SS Cuff Title Questions

[AndolfR]

Dear Friends,

I recently saw a few odd SS cuff titles that I cannot place. They probably belong to a section of the SS other than the Waffen-SS. I unfortunately don't have any pictures, but since I'm not really interested in their originality, that shouldn't really matter. I just want to know what section(s) of the SS used them.

The first is blank silver thread cuff title with a black line running along the upper and lower edge -- it kind of looks similar to the Tank Destruction Badge in Silver, but without the tank, and much longer.

The second title looks like the typical Waffen-SS cuff titles save for the fact that there is nothing written on the band at all. It is simply blank with the silver trim lines.

Any ideas?

Regards,

AndolfR

[Ian Hulley]

The silver band was for Amtchefs, the plain black was worn by the SD.

Ian.

[AndolfR]

Thanks Ian, I appreciate the reply.

Can you (or anyone else) tell me if those titles were worn on the old black uniform or on the wartime field gray uniform?

As for the SS-SD, if I am not mistaken, the SD was state security -- right? Is it true that they used a blank collar patch on all of their uniforms in place of the SS runes? That would kind of make some kind of sense with the blank cuff title.

Thanks again.

AndolfR

[Robin Lumsden]

Thanks Ian, I appreciate the reply.

Can you (or anyone else) tell me if those titles were worn on the old black uniform or on the wartime field gray uniform?

As for the SS-SD, if I am not mistaken, the SD was state security -- right? Is it true that they used a blank collar patch on all of their uniforms in place of the SS runes? That would kind of make some kind of sense with the blank cuff title.

Thanks again.

AndolfR

They were worn on both the black and grey uniforms.

The SD was the intelligence arm of the SS (and later the NSDAP). It was intended that it should eventually merge with the security police (i.e. the Gestapo and the Kripo) as part of Himmler's plans to amalgamate the SS and the police.

While the SD wore a blank collar patch, so did the staff members of several other SS main offices, as well as men in non-German Waffen-SS units without individual tabs. The blank patch was not exclusive to the SD.

[Robert H]

The blank cufftitle was not exclusive to the SD either ...

[AndolfR]

This is all very interesting. As a consequence of this discussion, I took a brief tour of the net in order to try to find either descriptions or pictures of the black SS-SD uniform in order to get a sense of what a complete one might look like. The only clear picture I found was that of a Standartenfuhrer -- and it appeared to have insignia on both collar patches (right patch had oakleaf cluster as did left). Is that correct or am I seeing things?

Apart from the SD sleeve diamond, the black cuff title, and blank collar patch, what other insignia was worn on the black tunic? I believe that the Heer/Waffen-SS style military jackets that were used during the war years utilized police style shoulder boards (green base and waffenfarbe with silver and black twist Russian braid), but did the black uniform use that style as well, or did they use the same shoulder boards as that of the Allgemeine SS (for example)? Of equal interest to me is the treatment of the tunic's left arm. Did the black SD tunic use the SS arm band (with black stripes) typical of the other pre-war branches of the SS, or did they use a first pattern or second pattern SS-sleeve eagle? I'm just trying to get a complete picture of the uniform in my mind.

Thanks again for the help in advance.

Cheers,

AndoldR

[HPL2008]

The only clear picture I found was that of a Standartenfuhrer -- and it appeared to have insignia on both collar patches (right patch had oakleaf cluster as did left). Is that correct or am I seeing things?

Yes, it's correct. SS-personnel with a rank of Standartenführer and higher always wore their rank insignia on both collar patches.

Apart from the SD sleeve diamond, the black cuff title, and blank collar patch, what other insignia was worn on the black tunic? I believe that the Heer/Waffen-SS style military jackets that were used during the war years utilized police style shoulder boards (green base and waffenfarbe with silver and black twist Russian braid), but did the black uniform use that style as well, or did they use the same shoulder boards as that of the Allgemeine SS (for example)?

A succession of three different patterns of shoulder boards were worn on the SD's grey uniforms: First, the Allgemeine-SS pattern, then the Wehrmacht-style with toxic-green branch color and finally Police-style boards. All of these were worn in pairs.
On the black uniform, only the Allgemeine-SS pattern shoulder boards were worn. (Right shoulder only.)

Of equal interest to me is the treatment of the tunic's left arm. Did the black SD tunic use the SS arm band (with black stripes) typical of the other pre-war branches of the SS, or did they use a first pattern or second pattern SS-sleeve eagle?

The standard SS swastika brassard was worn on the black uniform.