BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops), and redesignated Schutzstaffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer-Hall" Putsch on November 9TH 1925. On January 6TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by Hitler by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party). Originally members of the fledgling SS had no official uniform until April 1925 when they adopted, what was to become known as the, "Tradition Uniform" and personnel were outfitted with the same brown shirt uniform and kepi as the SA Sturmabteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment). In November 1925 personnel of the newly formed SS adopted a black kepi, necktie, breeches and border trim on their armbands to distinguish themselves from their SA counterparts. On July 7TH 1932 the black service uniform, for Allgemeine-SS, (General SS), SS-VT, SS-Verfügungstruppe, (SS-Special Purpose Troops), SS-TV, SS-Totenkopfverbände, (SS-Death’s Head Units), and SS-SD, SS-Sicherheitsdienst und Sicherheitspolizei, (SS-Security Service and Security Police), personnel was first introduced to replace the brown shirt, "Tradition", uniform. The black service uniform included straight legged, trousers with white piping to the outside leg seams for wear with the standard service and the evening dress uniforms. For some unknown reason the straight legged, trousers with white piping were withdrawn from service sometime in 1936 and were reinstated as per regulations of April 1ST 1937. With the outbreak of WWII the black service uniform was replaced with field-grey uniforms for all but Allgemeine-SS personnel. On June 8TH 1942 Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler ordered that all black service uniforms in the possession of Waffen-SS personnel were to be returned to clothing depots in an attempt to overcome material shortages. By 1943 even Allgemeine-SS were being outfitted with field-grey uniforms and the black uniforms were to be reintroduced at the successful conclusion of the war. SS Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result the SS established the SS-Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system in Munich in 1935. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s were allotted a one time clothing allowance from the government with the amount varying depending on the individuals rank. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could also choose to purchase privately tailored garments of higher quality although the price may have been restrictive. Of Note: The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was official founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA 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 by a cloth RZM/SS approval tag. The dimensions and design of these cloth tags was altered in 1935 and this second pattern tag remained in use until early 1938, when it was replaced by a paper tag. Of Note: 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: Very nice quality, black wool construction straight legged, long pants feature a vertical, four button, French fly with an additional button positioned on the waistband. Two of the buttons are missing while the other three are complete and have original stitching. The pants have two, slightly, diagonally angled, slash front pockets and a small, horizontal slash, watch pocket situated on the bottom seam of the right side waistband. The right side waistband has a small, sheet metal ring handstitched in place, designed for securing a watch chain. The reverse of the pants have a horizontal, slash pocket with scalloped reinforcement stitching and a single button closure, to the right seat. The reverse of the pants also have two, short, vertical, tapering darts and dual horizontal fit adjustment straps with a corresponding, black painted, opened rectangular, dual claw, sheet metal buckle. The exterior waistband has three of the original six suspender attachment buttons. The outside leg seams each have inset, vertical, white wool piping. The pants have straight cut, non-adjustable, dual-ply cuffs. The interior bottom edges of the cuffs have a narrow, black rayon, reinforcement strip machine stitched in place. The interior waistband lining and the internal pocket bags are all constructed in white cotton. The rear pocket bag has a black oilcloth RZM/SS with printed white script and the black inkstamped manufacturer’s numerical code machine stitched in place. The printed script to the tag includes both the RZM logo and the SS runes within circular borders. The rear pocket bag also has unknown blue inkstamps consisting of "A", and "56". The left interior seat panel also has faint, mostly illegible white inkstamped markings that appear to include sizing. The pants are in overall excellent condition and retain all of their original nap. The buttons are all the molded black bakelite type and the remaining ones appear to have their original stitching. The pants are roughly size 36" waist. Very hard to find!