BACKGROUND: The wearing of specific, identifying, trade or speciality badges was an old tradition in the German army and was adopted by the Waffen-SS to distinguish personnel who had successful completed the appropriate course and had achieved proficiency at a particular trade, specialty or function. Initially Waffen-SS personnel wore the circular army pattern insignia, but eventually developed their own diamond patterned insignia. The SS pattern insignia consisted of a black wool diamond base with silver/aluminum thread emblems for all personnel for wear on the black service uniform. With the introduction of the field-grey uniform all ranks were to wear the insignia done in silver/grey threads and the silver/aluminum versions were to be worn only by Officers ranks with the walking-out dress. The trade/specialty insignia was to be worn on the lower left sleeve of the field blouse and the service tunic by qualified personnel and this example indicates a qualified Gas Protection NCO. Of Note: SS personnel who received their trade or speciality training at an army school generally wore the circular army pattern insignia. Also Of Note: The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was official founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), Quartermaster’s Department. The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized. Starting in late 1934 items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and were marked with a RZM/SS approval/acceptance tag. In 1943 the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: First pattern, army style insignia as utilized by SS personnel consists of a roughly, 55mm diameter, black wool base with a machine embroidered, profile likeness of a gasmask with a breathing filter in silvery/grey rayon threads.