BACKGROUND: On December 22ND 1920 the Reichsheer, (National Army), instituted a system of sleeve rank insignia for enlisted personnel. The Reichsheer system remained in effect until the newly formed Wehrmacht Heer, (Armed Forces, Army), introduced a new system on September 25TH 1936. Originally the base material of the standard issue rank insignia was in field-grey badge cloth until regulations of October 1935 altered the base material to a blue/green badge cloth. Further regulations in April 1940 altered the base material of the standard issue insignia to field-grey wool while the coloration of the base material for specialized uniforms such as the black panzer wrap or the olive/drab tropical tunic utilized the base color of the uniform. Originally the sleeve rank chevrons utilized a bright silver/aluminum tress until regulations of April 25TH 1940 dictated that a new subdued tress was to replace the highly visible silver/aluminum tress although the change over was never completely achieved. The only alteration to the rank chevrons occurred in April 1942 when the earlier, discontinued, rank of Stabsgefreiter was reintroduced which resulted in a minor modification to the rank chevrons for Obergefreiters with more then six years service.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The 1936-45 pattern Gefreiter's rank chevron. A single subdued grey NCO tress chevron, in the Army diamond pattern, on an inverted triangular field-grey wool base. Nice worn and used example.