BACKGROUND: 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). The SS-Fuss-Standarten were number consecutively from 1 to 125 and Officer’s serving on the staff of a Standarte were authorized wear of an identifying cufftitle with the numerical designation of the unit served with. Of Note: The SS-Fuss-Standarten were further divided into four Sturmbann, (Battalions) and a reserve Sturmbann which were again sub-divided into four Sturm, (Companies), per Sturmbann. EM/NCO personnel serving in these smaller units were also authorized wear of an identifying cufftitle with the numerical designation of the unit served with. These cufftitles featured color coded top and bottom edge border stripes with a specific color indicating the Sturmbann and the numerical designation of the actual Sturm. 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. This example with green colored borders and the Sturm numeral, "4" indicate service with the 4^TH Sturm, (Company) of the 1^ST Sturmbann, (Battalion).

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 1 1/8" tall, 18 3/8" long, full length, RZM pattern, machine woven, black rayon construction cufftitle featuring the machine embroidered, SS-Sturm, Arabic numeral, "4", in silvery/grey cotton threads. The cufftitle is bordered at both the top and bottom edges in horizontally woven, green cotton threads. The full length cufftitle has folded over, machine stitched ends and the reverse has dual, black rayon, RZM/SS tags. Both of the tags feature the silvery/grey, machine woven, manufacturer’s numerical code positioned above the date, "35", and flanked by the RZM logo and the SS runes both within circular borders. Of Note: One of the RZM/SS tags would indicate the cufftitle manufacturer while the other tag would indicate the embroiderer. The cufftitle is in overall very good condition with light age and usage toning and a few loose threads to both the top and bottom edges where it was removed from a tunic.

GRADE ***3/4                             PRICE $1,132.00