BACKGROUND: The use of collar ornamentation on military uniforms was utilized by numerous assorted nations with the main function being the indication of the wearer’s rank and/or branch of service. The German army had a tradition, dating from the 1700's, of maintaining a separate branch of Administrative Officials attached to the army to oversee all administrative functions, thus freeing up active army Officers and allowing them to concentrate on actual military matters. The Officials were responsible for a wide variety of administrative tasks from Court Martial, Librarian, Supply, Technical and Meteorological Services, to School, Barracks, and Hospital administration. Most Officials careers consisted of four varying grades, of high, elevated, medium and low grade with slightly differing identifying insignia for each grade. The grade of the career was determined by the education and/or the experience of the individual. Regulations of March 12TH 1937 reorganized the Officials and instituted the new Beamte auf Kriegsdauer a.K., (Wartime Official’s for the duration of the war), to be activated in times of mobilization. Originally the uniformed Officials were allotted an identifying dark green branch of service color, (waffenfarbe), with a nebenfarbe, (secondary color), to indicate their actual career. Regulations of March 21ST 1940, replaced the assorted nebenfarbe colors with a secondary color of light grey for all Officials regardless of career or function. In January 1944 the Army instituted a new career for officers and certain officials, entitled, TSD, "Truppensonderdienst", (Special Service). This new career used light blue waffenfarbe and did away with secondary colors as worn by Officials in the other careers. On May 1ST 1944 all high grade career Administrative officials were transferred to the TSD. The collar tabs for the Officials were all slightly different with Officials holding the equivalent of army Generals ranks utilizing the Alt-Larisch pattern collar tabs, high grade Officials utilized the unique, old Prussian style Kolbenstickerei collar tabs, elevated and medium grade Officials utilized the army Field and Company grade Officers style collar tabs while the low grade Officials utilized the army NCO’s style collar tabs. Generally all Officials color tabs were piped on three sides with the appropriate nebenfarbe, (secondary color), to indicate their actual career. Of Note: Wartime Officials for the duration of the war and TSD Officials utilized different pattern collar tabs that had a pointed, rear tipped style litzen.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Pre-March 21st 1940 pattern, high grade Officials, elongated, rectangular, dark green wool construction collar tab with the distinctive Official’s old Prussian style, dual, hand embroidered serrated litzen with seven teeth to each side, in gold celleon threads with the a gilt bullion wire, central, "branch of service" stripe and twisted, gilt bullion chapel stripes. All but the forward edge of the collar tabs are piped in green rayon nebenfarbe. The collar tab is mounted on a buckram backing.