BACKGROUND: The SS-SD, Sicherheits Dienst und Sicherheitspolizei, (SS Security Service and Security Police), were originally instituted in June 1931 as the national German counter-espionage agency and was entrusted with control of internal national security under the auspices of the Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführer-SS, (Security Service of the National Leader of the SS). On June 17TH 1936, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler was appointed to the newly created position of Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern, (Chief of the German Police in the National Ministry of the Interior), effectively giving him full control of all police agencies within Germany and the power and influence of the SD grew proportionally. Originally SD personnel wore the same shoulder straps as the Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), personnel that were introduced on May 26TH 1933 at the same time as the SA shoulder straps were introduced. In January 1942 new collar and shoulder insignia was introduced for all SD personnel that conformed more to Police style insignia then SS insignia in order to differentiate them from the Allgemeine and Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), personnel. SD personnel were allocated a specific identifying, police green truppenfarbe, (Troop/Branch of Service Color), that was displayed as piping on the shoulder boards/straps.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 1942 Pattern sew on examples. The shoulder boards feature dual, outer edge, matte silver/aluminum Russian braid with evenly spaced, interwoven black "V"s, encompassing dual, inner, black braids, mounted on a green wool truppenfarbe base. Single rank pips. Rank of Oberscharführer.