Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very rare genuine WWII Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) tropical waist belt with correct EM/NCO's Steel Painted Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß). It looks to have seen light service during the war, and is missing the catch loop on the buckle, though we do not know when it broke off.

The buckle is die-stamped steel (magnetic), with an olive drab painted finish. The front of the buckle is embossed with Wehrmacht eagle and motto GOTT MIT UNS (God With Us) on a ribbed field inside a double rope border, with an oak leaf wreath at the bottom. Over 85% of the original paint remains on the front of the buckle, while the back retains a bit more. It does show some light wear, and the catch loop on the back is missing, having been lost at some point after production. The inside of the buckle is also marked Dr. F. & Co. / 1940 for Dr. Franke & Co. of Lüdenscheid, a city with a large garment accessories industry. The buckle also still retains the leather tab, which is very clearly marked and reads:-

DR. FRANKE & CO. K
1940
LÜDENSCHEID

The DAK tan colored web belt has a brown leather tab with the usual seven pairs of vertically arranged length adjustment holes. The light brown end stitching is mostly intact on both ends, and the belt measures 30 1/2 inches in overall length. It also is marked on the webbing underneath with size 80 (cm), which is about 31.5 inches, so it may have shrunk. The webbing is in excellent condition, with no staining, tears, etc.

This German WWII tropical enlisted belt retains its 1940-dated Dr. Franke & Co. steel buckle, matching maker-marked leather tab, tan webbing, brown leather adjustment tab, and visible size 80 marking. More than 85% of the olive-drab buckle paint remains, while the webbing is notably well preserved with intact stitching and little visible staining or wear. The buckle’s catch loop is missing, and the measured belt length is slightly shorter than the marked size, possibly from age-related shrinkage. Overall, it remains a cohesive and well-preserved tropical belt assembly with clearly identifiable wartime maker and date markings.

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.