BACKGROUND: On December 22ND 1920 the Reichsheer instituted a system of sleeve rank insignia for enlisted personnel. The Reichsheer system remained in effect until the newly formed Wehrmacht Heer introduced a new system on September 25TH 1936. Originally the base material of the standard issue rank insignia was in field-grey badge cloth until regulations of October 1935 altered the base material to a blue/green badge cloth. Further regulations in April 1940 altered the base material of the standard issue insignia to field-grey wool while the coloration of the base material for specialized uniforms such as the black panzer wrap or the olive/drab tropical tunic utilized the base color of the uniform. Originally the sleeve rank chevrons utilized a bright silver/aluminum tress until regulations of April 25TH 1940 dictated that a new subdued tress was to replace the highly visible silver/aluminum tress although the change over was never completely achieved. On January 28TH 1928 regulations introduced new rank insignia for the rank of Stabsgefreiter that was to be utilized until the end of the war. Further regulations of January 1934 discontinued promotions to the rank of Stabsgefreiter effective as of October that year and the rank insignia that had been introduced in 1928 was allotted to the rank of Obergefreiter with more then six years service. The rank of Stabsgefreiter was reintroduced on April 25TH 1942 and both Obergefreiters with more then six years service and Stabsgefreiters continued wear of the same rank insignia.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The insignia consists of dual, machine woven, subdued, diamond patterned, tress chevrons, flanking a machine embroidered rank pip in silver/grey threads all mounted on an inverted triangular, field-grey badge cloth base. Few moth small holes.