BACKGROUND: EM/NCO personnel holding the ranks of Schütze to Stabsfeldwebel inclusively who had achieved proficiency at a particular trade, specialty or function were distinguished, on successful completion of the appropriate training, by being issued a distinctive trade specialty badge that was most commonly worn on the lower right sleeve of the service tunic or field blouse with a few exceptions. The original trade badges were introduced in 1934 and were supplemented with additional badges right up to mid-1944. In all the German army utilized no fewer then twenty-eight assorted trade specialty badges. Some of the trades were only open to enlisted ranks while those open to NCO’s ranks were distinguished by the addition of a piping on the trade badge. Originally the trade badges were worked on a blue/green badge cloth base, but in early 1940 this was altered to a field-grey wool base or the appropriate color of the uniform it was to be worn on.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Introduced in 1934, the insignia takes the form of a hand embroidered Gothic "S," in golden yellow cord, on a roughly 55mm diameter field-grey wool base.