BACKGROUND: The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler (Shock Troops Adolf Hitler), and was re-designated Schutz Staffel, (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 9^TH 1925. On January 6^TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader of the SS), and on July 20^TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30^TH 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). Germany has a long history of producing some of the best, master musicians in the world including the renown composers Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms and Hitler’s personal favorite Richard Wagner. Military bands date back to the middle ages and were originally utilized for acoustic signaling long before eventually evolving into a form of entertainment. As with the military and other, assorted para-military organizations of the time period, SS units also had SS-Spielmannszüge, (Fife and Drum corps), commanded by a SS-Bataillonstambour. (SS-Drum Major), and SS-Musikzüge, (Military Bands), commanded by a SS-Musikführer, (Music Leader/Bandmaster). Generally each SS-Sturmbann, (SS-Battalion), had a fife and drum corp. consisting of roughly eight to twenty-four personnel and SS-Standarten, (SS-Regiments), had a band consisting of roughly twenty to forty personnel. Of Note: SS-Kavallerie Standarten, (SS-Calvary Regiments), had a SS-Trompete Korps, (Trumpet Corps), usually consisting of twenty trumpeters and a kettle drummer. Along with the assorted instruments SS fife and drum corps and bands had distinct band accouterments including "Jingling Johnnies", the Drum-Majors mace, and the removable, swallow’s nest insignia that was worn on the shoulders of their service tunics when performing or in formation with the musical unit. The swallow nests varied slightly depending on the musician’s position with a roughly, 2 3/4", (7cm), long fringe for Drum Majors, a roughly, 1 1/4", (3cm), fringe for military band members and no fringe for members of the fife and drum corps. SS-Musikführer, (Music Leader/Bandmaster), did not utilize the swallow’s nests but wore a distinctive sleeve insignia consisting of a lyre on a diamond shaped base which was permanently attached to the lower left sleeve of the service uniform. Originally the swallow nests featured seven, vertical, white tress stripes alternating with eight, vertical, black stripes until late 1935 or early 1936 when the tress stripes were altered to bright, silver/aluminum stripes. Of Note: As the premier unit of the Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), the 1.SS-Panzer-Division LSSAH, (Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler), musical units utilized different length fringes on their swallow’s nests. Also Of Note: The RZM, Reich Zeug Meisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was officially 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, including the SS, 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: Roughly, 4", (10.2cm), tall, 9 1/4", (23.5cm), wide, half-moon shaped, SS-Spielmannszüge, (SS-Drum & Fife Corps Member’s), swallow’s nest consisting of a black wool base with seven, alternating, evenly spaced, machine stitched, vertical, bright, silver/aluminum, zig-zag patterned, tress strips and an additional, slightly curved, horizontal, bright, silver/aluminum, zig-zag patterned, tress strip to the bottom edge. The black wool base shows through as a narrow, vertical stripe between each of the tress strips. The swallow’s nest has no fringe. The reverse of each swallow’s nest has a protective, ribbed, black cotton twill backing, machine and handstitched in place and five, evenly spaced, bent, sheet metal attachment hooks intact. The swallow’s nest is in overall good condition with light age and usage toning and tarnish to the tress strips. Seldom encountered SS Drum & Fife Corps Member’s swallow’s nest.     (Ex Philippe Gillain Collection)