BACKGROUND: Aiguillettes can be traced back as far as 1730 when a type of aiguillette was introduced for officer’s in the Prussian army as a purely decorative ornamental item. Aiguillettes, in various forms, continued to be worn with certain forms of dress, primarily for ceremonial occasions, through-out the years and on July 22ND 1927 the Weimar era Reichswehr introduced a new pattern adjutant’s service aiguillette. Although the officer’s dress aiguillette were a purely decorative item for wear with the parade dress when Hitler was present or on parades commemorating his birthday, when formal dress was ordered and at certain ceremonies in either formal or informal dress the adjutant’s service aiguillettes were a distinctive feature of an appointed position. The adjutant’s service aiguillettes were similar to the officer’s dress aiguillettes with minor variations and were constructed in matte silver as opposed to the brighter silver of company and field grade officer’s, or gilt for Generals ranks. On June 29TH 1935 a new, brighter, dress aiguillette was introduced for adjutant’s and the earlier Reichswehr era adjutant’s service aiguillettes were discontinued. The adjutant’s aiguillettes were worn suspended from the right shoulder and the right breast of the tunic and were worn with most types of uniforms to display their position. Of Note: An adjutant was an appointed Staff Officer who was to act as the aide-de-camp to a higher ranking officer.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: June 1935 pattern, adjutant’s dress aiguillette. All complete. The ferrules show some age tarnish but over all nice condition.