With the introduction of Ihe folding entrenching 1001. a newbayonet Irog (19 II 3 cm) was Introduced In November 1942 leslrlChClnSwere Imposed on the wearing 01 bayonets and Ir s by p~rsonnel employed.n olflces 01 El5atz units on Re'ch telfltory •patronentaschenAmmunl\lon pouches98K. These ammunlllOn pouches wele made 01 Ieathel (9i II 19 x 3 cm)and were des,gned to lake 30 fOunds In SIX chps (IWO clips 10 a comparlment)Most pelsonnel In held units were ISsued with two pouches. but Ihose w.th asmall ammun'tlon requuemcnl. such as alullelymen. received one ThiSpouch panem had 1llS0 been ISSUed to mounted pelsonnelln 1915. rema.nlngv.rtUlllly unchanged unt.1 the end 01 the Second Wodd War, altl10u911 .n·(leasing use was made 01 flvets to replace Stitch109. In June 1942 llOOPSwele adVIsed 10 modllv thet! pouches by addlO\J a small strrp ollcalher ID IhetOP to prevent clips trom tailing out when 11 was le!t open.'MP 28. Those eqUipped With Ihls sub machine-gun were .ssued With ablack leather pouch lor Ihree magazlIles. whICh had a large Ilap covellng lhef,ontMP 38 &: 40. ThiS was a canvas pouch (23 x 15 cm) designed to takethree magazines. and was nOlmal1y ISSUed .n pailS The left pouch was fltledWith a small pocket at the base of the leh magazme conlalnel. whICh wasdesigned to hold the loading toolG41. 641 (W) &: G43. Thts pouch with twO compartments was deSigned10 lake two magazines ollhe 1"51 Gelman aUlOrnallc 'IUe which was ISSUed In
limIted quanttlles. The pouch was made 01 a synthellc lubbellsed labllc withleathel and metalll\lIngs.;MP43. MP43/1. MP44 &: StG44. New pouches wele deSigned 10 take thelong slighlly curved magazine of the aulomatlc assault rllle. The canvaspouch (25 II 20 II 3; cm) held three magazines. and were made and IssuedIn pairs. which were JOined together by a narrow webbing strap 10 preventheaVily laden pouches !lom failing forwards, Both pouches had small pockelsfor SlllPPlllg tools and accessolles. These pouches were manufaClUred IromIhe poorest mateflals. canvas. odd bits 01 rubber. and other synthetic fabllcs.Gasmaske und TrallbuchseGas mask and containerThe standard Gelman almy gas mask was call1ed In a 250 mm-long cylrndflcalmetal COntalnel whICh was canted as follows: I
Unmounted personnel wore It suspended Irom the light hip from a strap overthe left shouldel. When th,s was not practIcal. lor Instance by hght machine·gunners 01 by complete unllS. then It could be worn on lhe left hip WIth theWap over the light shoulder.
109
Waflen-SS man ca,rymg the 1st W",ld Wa' long-barrelled Mause' ,n 'IS bull·holster .lId [,cid glasses ,n th'M ClIse. Th" he1me!s have been daubed With mud lorcamouUage, F'ance 1940.
110
Mounted personnel, as above, but more to the Iront with the waist belt ove!the container cally,ng straps to p,event ,t flapping Violently.Drivers 01 motor veh'cles Includ'ng motor-cyclists wore It on the breast atelhow level. With the lId towards the flghlIn 1939 the container dimenSions were slightly altered The length wasIncreased to 275 mm. and the diameter reduced irom 120t-120 mm, Fieldunits wele unlfOlmly eQuipped With lhe new pallern. Those ,ssued WIth a gasmaSk were expecled to carrl' It al all tunes when being posted. translerred.0' when travellmgGasplanaGas capeThe anti-gas cape was carried In a canvas !louch (17 le 23 cm), and was elthel~ltached to the gas mas~ contalnc, strap and worn on the chest. or strappedto the contamer Itseli, Late, In the war the cape was ra'ely worn.Kleines Schanzzeug[nt,enchlng toolThe entrenchu\g tool conSisted 01 a 15 cm-wide flal or pOinted steel bladeon,1 straight wooder, handle (overall length 55 cm) It was carried In a leather0' call1l,,s case (Taschel suspended from rhe waist belt on tl1e left hip. Theshovel was kept In place by Il strap which encompassed both handle andbayonet Sheath when wOln togetherIn 1942 a folding entrenching tool (Zusammen~lappbares Schanzzeug)measuJlng 69 cm-long extended and 49 cm folded, was rntroduced. By meansof a Bakelite nut the pOinted steel blade could be locked In anyone of threeposItions - In line With the handle as a Sllovel. at r,gtll angles 10 the handleas a pIck. or folded against the handle for carrying. A specral leather andmetal case With Single bell loop (and one for bayonet sheath) was Issuedw'th It TtllS new case made It necessary to re-deSign the bayonet frog: Italso prOVided a useful means of carrYing thl:! stick g,enade.Zeltbahn und ZubahorGroundsheet and acceSSOflesAt the beginning of the war there were four types of groundsheet used by theWalfcn·SS'" These were the square grey 1931 model, the grey army_and camouflaged triangular army and SS pallerns. 81' the 27 January 19398.400 triangular SS camouflage oncs had been Issued. The triangular groundsheet mcasured 203 x 203 x 203 cm. and apart from 'IS prlmalY purpose as aportable shelter could also be worn as a cape or poncho In wet weather.The,c were three different methods of wearing It - for those on foot or mountedon horseback. motor-cycle, or b,cycle. Normally four groundsheets could bebuttoned together to form a four· man tent. altllOugh any number from oneupwards could bl:! used, In addition to the groundsheet, each soldier carried
rolled InSide the sheet. three 26 cm-long metal pegs. three 36~ cm long poles.....hlCh Imed together. and a length 01 cordThe groundsheet was wom m a numbel 01 dltlerent ways
1 Rolled and tied wIth two 54)( l) cm-long Ieathel or webbing sllapssuspended from the .....alst belt at the back
2. Rolled Iength.....ays and placed on top of the blanket and/of gleatcoat.and sllapped to the pack bV three straps
3 Rolled length.....ays and strapped around the mess-un to tOlm an assault
p~'
4 Rolled and strapped on lOP 01 the canvas pouch of the assault packWith the lWO slfaps provIded.
5 Rolled and strapped 10 the twO D-rlngs on the back of the SUpportUlgstraps.
In December 1943 1\ was decided not to Issue groundsheet and accessoryreplacements to the eastern Iront for economy reasons. agalll III Seplember1944 IheH~ were no replacements 10 supply troops and crews (excepl tomedical companies). Mounted units were eqUiPped With only 25% 0' thoserequuoo by supply troops and clews.n
BrotbeutelHaversackThe 1934 model bread bag (22)( 26" 9 cm) was made 01 canvas w,th e.tOclIeathel or webbing and met.l IllIlogs. The !lap was fastened by Sll.ps andbuttons. on later models straps were dispensed With and the Ilap providedwrth twO button-holes. It could be worn on lhe fight h,p suspended lrom thewaist belt. 01 OVef the shoulder from a 3 cm-wide detachable and adjustablecanvas sllap. The haversack was supposed to contain washing kit. ea\lngImplements. field cap and "lie cleaning kit.Feldflasche (Labe-flaacha) und TrinkbecherWaler-bQttle and drinking cupThe water-bollle was camed on the right hip. suspended by a sprlllg·loadedclip from 1I D-flng on the haversack. Its capaclly was 1 hue. and was at fllSlmade 01 alumllllum With screw cap. then plasllc Impregnated wood. andfln.lly enamelled sleel. With a cover 01 grey lelt. The cup was IIlltlal1y made ofaluminIum. pillnted black. then field·glev enamelled steel. black plasllc cupswa,e also Issued. The cup IlIled over the top 01 the screw cap. held In placeby a lealher Slrap. The I litre bottle measure<! 25)( 16)( 8 cm. but mountamlloopS and medical orde,hes were ISSued w,'h a la'ger capilClIy bailie whIChwas 'moo With a special strap so thalli could be c."led over the shoulderkOChghChirrMess-hnlike the wate,-bottle 11 was first made 01 aluminIum. and towards the end of
W,f1en·SS man wuh tile I.,'thel pOUCh 101' MP 28 fTIa08l'lWS.
111
SS glenad,e,s equ,p~dw'lh the nsaull rifle wea""G the sPlIc,al can~aS pOuches del'gnedto carry Ihe long cur~ed magazine. France December 1944,
112
Havtll'MCl< (81olbeulel) wlh 5(1 OI'IS lVPtUI OOflle<llS 'n<:lud,nglteld C41t>. la1 conl'f'1'II'die dea...""l 101. sewln'l k·t. 10; ' •• 1Q<l<.. woon and £lbl cooQf.
tile wal enamelled steel. It conSisted 01 a shallow lid with handle. whichwhen Inverted could be used as a plate Of cup The pot was deep and Illtedwith a wile handle. Tile meSlHln measured 15 x 16 x 9 cm.it could be carned In a number of different ways'
1 InSide the pael::2 Strapped to the flap of the 1934 model pacl::3 Strapped to the assault pacl:: Irame11 Inside the flap of the engineer's assault pacl::5 Suspended by a leather SHap and spring· loaded clip horn the lelt
D-nng on the haversacl::. alongside the water bOltle.6 In 01 on the left saddle-bag.
KoppeltraggestellSlr~PS supportingThe slfaps supporting wcro designed to suppon both the welgln of the W1l,stbelt ammUnition pouches. etc.. i1nd C<lrry the PilCI::. ;Jnd on the M.34 pacl::the straps were an Integral par! 01 It ThiS had obVIOUS dlS<ldVimtages sincethe pacl:: was never caflled III action. and III 1939 a new pacl:: was intrOducedwhich was designed to clip onto separate straps supporting. The new pallernconsisted 01 two 59 cm-long Side straps (4 cm Wide reducing to 2~ cm attheir narrowest). and one 39 cm-long back strap (2t-2 cm wide). AI thebacl:: there were two D·rlngs on the shoulders, trom which VilflOUS kinds 01pacl:: or rucksack could be suspended.The SS were the fllst to experiment wull lightweight webbing equipment.ilnd as early as 1939 had a separate webbing strap suppOrlmg. At the beginning of the war the Allgemeine-SS strap suppOrting for mounted personnelwas Issued to field units 01 the Waflen·SS.TornisterPackThe 1934 model pack had Integlal CafrYlng straps. and was made of canvasWllh leathe! and melal fittings. and cow skin flap. It was issued With threegreatCOat straps (54 xli cm).Irl 1939 a MW pack was introduced. which was baSically the same as the\934 model. but Instead of carrying straps had IWO D·clips. which weredesigned to clip onto the D-rings on the new straps SUPPOltlng. Duringthe War some packs were produced in plain canvas. Without Iur COVEred flaps.The tlap 01 the pack was normally used lor canying washing and sewing kit.underwear. and a handkerchiel. in the pack Ilself were mess-tin. ankle boots.terltlrne. !fon fallons. and rrlle cleaning kit. The groundsheet. and sometimesthe blanket. were folded and placed between the pack and flap. the greatcoatwas rolled and strapped to the top and two Sides of the pack. The groundsheetwas also rolled and placed on top ot the greatcoat'"
EstonIan volunteers wailing lush g,een dllll uniforms. webbing ~uaps suPpofllnll. Theharnes~ usoo 10 hold camourlage maumal os made f,om a haversack suap_
113
Thll usault pack wllh foiled blanket. mess·t,n and g,oundshOOl snapped to the "on'at,on bag. whIch wu one 01 lhe many ways on which 'I was used In the "eld.July 1944.
114
SturmgepickAssault packThe assault pack was made of 4 cm-wide webb,ng and measured 28 )( 26 cmAttached to it were TWO 35 cm-long stlaps designed TO hold Ihe groundsheetDetachable from the frame was a canvas bag (13)( 28 )( 8,· cm) des,gned 10hold the rille cleaning kll In the flap. and a tent line. pullover, and reducedlion ration (tinned meat and ZWleback) In the bag The rolled groundsheetwas strapped on top.'"BekleidungssackClolhlng bagThIS canvas saTchel WIth leaTher and metal fIttIngs was Issued to both mountel'and unmounTed troops on addItIon to the M 39 pack. so that each ma,receIved one pack Of rucksack and clothIng bag Those unots who accordln~
to the KAN were Issued Wilt, two cloth,ng bags dId not rece,ve a pack 0'rucksack, t I It camed drill Uniform. underpants, pan of socks. colla' Imer. an~other miscellaneous reQunements Mounted personnel carried In addItIon"pan of ankle boots. ,awr. cleaning and sewing kll. and a pan 01 bathing trunks IIn 1944 the whole QuestIon of packs was revIewed and sImplIfied as follOWS
662. The equipping of officers. N.C.O.s and men with packs.1. In vIew of previous expellence. ofl,eels N.C.O.s and men WIll be Issuec
woth packs as follows'(a) SS offIcers up to and includIng SS-Stal
large rucksack (standard rucksack) Art No 10151With carrying straps for unmountedpersonnet A,t. No.l0131
(b) SS N.C.O.s and menBattle rucksack Wllh Art. No, 10152carrying straps for unmountedpersonnel Art No.l0131
(c) Members of mountain UnitS eQuIpped WithspeCIal mountain clothing
Rucksack for mountain troops. small Art No. 10155Rucksack for mountain troops. large Art No. 10156
In any case It IS not permITted to take ot!ler artIcles 01 luggage. such astrunks. SUIt-cases. clothing bags. packs. etc.. other than the packs mentionedunder a. b. and c above.2, The following are rendered obsolete by this new regulation:
Pack M.39 Art. No, 10132and assaulT pack to pack M.39 Art. No. 10133
AssaulT pack bag Art. No. 101311
AI! No 10137Ar1.NO.10138Aft No. 10159Arl No. 10160
Assault pack for engineersSide pouches 101 engllleersRucksack la. arulleryClolhlng bagSaddle-bags for mounled personnel
These Ilems are la be worn OUlFlut special attention IS to be paid to the facllhallhese Ilems of equipmentda not romaln Wllh the men as addnlonal luggage _(See llf!.1. 1.Abs.).3 The qlJan\lty and type 01 lIems rendered obsolelC. and surplus are to
be lepotted al once 10 Ihe SS-\rVVHA-Aml BII-(Feldelllhellen) 01SS-FHA - Ami VI-(Ers-Ernhenen) and offices In Relch leflllory.saddle bags to SS-FHA.Ab Ib
J Regarding the cancellahon 01 saddle bags lor mounted lroops. specialallel11!0n IS drawn la the order rl1 Ihe HeereSlechnlsches Verordl1ungs·blClIl. 2.Jahr 14 Ausgabe of 15 July 1944. Zlff413. which whereapplk:able 's relevant 10 the Waffen-SS.
SS-FHA la-IVaMannschaftsdackeBlal1kelThe Issue blankel was gley Wllh IWO Wide and s,x nallow stripes "I both ends_It was nmmally carrred eHher rnsrde lhe pack or rolled and strapped on lheoUl~lde. sometrmes rolted and calrled over lhe shoulder_In November 1944It was ordered Ihal between 15 November 1944 and 15 Malch 1945 all SSmembelS posled 10 field units ,n the eaSl should be Issued WIth a secondblanket. 111 addillon 10 lhe blankel rncluded In tho Issue schedule(1<) of theWatlen-SS.MeldekartentascheMap 01 dlspalch caseMade ollealhel (27 x 19 cm) Jl was Issued to aboul 50% ollhe completeSllMgth of a unit as laid down 111 Ihe KAN. I ' 11 was m'llnly wOln suspendedby IWO adlustable snaps from the walSI bell by dlSpalCh-liders and secllonand 1.00p leaders. Bener quallly privately pUlchased map cases In black orbrown lealhel were used by slall and ar\lllery officers,DienstfernglasSerYlce binocularsBinoculars (6 x 30 01 10 x 50) were Issued 10 oil1C6rS and N.C.O.s. andahhough supplied w,th either a leather or Bak.ellte case. they were usually.....orll exposed found Ihe neck.. and the lenses plotected by a cover_The case.....as deSigned 10 be worn horn eIther lhe belt 01 callYlng strap. Large numbersof more powerful pllvate or ·booly· binoculars wele also used.
NOfWeg,an voluntoo's WeBlInll IlIe pack W,lh foiled blanket ana ground.heet and emptyDayonet 'fog Th" Sold,er On tile "ghr ha. aclOlllln9 bag.
115
Tvp.cal Watle... ·SS me'" dUll"''' a pause ,... t"e bal1le tpr Fra...ce. 1940 Th.. dellrlv shOWSlhe giS cape pO<JCh a...d ,uue "eld IIlasses. as well as an ,n1ereSllng select'on ot necke'·eh'et,.
MG-WerkzeugtascheMachine·gun tool and accessory caseCall1ed by machine-gunners Instead of Ihe "ghl ;Jmmunitlon pouch. (lheleft pouch was replaced by a pistol holster) It measured 19 X 16 x 16 cm andcontained tools. cleaning kit spare boil. length of ammUnition bell. and ananti-aifCla" sight. Anached to Ihe front of the pouch was a p,ece of heatfesistant cloth for use when chang,ng a hot ballel.
MG-LaufbehiilterMG barrel containerA 65 cm-long cylindr,cal metal container fOf carrying a spare banel for theMG 42. Two velsions existed - for single Of twin ballels. The strap wasadjustable and made of webbing w,th met<ll fillings.
116
HandgranatensackHand-grenade bagIntroduced m 1939 for ;Jssauh troop u~e. and based on Ihe type used In IheFlfsl World War. l\ conSI~tcd 01 !wo b<igs (38 x 18 cm) jomed al Ihe topand bOllom corners by webbing straps. The bags hung round the neck 0'1
ellher Side of the body. and were held In place by an adjustable strap aroundIhe wearers back Each bag held 3 stick grenades (Slielhangranate 24) andwas fzstened at the top With a z,p-fastener
SchleppriemenSlingA w,de black leather Of canvas adjUst3blc sHap which was worn ovef the leftshoulder At the end 01 the sling was a large melal spllng-Ioaded clip whl(hwas lastened to .11'1 Infantry Of antHank gun tor manhandling.
Notes:Kraftfahncchn,scher Anhang zu den V.BI.d.W.·SS. 1943. Blat! 23.Z,ff 42 Anstllcl1 des HeeresgeralCs.
2 AHM 1943. Nr 591
3 Ib'd. Nr.630
4. V.Bl.d.OSAF. Nr.6. 26 January 1932. Z,ff 22
5 V.Bt.d.W.-SS. Nr .21. 1 November 1942. Z,lf.380.
6 H.V.BI.Tell B. 61al1 12. Zilt.505 vom 27 June 1942. V.Bl.d.W.·SS.Nr, 16. 16 August 1942. liff.285
7. M,litalla. Vol. 1, No. 1. p. 14 w,th ,llustratlons.
8 Oer D,enstunterricht Im He-crc (Ausg. f. den Nachr.-Soldaten)pp. 135·7.
9. AHM. 1942. Nr,414.
10. V.Bt.d.W.-SS Nr.14. 1 December 1940. Z,ff.420.
11. IbId. N1.18. 15 September 1944. Zllf.530
12. Ocr Olcnstunterr,Cht im Heere. pp. 73-5 With 11Iustr,uion.
13, lbld
14. V.Bl.dW.-SS Nr .16. 15 August 1942. Z,ff.284.
15. Oer Dienstuntcrrichl im Hee/e. pp_ 73-5 With Illustration.
16. V.BldW.·SS Nr.21.1 November 1944.Ziff.660.
17. Ib'd. Nr.16. 15 August 1944. lif1.286.
pistolentaschenpIstol holstersHolsters were usually purchased or Issued wl\h the pistol, and as such theycome under the category of weapons and theIr accessolles. They have beenII1cluded !1ere because tt,ey contrlbuled 10 the external appearance of the SSsold le]The service pIstols of the Waflen-SS were the 9 mm Parabellum (P,Stale 08)and the Walther (P,stole 38), although at the begll1nlng of the war largenumbers 01 obsolete pIstols suct, as the long barrelled Mauser With bUllhO!Slel and captured Czech and Polish seT vIce pIstols were stili In use. TIleplslOls were usually camed on the left hiP, barrel lacing to the back, rn a blacklepther holster. The P,08 and early P 38 holsters were made of blocked leather,but the later P.38 was of unblocked deSignIssue holst"rswere usually marked as follows P.38 Jhg 1944 In thIS case P.38stood 'or the type of pIstol. Jhg was the rnanufacturer"s code. and 1944 theyear of manufacture.OffIcers were expected to purchase lhelr own pIstols (Elgentumswaffe) tramthe SS Clothing Counter against presentatIon of a voucher. Details of Iheprstol were Ihen to be entered In the owner's pay book (Soldbuch) 55StandaTlenoberJunker. who had to kll themselves. were to get pIstols fromthen school, wh,ch was to 'ndent on Ihe SS-FHA. Ib 'or the reqUired numberN.C.O.s were not allowed 10 buy pistols later In Ihe war because of shortagesThe slandard offICer's pistol was the Walther 7.65 mm auloma\lC,'
1. Methods of wearing the pistot."The Aelchsluhrer·SS has ordered that:1 On home lcmtory the pIstol WIll be worn on the rIght, facrng to the back,2. In Ihe operational zone. With the exceptIon 01 I above. on manoeuvres
on home territory, the pistol IS to be worn according 10 army regulatIonsIf these are not obtainable then tl,e most practICal method must beadopted SS-FHA./Ia
In Octobef 1944 offIcers were oldefed to carry loaded pIstols In public. butremInded not to leave them In cloakrooms and be careful that Ihey were notslolen when frequenting crowded places (slallons, dance· halls. elc.) or whenUSll1g publIC transport?
Notes:1. V.BI.d,W.·SS.. Nr.13, 1 July 1944.ZIIf.3512 IbId. Nr, 1. 1 January 1943, Zill.1.3. Ibid. Nr.19, 1 October 1944, ZIU.577.
SS grenadleT with grenade bags.
117
•
Sl<todara "r~iln S l!(Iu'p.....n\ ill O&g,nr',,"9 (Iehl 1Inc1 Pfld of 11,. WiN
118
Fii hrer- LeibriemenOfficer's beltA 4; cm-wide black leathel belt Wllh a white metal ~e alone end and aleather IOngue on the revOfH 01 the Olher. Wllh tWO rows of holes 10 allow101 adlUstmefll 01 the buckle The cllcular buckle was 01 white metal alloy witheither a mill1sJlver (atumlrllUm). or mall gley finish.· and on ellher side was ablack leather shde Beller quality bellS wele usually Imed on lhe Ins!de wllhclOth, a lacquered f,n,sh was not pelmmed Allhough the offlcel's bett wllhcrfcutal buckle conhnued to be worn unlllthe end 01 the war 11 was found 10be Impractical. In aclton the bell buckle tended 10 come undone. SO manyofficers adopted the belt and buckle (or cell With rectangular twO j)l'ongedbuckle) as worn byothel ranksSchutterriemenCross strapA 2* cm-wide black leathor adlustable cross strap w,th wh,te melal reclangulal stide buckte and two spring-loaded while metal clips. one at each endIt was worn clipped to a D·rmg shde on the lelt tront 01 the wa!st belt. passedover the fight shoulder (undel the shoulder strap) and allached to a 0 lingon the reverse oflhe bell althe back The Mav 1940 Ofdel' concerning the!leld-grey uniform abohshed the W8aung 01 Ihe CIOSS Stlap by membe,S 01 theWalfen-SS WIth the fteld grey urulOlm 'FeldbindeFull-dless beltIn 1938 a tull-dress belt (see Vol 3, p 7901 thiS selles) was ,ntroduced 10' SSofl,cels\o wear With parade dless (Pilrildeanzug) It conlmued to be worn 101Ihe I,rstthree yeals of the war, ,ts use was then res{r.cted at i1boutthe samelime as the SS swordVARIATIONS ON STANDARD EQUIPMENT,. Cavalry.Koppeltraggestell fur BerittanaStraps supPOflmg 10' mounted personnelMounted personnel did nOt carry a pack, and 50 needed d,lIefent SlrapssUPoolI,ng 10 calry Ihe weight of the waist belt With ,tS heavy load They
• fhlS buckle and the verSIOn worn bv Other ,anks was Introdoced In 1932,In January 1937. ,n leply 10 a proposal to mlfoduce a new palletn. HlmmlelWTOte. 'thallhe questIon 01 the altelallon oflhe SS buckle desIgned by lheFuhre, hrmsell and made from hiS own sketcnes, has never allsen' I
Notes:1 See AppendiX 112 Del RF-SS Tgb,Nr A/44/H/37 Bell Neue Entwurfe IUI SS,Fuhre,·
Le'bnemenschlossel, Bellln, den 3 January 1937119
120
therefore were Issued with a Simple thlee-ple<:e adjustable straps SuPPOfl'nowhich was clipped 10 the pouches ,n front and IQ the WillS! belt at the backThe pIe-war RZM pallern Allqemelne-SS cavalry pattern was also Issued atthe beginning 01 Ihe warPacktasehe 34'Saddle-bags. model 1934The marching pack 101 mounted pelsonnel (IncludIng mounted drivelS)con$ISled 01 a blown leather cavalryman and horse pack. which togethi!rmade up the saddle-bag 34 The Ilghl pack (Rel1ergepack) contamed a pa'r01 shoes. cleamng brush, shll1 and socks. ZWleback In bag. tin of meat. sewIngbag. cleaning krl wash.ng Ihlngs. and rifle cleamng kIt The left pack (Plerdegcpack) contaIned grooming blush, mess-tIn. curry comb and 5urClflgleAllached to the hOlse pack was a pocket 101 two horse-shoes, 16 nellls. studspanner and 8 studs. and a tetnellng ring.In addlllon there was a baggage case (Hlntergepack) anached to the backof the saddle containing groundsheet. cam sack vmh cords. canvas bucket.hOlse gas mask. and a greatcoat for winter The fight saddle·bag was sadesigned that It could also be wom on the back as a pack. to whICh lhe greatcoat could be slfapped Saddle·bags were also used on the easte," Iront bymotor-cyclists who altached them to the IronllOlk 0lthe11 machines and usedthem as addltlonal (and very ne<;essarvl stowage space In November 19'14th8 saddle·bags 'h'eIe rendered obsolete but were to be worn QUI.
2. ArtilleryMembers 01 horse drawn alltllery banallons wore the person<ll eQulpmentla1ddown for mounled personnel.Rucksack fur ArtillerieAfIIllery lucksackIn January 1943 a new canvas rucksack (36 x 26 x 1\ cm) was Introducedfor artillerymen. destgned to be wom both as <I pack and assault pack Manyvariations olth's lucksack e)usted. The top 01 the rucksack was fastened by adlaw-Slrlng and buckled flap On the front were two 54 cm-long straps lor therolled groundsheet. Some rucksacks had integral adjustable cafrylng Straps.others had separate sllaps. According to the army introduction order theInlantry straps suppolllng was not to be used With thiS rucksack.~
3. Engln......Engineers wore the same standard eQuipment as other loot personnel.but because 01 their special tasks carlied additional items 01 equipment. suchas demolrtlon charges and detonators. shovels. and matchetes. tn 1941 thearmy Introduced the engineer's assault pack. ~ which was Immediately adoptedby the Walfen·SS.lt consisted ollhe following:
Straps supporting for unmounted personnel. Alt. No. 121
(Heeres-Modell)(SS-Model! 34)
ZahnarztlascheApothekertasehe,
DentistsChllmlsts
Pack M.39 Arl No 302Back pack for engineers. Art. No, 3312 side pouches for engrneers Art No 332
The back pack and side pouches were Issued to every filth assault engineerThe back pack was suspended from lhe standard strap supporting. and con·talned at the bottom a 3 Kg demolition charge. and above. two smoke pots,In tne Ilap there was a special pouch for the mess·trn The Side pouches wereworn In place 01 the ammunrtron pouches and came rn DiIllS. left and rrglllBoth pouches I,eld egg shaped grenades, but the fight pouch had a specralpocket 10f the gas mask Without contamer. R,fle ammunItion rn clips was heldIn IndiVIdual pouches'4. Mountain troops.FOllrsl of standard equipment for mounlilln troops. see IiSl1n section dealrngWith mountain troop uniform The baSIC difference between mountain troOpsand othellnlantry unrts was Ihat they were ISSUed wlrh a fucksack Instead of apa~k and a larger capacity water-bailie. With carrYing suap.ClimbIng equipment conSisted of Manila fope rn lOO-foot lengths. Ice axe.Clampons. ~lI1ons. snaplrnks. steel·edged mountain skiS. and small ovalsnow-shoes Additional speCialised eqUipment was Issued as and whenrequllOO for rescue work. I5. Bicycle squadrons.Personnel in bicycle squadrons (Radfatnschwadronen) were Imually issuedWith the Infantry Slraps supporting. assault pack.. and clothing bag, but rnJanUilry 1943 the Wallen-SS followed the army lead and Issued them WIththe arllllery rucksaCk and a clothing bag6. Medical personnel.'Unlnounted medical orderlies carried two 17 x 10 x 8 cm black leatherPOuches (Sanltatstaschen) instead 01 ammunition pouches. They carriedvarIOUS first-aid eqUipment. field dreSSings. etc. Mounted orderlies carried apoUch which could be al1ached 10 the saddle. but during the war they alsoWale the pouches for unmounted orderlieS. A larger 2 litre water-bottle(Labellasche) and callying strap was used by bOlh orderlies and stretcherbealers Larger Quantities of urgently needed dressrngs. etc.. could also beearlled In the medical pack. (SanIHitstornISter). which was baSically thesame as the standard pack. but had a while Circle With red cross on the Ilap.Doctors. dentists. and chemIsts carlled speCial eqUipment In a black. leathercase With carrYing strap'
Doctors Arzttascne
121
SS-Ooe,sr\lrmiuhrer Hempel. lsr Company SS-Wach·8ala,lIon Bohmen-Mat"ensplfng 1941. wearmIJ the old pal1em SS sab'e with ol!lce"s knot.
122
Notes:1 Del Drenstumerrrcht rm Heere. pp, 73·5 with illustrations2. V 81 d W -SS NI.2, 15 Janua'y 1943, lrll 28.
H,V.BI.16. Ausgabe. Bellln den 7 July 1942. llll 10003 V.BI.d,W-SS Nr.20,1 November 1941.ll11 4464 Himdbook. on German MIIIl<!ry Forces. 15 March 1945, p, IX-25.5. IbId.6 V Bl.d,W -SS Nr.2. 15 January 1943. Zill.297 Sannats-Vorschrlh lur die AllgemelOe-SS (SS San -V ) (SS-Dv Nr 8}
Tegernsee. den 16 Augusl 1935
SS-SElTENWAFFENSS Side armsAt the begmntng of the war Walfen-SS officers wore ellhe, the SS swurd(Degen) 0' the armv pallern sabre wltl, white metalllltmgs, which althoughobsolete contmued to be worn (For details 01 the Inlloductlon and award 01the SS sword. and method of wearmg, see Vol 3, pp 70-4)On 1B December 1939 the wearong olll,e SS sword by membels 01 the SSwas fo,bldden for the duratIon of the war, l but on 1 Ap,,1 1940 thiS order wasrescinded and the sword was allowed 10 be worn by those officers entItledto It. when not on field or trilmlng dulY' In Augus! 1940 It was announcpdt!lilt swords would no longer be available to N.C,O.s on promotion to SSOberschaduhr(!f. but those With swords could contmue to wea, them."In Augus11942 the wea"ng 01 the sword was again restricted.
280. Wesring of the sword forbidden.'The Relchsfuhrer-SS has, lor the duration 01 the war, tor bIdden 11'1ewearing of the sword by ortlcers and N.C.Os. on or off dutyColour escorts. gua,ds of honour. gua,d mounllng detachments. as wellas Ihose taklrtg part In oath taking ceremonies are e;<cepted.The Relchsluhrer·SS Will authorise certalrt exceptions f,om time 10 time
Kdo.d W.-SSiI!In Feb'uary 1943 the Aelchsfuhrer·SS authorised the wearlrtg of the SS ServiceOilgger 36 (Modell 1936) by Watlen-SS officers With long trousers ..
·On 16 September 1941 SS·Grul, Pohl submtlled a prototype dagger.With hanger. portepee. and case. together wllh a further three deSigns fOIan SS dagger tor the Waflen-SS, The,e is no record of any wrl1ten reactionhorn Hlmmlel, although the accompanYing letter bears a note Irt pencil'alter the war'.' In reply to a plOlotype submllted by SS.OgruL Weltzel,Himmler postponed any deCISiOn until after Ihe war.'
64. Wearing of the SS Service Dagger 36 with portepee. ~The Reichsluhrer-SS has. lor the duration ot the war. authorised lhewearing of the SS Service Dagger 36 Wllh the army portepee by Waflen-SSofficers.The dagger may be worn with all ordors 01 dress nOlreQUlring a waist bell.
SS-FHA /Amlll/laKampfmesserFighting knifeThe personal knIfe has always been an essential Ilem of a soldler's equipment.nOt only lor IlghtlOg. but lor the more mundane activities 01 hfe In the lieId.DUring Ihe First World War vanous seml·offlclal pallerns 01 knlle were manu·laclured m lalge quanlltleS and Issued 10 troops IlghtlOg al lhe IIont. Ourmglhe laller slages 01 the Second World War. lIghting knives. based on thoseused In the Fust World War. were again Issued 10 !font-hne personnel fOIclose-quarter lighting. Although many Issue and pllvale tvpcs co·exlsted.the Issue pallern p,edomlnated.The knjle was made 01 sleel (overall length 30 cm. blade 17 cm) wnhbeech wood gnp and stamped metal scabbard wl1h black enamel Ilnlsh.On the reverse 01 the scabbard was a spring steel clip. The kmle could beworn in a number 01 dillerenl ways. bUl In action the most typical was InSidethe bOOl or chpped to the IrOnl 01 lhe field blouse 01 camouflage smock alchest level.
Notes:1. Der RF·SS (LV. SS-Dglu!. HelssmeVill) SS·Betehl. Berhn den 18
December 1939.
2. V.B Insp (E) SS·VT. Ne1 .. 1 April 1940.
3. V.Bld.W.-SS. Nr. 6. 15 Augus11940.
4. Ibid. NI.16. \ 5 August 1943. ZI1l.280.
5. Ibid.. NI.4. 15 FebrualY 1943. ZIII.64 and NI.1 O. 15 May 1943. ZlfI.182With IlIustrallon shOWing correCt melhod 01 3uachlng lhe knot.
6. Der Chel des Hauplamtes Haushall u.Baulcn. SS-GlUt. Pohll/3 1751Ri/Gu. Betr.: SS·Oolch fur dIe Waflen'SS, Anlg.: 1 SS-Dolch mitGehange und POllepee In Etm. 1 SS-Oolch neue AusfUhrung. 3Entwurle (Zeichnungen). Berlin Lichterlelde·West. den 16 Seplember1941
7. RF-SS (Ru/GI.) an HSSPF Nord SS-Ogrul. Weilzel. June 1940.
Olllce, In walklnp om d'e$5 w,lh rhe 1936 Model SS S<lfVOCe ~pg.. Wllh knor.
123
-
SS Il'emdle' du",'9 !he Alaennes OffensIVe a<l'Jlo!d WIth a f'llhn"ll bllf, ..nd capturedcOrl.u'~11(;PISIOI. Dec<l_, 1944.
124
Oneo! the mo»t common p'll"nt. olth, «ltFlbal1u\lfe. showong b(:lh IMotnr~••nd._se olth ~lh.
SS CAMOUFlAGE PAnERNS
1y~lItal summer alld aUlumn p,allerns lound On watelptoo! COllon dut~
'\ulumn palle,n 'ounll on lM w"'18, comt>.l "n'!lI,m anti f.n'l Colle,n p"nlell on 0,,11mate".!
