Original Items: One of a Kind Set. Following the conclusion of the European Theater of WWII, USGIs brought home all kinds of material that had been acquired during the war and subsequent occupation. These would be kept in boxes as mementos, or were often mounted into a scrapbooks to keep them organized as a display piece, along with other items from their service.

This lovely set comes with two black paper pages from such a scrapbook, each originally measuring 14 7/8" x 11", but now missing some material on the lower left. It looks like they probably fell or were torn out of the scrapbook long ago. The armbands and insignia were originally glued to the page labeled German Arm Bands and insignia, but were removed or fell off, and the second page is labeled German Newspaper, which still has the Dezember 1944 edition of the propaganda newspaper Front und Heimat (Front and Home) attached to it.

The removed items still show pieces of the black paper on the back, as they were torn off, and the glue still remains. There are three armbands, a uniform cutoff Reichsadler eagle, and even a U.S. WWII 30th Infantry "Old Hickory" Division shoulder patch, which may indicate that the owner of the scrapbook was a member of the division. We unfortunately do not have any information on who owned the scrapbook these pages came from, but they definitely have some great display potential.

The included yellow Deutsche Wehrmacht armband was worn by uniformed German personnel, who were attached to the Armed Forces during WWII. Often, these were worn by men of the Reichsarbeitsdienst and Reichsbahn who were operating with the German Army in the occupied countries. It has a textbook BeVO woven gothic typeface insignia, well executed in black thread on the yellow background. The armband measures approximately 15 1/2" x 4", and is sewn together in the back. It still retains the black paper remnants on the back, and is quite flat from decades of being pressed in the scrapbook.

The yellow printed Im Dienst der Deutschen Wehrmacht ("In Service of the German Armed Forces") armband was introduced on 1 October 1941 for wear by non-German civilians serving the Armed Forces and for Russian Auxiliaries when not in uniform. The armband was worn on the upper left sleeve. These were necessary to identify the growing sector of non-uniformed personnel serving in a military capacity with a branch of the German armed forces. Often, these were worn by men of the Reichsarbeitsdienst and Reichsbahn who were operating with the German Army in the occupied countries. The armband measures 16" x 3 5/8", with the ends sewn together in the back. It still retains the black paper remnants on the back, and is quite flat from decades of being pressed in the scrapbook.

The thin printed NSDAP armband is the type that would often be attached to overcoats, and were very economically produced. This example measures 17" x 2 1/8", and is not sewn together in the back, however the glue penetrated to the front of the armband, so it is stuck together. It still retains the black paper remnants on the back, and is quite flat from decades of being pressed in the scrapbook.

The Breast Eagle patch looks to be military, but it is not really a type that we recognize. Due to the blue color and white embroidery, we would assume it is Luftwaffe. It shows mothing to the front, which has removed the border around the eagle that holds it to the stitching.

A lovely USGI bring back set, ready to research and display!

Nearly every military, civil, political and paramilitary organization in existence during the Third Reich used armbands. Armbands were worn on military and civilian uniforms and also on civilian clothes, from suit jackets to work clothing. They were used to denote membership in organizations, to indicate a specific role or function of the bearer, and as insignia of rank. Many organizations would change the design of their armbands over time, which added to the variety produced. These were manufactured in countless variations, ranging from simple printed bands to elaborately hand-embroidered pieces of the highest quality. Some NSDAP armbands were worn by all members of large organizations and were made by the millions. Others were intended for use at a specific time and place and were unique. Many types were made in very limited numbers. Some bore metal insignia or special identifiers that indicated the wearer’s rank, unit affiliation, or nationality. Armbands were sometimes but not always marked with ink stamps by the issuing authorities.