Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII EM/NCO right collar tab attributed to the Kaukasischer Waffen-Verband der SS. It features the distinctive Caucasian sword and shield emblem machine embroidered in silver gray thread on black cloth over a lacquered buckram stiffener. The tab remains in excellent condition and shows no visible evidence of having been sewn to a uniform.

Known in German as a Kragenspiegel, the tab has the traditional parallelogram form used for German collar insignia. The black cloth face is stretched over an internal lacquered buckram stiffener, while the sword and shield device is machine embroidered directly onto the front in silver gray thread.

The tab measures approximately:

1 5/8" x 2 1/2"

The insignia is attributed to the Kaukasischer Waffen-Verband der SS, one of the foreign volunteer formations associated with Caucasian personnel during the late war period. The distinctive sword and shield device is the principal identifying feature of this right side collar tab.

No visible uniform attachment stitch holes are present around the perimeter, though there is some adhesive residue is described on the reverse, which we believe to be from post war display. These observations support describing the tab as apparently unissued or at least never mounted on a uniform, though its precise wartime production and distribution history cannot be established without surviving issue documentation.

Claims have circulated for many years that quantities of unused foreign volunteer collar tabs were recovered from late war clothing depots, including material associated with Dachau. However, the specific claim that this pattern was manufactured at the Dachau camp and recovered there after liberation is not documented in the supplied provenance and should not be treated as established fact.

Overall condition is excellent. The black cloth remains clean and well formed, the internal buckram stiffener is intact, and the silver gray sword and shield embroidery retains strong definition. No significant fraying, fabric loss, or visible uniform stitching is described, just the previously mentioned modern adhesive residue.

With its distinctive Caucasian sword and shield device, black cloth and buckram construction, silver gray machine embroidery, right collar configuration, and apparently unissued condition, this is a particularly interesting example of an attributed Caucasian foreign volunteer collar tab. The lack of individual issue provenance, uncertain wartime wear history, and undocumented Dachau association are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a foreign volunteer insignia, Waffen-SS collar tab, Caucasian formation, eastern volunteer, or advanced German WWII cloth insignia collection.

Kaukasischer Waffen-Verband der SS
In December 1944, while training in Slovakia, a rumour that the unit was to be transferred to Russian Liberation Army demoralized the soldiers. On December 24, 450 men deserted on Christmas Eve, although 300 eventually returned. The Azerberjani regiment was removed from the Osttürkische Waffen-Verbände on 30 December 1944, and transferred to Kaukasischer Waffen-Verband der SS.

Kaukasischer Waffen-Verband der SS, also known as Freiwilligen Brigade Nordkaukasien, began forming with volunteers from the Caucasus region, with the Freiwilligen-Stamm-Division as a nucleus. It was transferred from the Neuhammer training camp to Paluzza in northern Italy in Jan. 1945 and was still forming when it surrendered to British forces at the end of the war.

Commander: SS-Standartenführer Arved Theuermann
Organisation:

Stab Kaukasischer Waffen-Verband der SS
Stab Waffen-Gruppe Armenien
Stab Waffen-Gruppe Nordkaukasus
Stab Waffen-Gruppe Georgien
Stab Waffen-Gruppe Aserbeidschan (1090 soldiers: Gerhard von Mende archives)