BACKGROUND: As with the German Army the "SS-Feldgendarmerie", (SS-Military Field Police), units were established on mobilization in 1939 and drew the majority of their personnel from the civil Ordnungspolizei, (Order Police), as they were already familiar with policing regulations and tasks. Divisional sized units generally were assigned a company strength SS-Feldgendarmerie who were tasked with all aspects of security and traffic control immediately behind the front lines. Originally the SS-Feldgendarmerie personnel wore the Gothic script, army pattern Feldgendarmerie identifying cufftitle until a specific SS-Feldgendarmerie cufftitle was introduced in August 1942. The SS-Feldgendarmerie cufftitle was only manufactured in a unique, variant, BeVo-like weave. The somewhat unique BeVo-like weave was utilized on a small number of SS cufftitles with the SS-Feldgendarmerie cufftitle being a prime example. This BeVo-like weave is discussed and photographed in G. Williamson & T. McGuirl’s book, German Military Cuffbands 1784~Present, page 169, and also in Ulric of England’s book, A Collectors Guide to SS and Political Cuffbands, pages 72, 73 and 74. Of Note: The SS-Feldgendarmerie cufftitle was abolished in November 1944. 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. 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, 18" long, machine woven, black rayon construction cufftitle with variant, BeVo-like, machine woven, SS runes and Latin script, "SS-Feldgendarmerie" in silvery/grey rayon threads. The cufftitle is bordered at both the top and bottom edges in horizontally woven, seven strand, silvery/grey rayon threads. The cufftitle has the typical "salt & pepper" pattern reverse. The cufftitle is in overall excellent, unissued condition with minor fraying to both of the unfinished ends and minimal age toning. Scarce cufftitle.

GRADE ****1/4                             PRICE $2,695.00