Original Items: Only One Set of Three Available. Here we have a lovely set of three USGI bring back armband sections, most likely cut off the uniforms they were attached to. It's also possible, especially with the Deutscher Volkssturm section, that it was cut into pieces so that it could be split among several people.

The first section is the central rayon moire material circle with a black multi-piece swas (hook cross), which was cut from an SS Member's Kampfbinde (Armband). It still has some of the red wool backing, however it suffered extensive moth damage, so little remains. It has a great aged toned look, and the reverse still features the original BeVo machine embroidered ((RZM)) tag which reads Vom Reichsführer SS befohlene Ausführung (Ordered by the National Leader of the SS) in the center, with a the ((ᛋᛋ)) Doppelte Siegrune (Double Sig/Victory Rune) insignia on the right. At the bottom is a smaller tag with what looks to be 21 / 34, however the tag is split, so this may not be the correct reading. Unfortunately there are few records on the SS supplier numbers, so we are not able to tell which company made this example. Research indicates that this type of tag was used before 1938, when the move was made to less expensive paper tags, so "34" may be the year of issue.

The second section is a 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" piece of an early war NSDAP / SA wool armband, with a central rayon moire material circle with a black multi-piece swas (hook cross) attached. It is in very good service used condition, showing some age toning to the insignia and light mothing to the red background.

The last section measures 7" x 2 1/4", and is from a late war printed Deutscher Volkssturm Wehrmacht (German people's storm defense force) armband. This unit was basically a last ditch civic militia utilized in the end days of WWII, when German defeat was inevitable. It shows one of the Reichsadler insignia, however only a part of the original text.

A nice set of USGI bring back German Armband sections, 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.