BACKGROUND: On December 22ND 1920 the Weimar era Reichsheer instituted a system of sleeve rank insignia for enlisted personnel. The Reichsheer system remained in effect until the newly formed Wehrmacht Heer introduced a new system on September 25TH 1936. Originally the base material of the standard issue rank insignia was in field-grey badge cloth until regulations of October 1935 altered the base material to a blue/green badge cloth. Further regulations in April 1940 altered the base material of the standard issue insignia to field-grey wool while the the coloration of the base material for specialized uniforms such as the black panzer wrap or the olive/drab tropical tunic utilized the base color of the uniform. Originally the sleeve rank chevrons utilized a bright silver/aluminum tress until regulations of April 25TH 1940 dictated that a new subdued tress was to replace the highly visible silver/aluminum tress. This example is the tropical pattern sleeve rank chevron for the rank of Gefreiter. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The insignia consists of a matte greyish/tan rayon NCO’s waffle patterned tress chevron with fine interwoven black edge stripes, machine stitched on an inverted, tan HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), triangular base. Nice clean example.