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S005659 ALLGEMEINE-SS ADMINISTRATIVE SS-STANDARTENFÜHRER'S SERVICE TUNIC. (Dienstrock)
BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 under the auspices of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment Troops), as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops), and was 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 9TH 1925. 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. 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 7TH 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. In 1934 the black service tunic underwent a minor alteration by modifying the hip pockets from the original patch type to the slash type. After the outbreak of WWII the black service uniforms were eventually phased out of wear for all but Allgemeine-SS personnel. On June 8TH 1942 Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler ordered that all black service uniforms in the possession of Waffen-SS personnel were to be returned to clothing depots in an attempt to overcome material shortages. By 1943 even Allgemeine-SS were being outfitted with field-grey uniforms and the black uniforms were to be reintroduced at the successful conclusion of the war. 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. The command structure of the SS, Schutz Staffel, (Protection Squad), was highly complex and had many different levels and offices with numerous functions. The basic regional organizational infrastructure of the Allgemeine-SS began with the SS-Oberabschnitte, (SS Districts), which corresponded roughly to the German Armed Forces, Wehrkreis, (Military District). Each SS-Oberabschnitte contained two or three SS-Abschnitte, (SS Sub-Districts), and each SS-Abschnitte was comprised of two to four SS-Fuss-Standarten, (SS Foot Regiments), and additional subordinate units. Personnel serving on the staff of a SS-Abschnitte, were allotted a cufftitle with the Roman numeral of the region they served in. The SS-Abschnitte cufftitles were produced with silver/aluminum embroidery for Officer ranks and in silver/grey threads for EM/NCO ranks. Prior to the war there were thirty-four SS-Abschnitte but by 1945 that had expanded to forty-five SS-Abschnitte. Of Note: Personnel serving with a SS-Oberabschnitte, were allotted a cufftitle with the topographical name of the region in which they were situated and personnel serving in a SS-Fuss-Standarten were allotted a cufftitle with a Arabic numeral designation. Also 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 or marking. In 1943 the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, private purchase, 1934 pattern, ribbed, black wool/tricot blend construction tunic features a vertical, four button, front closure with small, folded back, peak lapels and a lay down collar. The tunic has two, pleated, patch, breast pockets and two, diagonally angled, slash, hip pockets, all with scalloped button down flaps. The right breast pocket has two, horizontal, thread loops while the left breast has eight, horizontal and two vertical thread loops, all for wear of awards. The upper left sleeve has a red wool armband with a central, white, ribbed, rayon, circular field with a black, canted, ribbed, rayon tape, swastika. The armband is trimmed in ribbed, black, rayon to both the top and bottom edges and is neatly handstitched to sleeve. The armband has about a dozen fair sized moth nips. The lower left sleeve has a SS-Verwaltungs Führer, (Administration Officers), trade badge consisting of a vertical, black wool diamond with a hand embroidered, eight pointed star in bright silver/aluminum wire threads. The trade badge is neatly handstitched to the sleeve. The sleeves have deep, fold back French cuffs which are tacked in the upright position at both the inner and outer sleeve seams. The top edge of the left French cuff has a machine woven, black rayon, cufftitle with the hand embroidered Roman numeral, "II", in bright silver/aluminum wire threads. The cufftitle is bordered at both the top and bottom edges in horizontally woven, seven strand, bright silver/aluminum wire threads. The cufftitle is neatly handstitched to the cuff. Of Note: The cufftitle indicates an Officer serving on the staff of SS-Abschnitte II which was originally headquartered in Dresden before transferring to Chemnitz and was a component of SS-Oberabschnitte Elbe. The upper right sleeve has an SS Honor Chevron for Old Campaigners which was authorized for wear by SS members who had belonged to the SS, NSDAP or other affiliated party organization before Hitler’s ascension to power on January 30TH 1933. The insignia consists of a machine woven, bright, silver/aluminum chevron with two interwoven, narrow, parallel black stripes situated near the inside and outside edges, machine stitched to a cut-out black wool base. The black wool base of the chevron is neatly handstitched to the sleeve. The reverse of the tunic, has a short, central, vertical, tail skirt vent with dual, belt support ramp buttons positioned at the top edge. The tunic has a single shoulder cord sewn into the right shoulder seam. The narrow shoulder cord consists of three, interwoven, bright, twisted silver/aluminum cords on a black wool base. The shoulder cord retaining button is still intact. The reverse of the lay down collar has the typical, zig-zag reinforcement stitching and the forward edge of the collar is trimmed with twisted, bright, silver/aluminum wire cord. The collar has the first pattern, (Circa August 1929-October 1934), SS-Standartenführer’s black velvet, matching, rank collar tabs which feature a single, hand embroidered, oak-leaf with two small acorns to each, all in bright, silver/aluminum wire threads. Both of the collar tabs are piped in fine, twisted, bright, silver/aluminum wire cords. The collar cord trim and the collar tabs are neatly handstitched to the tunic. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in ribbed, black, cotton/rayon material with grey striped, off-white, brushed rayon sleeves. The lining has a horizontal slash pocket to both the left and right breast panels, two vertical slash "glove" pockets to the reverse of the tail skirt vent and a small, horizontal, slash to the reverse of the left hip pocket for the sword or dagger hangers. The tunic is in overall very good condition with light age and usage toning, a couple of small tears and light to moderate fraying to both cuffs. The buttons are all the bright silver washed, pebbled magnetic sheet metal type and appear to have their original stitching. The tunic is quire small and is roughly a size 34" chest.
GRADE ***1/2 PRICE $17,255.00
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