Original German WWII DAF Aluminum Belt Buckle by Paul Cramer & Co. of Lüdenscheid – M4/44 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very good condition WWII German Deutsche Arbeitsfront (German Labor Front or DAF) Aluminum Werkschar-koppelschloß (Factory brigade belt buckle). The front is embossed with a fourteen tooth cogwheel encompassing a swas in the center. The buckle also has a small embossed circular bead to each corner. This example has a two piece buckle, with stamped aluminum single piece box construction with a soldered on hook loop. The hooked “claw” is made from plated steel, attached to the buckle body by a peened over securing pin.

The back of the buckle near the securing loop is faintly marked with an RZM circle next to supplier code M4/44. The Reichszeugmeisterei, or RZM, was was based at the Brown house in Munich and NSDAP party headquarters in Berlin. The RZM ensured that the manufacturers of military items were consistent in design, quality of materials and other characteristics of the items. It also defined standards of design, manufacturing and quality and published an authoritative color chart for textiles. The M4 in the code stands for buckles, and registrant 44 is Paul Cramer & Co. of Lüdenscheid, a city with large garment accessories industry.

Condition is excellent, with just a bit of wear from service and age. Ready to add to your collection!

With the dissolution of all Free Trade Unions in Germany in May 1933 the Deutsche Arbeitsfront, (German Labor Front), was established to replace the unions and to educate the workers in industry and commerce for smooth and efficient operation of all labor in the Third Reich. In October 1934 the DAF was given official status as a sub-section of the NSDAP and in March 1936 it was recognized as an independent NSDAP affiliated association and granted control of its own monetary budget. In 1934 the first pattern of DAF uniform was introduced for DAF Werkscharen, (Work Squads), and a belt buckle was introduced in late 1935 for wear by all ranks.