BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops), and redesignated Schutzstaffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer-Hall" Putsch on November 9^TH 1925. On January 6^TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20^TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30^TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by Hitler by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party). Originally members of the fledgling SS had no official uniform until April 1925 when they adopted, what was to become known as the, "Tradition Uniform" and personnel were outfitted with the same brown shirt uniform and kepi as the SA Sturmabteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment). In November 1925 personnel of the newly formed SS adopted a black kepi, necktie, breeches and border trim on their armbands to distinguish themselves from their SA counterparts. On July 7^TH 1932 the black service uniform, for Allgemeine-SS, (General SS), SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), SS-TV, SS-Totenkopfverbände, (SS-Death’s Head Units), and SS-SD, SS-Sicherheitsdienst und Sicherheitspolizei, (SS-Security Service and Security Police), personnel was first introduced to replace the brown shirt, "Tradition", uniform. After the outbreak of WWII the black service uniforms were eventually phased out of wear for all but Allgemeine-SS personnel. In 1935 the first field-grey uniforms were issued to personnel serving with the LSSAH, Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler for testing and evaluation and they were adopted as the official color of the field uniform on November 25^TH 1935. Along with the field-grey, field blouses, the SS also utilized a wide variety of long trousers and breeches including the dress pants, the standard straight legged long pants, assorted breeches, drill and field pants, tapered "keilhose" pants and assorted specialized pants designed for specific branch of service personnel such as the Mountain troopers pants and the Panzer and Assault Gunner’s pants. Regulations dictated that unmounted officer’s were to wear breeches with the Service, Guard, Parade and Reporting dress and they could also be worn as an optional item with the Field and Undress uniforms. Of Note: The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was official founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA Quartermaster’s Department. The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized. Starting in late 1934 items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and were marked by a cloth RZM/SS approval tag. The dimensions and design of these cloth tags was altered in 1935 and this second pattern tag remained in use until early 1938, when it was replaced by a paper tag. Of Note: In 1943 the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM. Also Of Note: SS Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result the SS established the SS-Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system in Munich in 1935. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s were allotted a one time clothing allowance from the government with the amount varying depending on the individuals rank. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could also choose to purchase privately tailored garments of higher quality although the price may have been restrictive. With the rapid expansion of the Waffen-SS after the outbreak of the war the SS-Kleiderkasse also expanded to include no fewer then nine main offices with offices located in some of the occupied countries including, Poland, Norway, France, Czechoslovakia and Russia.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, black wool/rayon blend construction breeches feature a vertical, four button, French fly with an additional button positioned on the waistband. One fly button is absent. The breeches have two, diagonally angled, slash, front pockets with single button closures and a small, horizontal, slash, watch pocket situated to the right side of the fly below the waistband. The bottom edge of the right waistband has a small horizontal, fabric loop designed to secure a watch chain. The front pocket closure buttons are absent. The reverse of the breeches have a horizontal, slash, pocket with a single button closure to the right seat. The reverse of the breeches also have two, short, vertical, tapering darts and dual, horizontal, fit adjustment straps with corresponding nickel/silver plated, sheet metal, gripper buckles. The exterior waistband has seven, evenly spaced, vertical belt loops and six evenly spaced suspender attachment buttons. The waistband rides slightly higher in the rear and has the typical, "V" slash to the reverse center. The seat and crotch have a small, dual-ply, oval, reinforcement panel. The breeches feature exaggerated, outward, ballooning at the thighs and taper inwards down to the cuffs with a central, vertical, tapering dart to the reverse of each cuff. The cuffs each have a vertical slash to the outside leg seam with a single stitched eyelet and dual black fabric tie tapes. The interior waistband lining and the internal pocket bags are all constructed in off-white rayon/cotton blend material with an HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), weave. The waistband lining is well marked with black size inkstamps and an additional black inkstamp within a rectangular border, "VA 1938", indicating Verwaltungstamt, (Administration Department). The waistband lining also has a faint, black unit inkstamp that appears to be, "Na/8. SS-T. St", with SS runes, presumably indicating, Nachtrichten/8. SS-Totenkopf Standarte, (8^TH Signals SS-Deaths Head Regiment). The right seat pocket bag has a small, black oilcloth SS/RZM label with white printed script, and the purple inkstamped manufacturer’s numerical code. The script to the label includes both the RZM logo and SS runes within dual circular borders and the designation, "Hose-SS", (Pants-SS). The breeches show moderate to heavy nap wear through-out, light age and usage toning, some fraying to the front pocket openings and a crude, small, handstitched, repair to the right front waistband and the lower left front leg. The buttons are a combination of the molded black and brown bakelite, and about half appear to have their original stitching. The breeches are roughly size 32" waist.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $1,555.00