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. During the Third Reich era, (Circa 1933-1945), collar tabs for company and field grade Officer’s ranks underwent two, minor, alterations with the main modification being in the material and the form of construction utilized. The company and field grade Officer’s style collar tabs were worn in matching pairs by the ranks of Leutnant to Oberst inclusively. The different branches of service within the German army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with white being chosen for Infanterie, (Infantry), personnel which was generally displayed as stripes on the collar tabs. Company and field grade Officer’s collar tabs were machine or, occasionally, hand embroidered in silver/aluminum threads with the appropriate branch of service colored stripes and mounted on blue/green bases for the service and field tunics, while the collar tabs for the M35 Waffenrock, (Dress tunic), were machine or hand embroidered in silver/aluminum threads with silver/aluminum stripes, which were mounted on the appropriate branch of service colored bases. Regulations of September 26TH 1944 introduced machine woven collar tabs for company and field grade Officer’s with the appropriate branch of service colored stripes. Of Note: Officer’s holding General’s ranks from Generalmajor up to and including Generalfeldmarschall were accorded distinctive, "Alt-Larisch", patterned collar tabs on March 22ND 1900, that were based on uniform ornamentation of the 26TH Prussian Infantry Regiment and were mounted on bright red bases.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Later war pattern machine woven collar tabs as introduced on September 26TH 1944 with matte silvery/grey litzen and regulation, "V" patterned, white branch of service stripes mounted on a dark blue/green badge cloth base. The litzen and branch of service stripes are woven directly onto the blue/green badge cloth base which shows through as the center stripe of the litzen. The collar tabs are mounted on light tan buckram backings. "DRGM" marking, indicating, Deutsche Reichs Gebrauchsmuster, (German National Registered Design), followed by a numeral.