Original German WWII Army Heer EM/NCO Steel Belt Buckle by Julius Kremp with Leather Tab – dated 1940 and 1941 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is very nice service used condition WWII German Wehrmacht (Heer) EM/NCO’s Steel Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß). The Buckle design features a smooth outer field with central, high relief, embossed Wehrmacht eagle with down swept wings to slightly domed center, encompassed by an oak-leaf cluster to bottom and bears the Heer motto GOTT MIT UNS, (God with us), on the top. The oak-leaf cluster and script are on a ribbed background and encircled by an inner and outer simulated twisted rope border. This is a nice early war olive field grey painted steel construction box buckle with a smooth background. The buckle shows paint loss and oxidation from service, especially on the raised areas of the buckle.

The back of the buckle is nicely stamped with maker mark IKA 40, for 1940 production by Julius Kremp of Lüdenscheid, Germany, a city with a very large garment accessories industry. The buckle also still retains its original leather pull tab, which has a mostly clear maker marking:-

JUL. KREMP
1941
LÜDENSCHEID

The leather of the pull tab is definitely in delicate condition, and has split across the entire loop wrapped around the claw on the buckle. The finish is cracked, and it is a dark brown color, with some dry rot in areas. The buckle was most likely made towards the end of 1940, or in early 1941, before the new stamping die for the buckle had arrived.

A lovely “salty” example that definitely looks like it has been through a war!

On January 24TH 1936 a new pattern Enlisted Men and Non-Commissioned Officer’s belt buckle was officially introduced to replace the previously worn Weimar era Reichsheer buckle. The basic design of the Reichsheer buckle was retained with the addition of the new Wehrmacht style national eagle. This pattern buckle was worn through-out the Third Reich period with minor manufacturing variations.