BACKGROUND: Footwear leather shortages were a concern to the Wehrmacht as soon as the war started and the issue of the traditional tall leather marching boot was restricted to personnel serving in the field as early as September 1939. Regulations in November 1939 shortened the tall leather marching boot in an attempt to conserve leather. Additional regulations in August 1940, introduced the canvas gaiters to be worn with the short lace up ankle boots, and issued to all second line troops in a further effort to conserve leather. By 1941 the short lace up ankle boots and gaiters were issued to all new recruits in place of the marching boot as a cost and leather saving technique. By 1943 with increased leather shortages the gaiter’s and lace up ankle boots were issued in ever larger quantities and the tall marching boots were discontinued altogether. Police personnel also utilized the ankle boots and gaiters for certain forms of dress when ordered.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Dual-ply, police green canvas construction gaiters with machine stitched edges, black leather and steel fittings. The gaiters have straight cut top edges with two subtle curves to the bottom edges to accommodate the foot when worn. The bottom edges of the gaiters are trimmed with a narrow reinforcing strip of blackened leather. One end of each gaiter has a horizontal blackened leather buckling strap near both the top and bottom edges with three length adjustment holes with corresponding, leather reinforced, magnetic sheet metal pronged roller buckles to the other ends. One end of each gaiter is well marked with a black RB# inkstamp. Of Note: The RB numbers, Reichsbetriebnummer, (National factory code numbers), were introduced in late 1942 and were intended to replace the manufacturers marks on garments and equipment to conceal the manufactures name and location from the allies, to prevent bombing raids on German industrial factories. Still attached together with original factory string. Nice!!!