Original German WWII Heer Army Infantry Enlisted & NCO Shoulder Board Grouping – 7 Items Original Items

Original Item: Only One Set Available. This is a very nice set of German Schulterstücken (Shoulderboards) or Schulterklappen (Shoulder Straps), made up of 7 WWII issue examples, The design of the Heer Army shoulder boards changed during the course of the pre-war period, changing from the Reichsheer pattern reminiscent of the Imperial style, to the “modern” pattern most are familiar with.

Most likely this set was brought home by a USGI after the war, as they were very popular collectors items, with the wide variety of colors and designs. The examples that have Waffenfarbe (corps color) piping all have Weiß (white) around the edge, indicating infantry and motorized infantry. All are the “button retained” style, usually seen on EM/NCO uniforms, which were depot issued.

This very nice set consists of the following:

– One German Pre-WWII First Pattern Army Unteroffizier NCO Shoulder Board, Unit Marked 16. This is an early example with pointed “gable” ends, and is in the 1935-1938 pattern dark bottle-green (flaschengrün) color, with a row of NCO Tresse around the edge, open at the outer side. There is no corps color piping around the edge, but the chain stitched 16 is white, indicating Infantry issue.

– One German WWII Second Pattern Army Unteroffizier NCO Shoulder Board, Unit Marked 49. This is the pattern that came into use in 1938, when the corps colors were removed from EM/NCO Litzen on the service uniform. At this time the shape was also changed to the rounded shape used until the end of the war. It is in the correct 1938-1940 pattern dark bottle-green (flaschengrün) color, with a row of NCO Tresse around the edge, open at the outer side. It has the correct white color piping for infantry, and the unit number chain stitched directly onto the strap.

– One German WWII Wartime Pattern Army Unterfeldwebel NCO Shoulder Board, Unit Marked 13. This is the pattern that came into use in 1940, when the background color was changed from dark bottle-green (flaschengrün) badge cloth to the same feldgrau fabric used making the rest of the uniform. It has NCO tresse around the entire perimeter, with white infantry piping outside of that. The unit number chain stitched directly onto the strap.

– One German WWII Wartime Pattern Army Enlisted Soldat Shoulder Board, Unit Marked 125. This is the correct wartime pattern, made from feldgrau uniform material and piped around the exterior in white for infantry. It has the unit number chain stitched directly onto the strap.

– One German WWII Wartime Pattern Army Enlisted Soldat Shoulder Board, with a Unit Slide Marked 124. Known as Aufschiebeschlaufen (slide-on loops), these were used to save time, as they were just slid over the strap, and could easily be changed out when the soldier was re-assigned. This is the correct wartime pattern, made from feldgrau uniform material and piped around the exterior in white for infantry.

– One German WWII Wartime Pattern Army Enlisted Soldat Shoulder Board, with a Unit Slide Marked 695. Known as Aufschiebeschlaufen (slide-on loops), these were used to save time, as they were just slid over the strap, and could easily be changed out when the soldier was re-assigned. This is the correct wartime pattern, made from feldgrau uniform material and piped around the exterior in white for infantry.

– One German WWII Wartime Pattern Army Enlisted Soldat Shoulder Board, with a Unit Slide Marked 696. Known as Aufschiebeschlaufen (slide-on loops), these were used to save time, as they were just slid over the strap, and could easily be changed out when the soldier was re-assigned. This is the correct wartime pattern, made from feldgrau uniform material and piped around the exterior in white for infantry.

There is some light wear and color fading on some items, as well as some mothing to the wool components, but this really is a nice set. These would be perfect to dress up some German WWII uniforms, or just to collect on their own. Ready to display!