BACKGROUND: The TeNo, Technischen Nothilfe, (Technical Emergency Corps), was originally established in September 1919, of trained, voluntary, civilian personnel to maintain and repair essential services in the event of a natural disaster or emergency. Many of its personnel were ex-service men and a large amount of them had some type of specialized technical training which was key to its mandate. TeNo was a civilian organization administered under the Minister of the Interior, until mid-1939 when it became an official State organization under control of the Police which in turn was controlled by the SS. With this change in status a small nucleus of salaried Officials were employed to run the organization. As the war dragged on TeNo, became more and more a para-military organization with its direction becoming more controlled by the Waffen-SS. On January 6TH 1942 the German army introduced a specific sleeve badge for former TeNo personnel serving with the armed forces technical troops as a commemorative insignia. Generally the TeNo sleeve badge was machine woven in silver/grey threads for EM/NCO ranks and in bright silver/aluminum threads for Officer ranks although embroidered examples were permitted for wear on private purchase uniforms. Army regulations of January 10TH 1944 abolished the TeNo sleeve badge.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Machine woven, vertically oval, insignia features a blue/green rayon base with a silvery/grey, oak-leave wreath encompassing a central, silvery/grey, cogged wheel, which encircles the overlapping initials, "TN". The insignia is still on its original, woven, blue/green rayon factory roll. Near mint.