BACKGROUND: In November 1940 the SS-Standarte 2 "Germania" was transferred from SS-Verfügungstruppe Division (mot.), (SS Special Purpose Division {motorized}), to form the nucleus of the SS-Division (mot.) "Germania" along with the SS-Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) "Nordland", and the SS-Infanterie-Regiment "Westland". On January 1^ST 1941 the division was renamed, SS-Division "Wiking and on November 9^TH 1942 the division was upgraded and renamed SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Wiking". The division was upgraded again and received its final designation on October 22^ND 1943 as 5^TH SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking". With these upgrades the designation for the SS-Infanterie-Regiment "Westland" was also altered and it was allotted its final designation as SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 10 "Westland" in November 1943. The three primary regiments of the division, Germania, Nordland and Westland had already been allotted their respective cufftitles when the division was formed in November 1940, with Westland personnel receiving their cufftitles in June 1940. Other divisional personnel were allotted the "Wiking" cufftitle that was introduced on September 1^ST 1942. Originally the Westland cufftitles were manufactured in the RZM pattern until the machine woven "BeVo" pattern was introduced in 1943. 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. 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: Roughly, 1 1/8" tall, 19 1/8" long, full length, pre-1943, RZM pattern, machine woven, black rayon construction cufftitle featuring machine embroidered, Latin script, "Westland", in silvery/grey, cotton threads. The cufftitle is bordered at both the top and bottom edges in seven strand, horizontally woven, bright, silver/aluminum wire threads. The full length cufftitle has folded over, machine stitched ends and the reverse has a white, paper RZM/SS tag with black printed script and the purple inkstamped manufacturer’s numerical code. The printed script to the tag includes both the RZM logo and the SS runes within circular borders. The cufftitle is in overall excellent, unissued condition with minimal age toning.

GRADE ****1/4                             PRICE $1,995.00