BACKGROUND: On May 2ND 1939 the Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), authorized wear of a distinctive Edelweiss tradition badge for Mountain Troop personnel and the design of the badge was based on a pattern worn by German Alpine troops in WWI. On introduction the badge was on a blue/green badge cloth base, but in early 1940 this was altered to a field-grey wool base. Of Note: A metal edelweiss with stem was designed for wear on the mountain cap and a stemless edelweiss was authorized for wear on the visor cap. Originally regulations, unsuccessfully, dictated the edelweiss’s were to be removed from wear if the individual was transferred out of a Mountain Troop unit. On November 12TH 1944 regulations were altered to permitted continued wear of the edelweiss after transfer out of a Mountain Troop unit as long as the individual had combat experience while serving with the Mountain Troops. Generally EM/NCO personnel utilized machine embroidered or woven sleeve edelweisses while officers ranks wore higher quality, hand embroidered edelweisses.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Pre-1940 pattern insignia with a roughly, 65mm tall, 55mm wide, vertically oval, machine woven, blue/green rayon base with a machine woven edelweiss flower with thirteen irregular white petals, an eight bulb, yellow stamen and dual green leaves and stem all in rayon threads. The edelweiss is encompassed with a simulated, pale grey rayon mountaineer rope border, with a silvery/grey piton to the top center. Uniform removed.