Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very rare totally genuine service used condition WWII Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) tropical waist belt with correct EM/NCO's Steel Painted Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß). The buckle is die-stamped steel (magnetic), with a lovely heer DAK olive green finish. The front of the buckle is embossed with Wehrmacht eagle and motto GOTT MIT UNS (God With Us). The buckle shows a good amount of wear to the front and sides, with about 40% of the paint remaining, and the balance showing an oxidized patina. The back of the buckle retains much more of the paint, with wear around the claw from the belt. There is no maker mark we can see, and this buckle looks like it originally had a leather tab on it, which fell off long ago.

The very good condition DAK tan colored web belt has a very nice natural leather tab with the usual double row of seven holes for length adjustment, which is still quite supple. There is light brown green stitching around both ends of the webbing used to make the belt to keep it from fraying. The belt measures about 34 inches in overall length, and there is a faintly stamped size 90 marking on the buckle end, for 90cm (35.4in.). This means that the belt may have shrunken a bit over the decades.

Overall a lovely service used example of a very rare belt and buckle from the Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK!

History of the German Africa Corps

The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (German: Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK) was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of their African colonies, the formation fought on in Africa, under various appellations, from March 1941 until its surrender in May 1943. The unit's best known commander was Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

The dry climate of Africa proved to be an issue with much of the standard leather field gear that the German Army usually used. It would dry out and crack quickly, and become unusable. To deal with this, the standard field gear such as belts, Y-straps, A-frames, bayonet frogs, and other items, were issued in special tropical web versions.