BACKGROUND: On January 24TH 1936 a new pattern EM/NCO’s belt buckle was officially introduced to replace the previously worn Weimar era Reichsheer buckle. The basic design of the Reichsheer buckle was retained with the addition of the new Wehrmacht style national eagle. This pattern buckle was worn through-out the Third Reich period with minor manufacturing variations.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 1940 pattern, field-grey painted, stamped steel, combat box buckle features a smooth outer field with a high relief, embossed Wehrmacht eagle with down swept wings to the slightly domed center, encompassed by an oak-leaf cluster to the bottom and script, "Gott mit Uns", (God with us), to the top. The oak-leaf cluster and script are on a ribbed background and are encircled by both an inner and outer simulated twisted rope border. The reverse of the buckle is a mirror image of the obverse. The reverse has the brazed buckle catch, prong bar and prongs all intact. The reverse is well marked with embossed manufactures initials, "JFS", indicating manufacture by Josef Feix & Söhne Gablonz.