Duane Pfister

Waffen-SS Foreign Volunteer Shields

The origin of this chart is unknown, but it is accurate. If you would like more information on the Waffen-SS foreign volunteers there is quite a lot on the net. Also, Roger Bender published several books on the subject, however, they are mostly out of print and will take some searching to find.

A- 34th SS Gren Div "Landstorm Nederland"

B- 23rd Volunteer Panzer Gren Div. "Nederland"

C- 24th Waffen SS Mountain Div. "Karstjager"

D- 25th Waffen SS Gren Div. "Hungarian No. 2"

E- 26th Waffen SS Gren Div. "Hungarian No. 3"

F- 15th Waffen SS Gren Division "Latvian No. I"

G- 35th Pol Gren Division "Polizei Division 2"

H- 31st SS Frw Gren Division

I- SS Frw Gren Division "Bohmen-Mahren"

J- 32nd SS Volunteer Gren Division "January 30"

K- 33rd Waffen SS Gren Division "Charlemagne"

L- 11th Frw Panzer Gren Division "Nordland"

M- 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking"

N- 36th Waffen SS Gren Division "Dirlewanger"

O- 19th Waffen SS Gren Division "Latvian No. II"

P- 20th Waffen SS Gren Division "Estonian No. I"

Q- 21st Waffen Geb Div der SS "Skanderbeg"

R- 22nd WW Frw Kav Division "Maria Theresa"

S- 6th SS Mountain Division "Nord"

T- 37th SS Vol Cavalry Division "Lutzow"

U- 27th SS Vol Gren Division "Flemish No. I"

V- 28th SS Vol Panzer Gren Division "Wallonie"

W- 29th Waffen SS Gren Division "Italian No. I"

X- 30th Waffen SS Gren Division "Russian No. II"

Y- 7th SS Vol Mountain Division "Prinz Eugen"

Z- 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg"

AA- 38th SS Panzer Gren Division "Nibelungen"CC- 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" (Hitler Youth)

DD- LSSAH

EE- Liebstandarte SS

FF- 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen"

GG- 16th SS Panzer Gren Division "Reichsfuhrer SS"

HH- 17th SS Panzer Gren Division "Gotz von Berlichingen"

JJ- 18th SS Vol Panzer Gren Division "Horst Wessel"

KK- 13th SS Mountain Division "Handschar"

LL- 14th SS Waffen Gren Division "Galizische No. I"

MM- 8th SS Cavairy Division "Florian Geyer"

NN- 1st SS Panzer Division "Liebstandarte"

OO- 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich"

PP- 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf"

QQ- 4th SS Panzer Division "Polizei Division"

RR- Gross Deutschland Division

German Steel Helmets

Ten Tips for Collectors

Investing in German steel helmets is not as easy as it once was, but there are still collectible helmets available in which the value will appreciate nicely in the future. As crazy as it sounds, a German helmet that is original to one person may not be original to another. The starting point is to define what "original" is, and then evaluate each helmet against the defined criteria. By most definitions an original helmet is one that was manufactured anytime between 1916 and 1945, has never had its liner replaced or been altered in any way since WWII and was most likely worn during that period. However, even this simple definition raises questions. Most collectors do agree that most postwar modified helmets should generally be avoided.

Differences Between Original and Postwar Modified Helmets

In terms of originality, German steel helmets fall into one of several categories. Of course, not everyone agrees which category a given helmet belongs in. The rarest is the unissued, mint conditioned helmet that was never worn during WWI or WWII. Unfortunately, some of the best of the postwar modified helmets can be mistaken for being in mint condition instead of the fabrications that they really are.

Then there is the helmet that shows wartime use but retains its original paint, liner and decals, and was never modified after the war. These are highly sought-after as they are original by any definition, their main attraction being that they are genuine pieces of history that were actually used by combat soldiers.

Helmets that were reissued during the period are another category. These were often given new paint, a new liner and new decals. This reissuing was occasionally performed in the field. The field replacement of liners, repainting and application of new decals was performed in less than ideal conditions, and these helmets sometimes look it. Again, it is unfortunate that this has opened the door for all sorts of postwar modified helmets to be passed off as "reissued". Postwar modified helmets made up of original parts are the next category. Some of these postwar modifications include the mixing of original shells and liners and the application of period decals. Many collectors do not consider these to be original even though they are made of original parts. It isn't always easy to know when a particular liner or decal was replaced. This confusion is where the definition of original becomes somewhat muddled.

Probably due to there being so many shells of "German" appearance, these helmets have never been completely reproduced. The final category contains those helmets that are easily recognizable as being modified in the postwar era. The shell and liner may be of Czechoslovakian, German, Norwegian or Spanish origin. The shell may have been made during the 1916-1945 period or after. Some of these have been repainted in camoflage patterns. The shells may have either too many or no holes for the split rivets that held these liners in place on the original German shells. Also, many of these shells ,have vent holes that differ in construction from those on the original German shells. What sets these helmets apart are the obviously fresh paint and decals and the newness of the leather liners. These liners continued to be made by West Germany for their army until about 10 years ago. Except for the use of some plastic parts, these West German helmet liners are very similar to those made in wartime.

References Define Helmet Variations

There are numerous references that define the different helmets for each branch of service and these provide excellent guidelines. Be aware that they can't possibly include every variation one may encounter. These references should be studied carefully and used to define the numerous types of German steel helmets. Those listed in this bibliography are a good place to start, and there are others as well.

Each collector should develop his own idea of originality based on careful study of the references and examining the helmets for sale at shows, flea markets, etc., and then avoid those that don't fit the criteria in some way. Just looking at them closely provides valuable experience. Using such strict critena may cause one to occasionally pass on helmets that are both original and good collectible investments. On the other hand, it will enable the collector to pass on many more that are not original. With that in mind, 10 tips for collecting German steel helmets are offered here.

Ten Buyer's Tips

1. Get a copy of Ludwig Baer's book The History of the German Steel Helmet 1916-1945. This 448-page masterpiece contains photos and descriptions of every basic type and numerous varieties of both combat and non-combat helmets. It is very well researched and is the most comprehensive reference available by far. There is much original German source material about the development of and various orders pertaining to these helmets. Although out of print again, a copy is worth its price to a true collector for the quality and quantity of information it contains.

2. Don't let the chance to buy a rare helmet affect the judging of authenticity. The rarer a helmet is, the greater the chance of its being a postwar modification. A good rule of thumb to avoid being taken advantage of is not to buy any helmet that raises even one "red flag".

3. Start by collecting basic helmets. Single decal Army and Luftwaffe helmets are fairly common and are less likely to be reproduced than double decal SS helmets. Remember that sometimes silver Army decals oxidize and turn gold over time, and can easily be mistaken for a more expensive naval (Kriegsmarine) helmet. Chemicals and heat can be used to artificially age leather liners and the shells.

4. The wear of the shell should match the wear of the liner. Be leery of all replaced liners, even if the replacement appears to have been done during the period. Also, look at the rivets that attach the shell to the liner. They should be flat against the liner band. If the rivets show evidence of being bent back and forth, consider buying a different helmet. This is true for German steel helmets from both WWI and WWII.

5. Decals should show an even, aged look and should fit tightly against the paint. Reproduction decals are usually printed on plastic, and this allows them to be identified by touch. A bubbled appearance may suggest that the shell and decal were treated with heat to simulate aging. A rubbed appearance is another good indicator of postwar application. The rubbing is done to force the decal to fit as snugly as possible. The regulation decal application procedure consisted of several steps and left very little margin for error. One indication of an original decal is "spidering," the formation of thin cracks over the surface of the decal due to age. This is often seen on party shields and red, white and black tricolor shields, but not on the metallic based ones such as the SS used. Sometimes a thin coat of lacquer was applied over the decals to protect them. This can be detected by the small amount that usually overlaps the area right around the decal. Over 50 plus years, lacquered decals tend to appear darker than the unlacquered ones. This may also be due to the particular brand of lacquer that was used.

6. The liner should fit correctly in the shell. Although all German steel helmet liners are size adjustable, the liners were made in different sizes to fit in the different sized shells. Postwar switching of liners can sometimes be detected by a poor fitting liner that is either too large or too small for the shell it is sitting in. Presumably the Germans would not normally have made this mistake. Also, the liner band should conform perfectly to the inner shell of the helmet. There should be only a very small even gap between the liner bands and the inner shell. Also, watch out for those darker colored, reddish-brown Norwegian replacement liners. The larger sized ink stamped size marking of the Norwegian liners is another characteristic of these replacements. These liners were placed into German helmets that were left behind in WWII and then used during the cold war era. Real militaria they are, but German they are not.

7. Be extremely careful of SS helmets. The rarer the helmet, the greater the chance that some enterprising individual will attempt to reproduce it in some way. According to "SS Helmets: A Collector's Guide" by Kelly Hicks, noted SS helmet collector, the only difference between a correct but freshly applied decal and a period applied SS decal is the brightness of the shield. Original decals had a metallic luster that is quite striking when seen in direct sunlight. Hicks also says that many no-decal M-42 helmets are being modified with the application of original SS decals. This can turn a $200 helmet into a helmet worth $1,200 or more. Hicks' excellent little book is filled with tips like this and some beautiful photographs of a wide yariety of SS helmets. SS helmets should be. avoided until a collector has sufficient experience or really trusts his source.

8. Be extremely careful of camouflage helmets from the Second World War. The use of camouflage paint was more common during WWI. Army orders were even issued regarding the colors and patterns of paint to be used, and these paint jobs have faded over the past 80 years. Camouflage paint schemes varied more during WWII. Today, there are many postwar-created camouflage helmets in the market, some selling for over $500. Metallic paint should never be seen on these helmets, as it is reflective and would not have been used. If the paint appears to be fresh and has been applied over old rust, it is probably a recently done fake. Rust often forms in areas where the original paint has been scratched off the shell. The older the rust, the darker its color. There should be flaking to the finish and wear to the top of the shell, as helmets were usually placed upside down on the ground during rest periods to keep dirt, mud and other debris out of the liner. Many of the camouflage helmets seen today do not display this wear on the top. Keep looking until you find one that does.

9. Get a guarantee, at least for the length of the show, or three days if the purchase is made by mail or directly from another collector. This seems to be the standard accepted practice these days and should not pose a problem. Soliciting the opinions of other collectors or a knowledgeable friend is also a good thing to do. Lifetime and one year guarantees are not offered as often as they once were. So you must learn to evaluate a prospective purchase before buying it or shortly thereafter instead of relying on the willingness of the dealer to give a refund at some future date.

10. The experienced collector knows that it is always best to buy the helmet in the best possible condition. Spending a few extra dollars now will payoff in the long run. This fact of the collector's life applies well to helmets, and is worth keeping in mind. There is a lot to know, but the fascination with these helmets increases as you learn more about them. They're fun to look at and as investments go, they are a lot more predictable than the stock market. So first get educated and then get started on your own collection.

Pete Schou, "German Steel Helmets", Military Trader, 1999

Uniforms of the N.S.D.A.P.

The National Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) evolved from the original Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (DAP), which was founded on 5 January 1919 in Munich. The NSDAP was the political organ which Hitler was to use to achieve total power in Germany.The political leadership (Politische Leitung) of the NSDAP was structured along para-military lines and consisted of four main levels:

Reichsleitung - subordinate directly to Hitler; the highest level of national political structure.

Gauleitung - an administrative district consisting of several Kreise, and headed by a Gauleiter (roughly equivalent to a state governor). By 1943 there were 43 Gaue.

Kreisleitung - a sub-administrative district headed by a Kreisleiter, the lowest level of paid political servants. There were 920 Kreise.

Ortsgruppenleitung - local groups as a sub-entity of the Kreise and headed by an Ortsgruppenleiter. Sub-elements consisted of Zellen (cells), and Bloke (blocks).

Hitler instituted a formal pattern of uniform rank insignia in 1933 for the political leaders to distinguish the organization and rank of the wearer. From 1933 to the introduction of new insignia in 1939, the insignia distinguished both the rank and organization.

The basis of the NSDAP was the Political Leader. Hitler was responsible for the appointment of the Reichs, Gau, and Kreis Leaders, and they, in turn, were responsible for the appointment of subordinate leaders. Dismissal from the appointed position was, likewise, the responsibility of the appointing leader.The uniforms of the political leader underwent considerable modifications over the years from 1919 to 1945. The early uniform was largely a composite of civilian and uniform clothing, but basically was made up of the brown shirt, breeches, boots, cap, and belt. It was not long before a tunic was introduced to up-grade the uniform. It was the responsibility of the political leader to purchase his own uniform. Regulations specified that if the correct uniform was not available, civilian clothes would be worn. A mixture of civilian clothes and uniform was not permitted once uniform regulations were introduced. The spread of the uniform was initially slow due to the expense. The following is a breakdown of the percentage of uniform items held by political leaders at the end of 1935: Service blouse (brown shirt) 66% Service cap (visored) 67.7% Service tunic 21 %

In May 1939 the uniform and insignia of the political leader was largely finalized. However, after the war broke out in September 1939, Hitler modified his own uniform from the political brown to a field grey, reflecting his position as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. He vowed to continue to wear this color uniform until such time that Germany was victorious.

All other political leaders retained the standard political uniform.Regulations specified that the uniforms to be worn by the political leader were as follows:

1. Service dress a. Service dress with brown shirt b. Service dress with light brown tunic c. Service dress with white tunic 2. Ceremonial dress a. Ceremonial dress with light brown tunic b. Ceremonial dress with white tunic 3. Parade dress a. Parade dress with light brown tunic b. Parade dress with white tunic 4. Walking-out dress a. Walking-out dress, single-breasted, with light brown (or white) tunic b. Walking-out dress, single-breasted white c. Walking-out dress with double-breasted, light brown (or white) tunic 5. Office dress a. Office dress with service tunic b. Office dress with white linen tunic c. Office dress with brown twill tunic.

J.R. Angolia: "Cloth Insignia of the NSDAP and SA", 1985,R.James Bender Publishing

Bender-Publishing.com

The Close Combat Clasp

As WWll progressed, changes were made in decorations to recognize continued accomplishments. In the case of the Panzer Assault and General Assault Badges, the designs of the basic badges were modified and issued with the numerals; 25, 50, 75 and 100, located in boxes at the bottom of the badges. This approach was not used in the case of the Infantry Assault Badge.

The Close Combat Clasp (CCC) or "Nahkampfspange" was instituted in late 1942 to rectify the situation. The CCC's in bronze, silver and gold were awarded for 15, 30 and 50 days of close combat respeetivcly. Other criteria were also applied to determine eligibility as well. Although designed to rceognize the infantryman's accomplishments, some were issued to soldiers in other combat branches.

The design of the CCC was actually the same for all three grades, varying in color only. Interestingly, thc designer, Peekhaus, used part of his design for the General Assault Badge on the CCC, that is the crossed bayonet and Stick grenade, Fig. AI.

The following observations are based upon CCCs in my collection. The CCC in Fig. A2 has the maker's mark "F&BL" in bronze, silver and gold. In each case the maker's mark is positioned upside- down above the catch, Fig. A3 is a badge by "OWL" - Oerb. Wegerhoff in Ludenscheid. The CCCs in Figure A are all in gold.

Fig. Bl is a "JUNCKER" clasp in bronze. On the left is the CCC designer "FEC. W.E. PEEKHAUS, BERLIN" and on the right is the manufacturer "USF.C.E.JUNCKER, BERLIN". In Fig. B2 the clasp is in silver by "JFS" - Josef Feix Sohne, with credit to the designer on the left. I have the same manufacturer's clasp in bronze, but the "JFS" is on the left and the designer is on the right. The "FLL" clasp in silver - Frederich Linden in Ludenscheid . Fig. B3, is missing its black backing plate. This is commonly encountered when there is only a simple side crimp to hold the plate in place. If a more substantial crimp is used as in Fig. B2 or C2, the backing plate is rarely missing.

Two types of pins are found on CCCs. While both are wide, tapering from the middle towards each end, one type is flat, Fig. B3, and the other type has fluted edges with a raised, rounded center, Fig. B4. The clasp in Fig. B4 is in silver and unmarked. I also have one in bronze, unmarked, in its original cellophane package. Some within the hobby don't like clasps that are unmarked. My feeling is since I've encountered numerous examples of other Army badges that are unmarked, why not unmarked CCCs ! The two I have are properly made, well detailed, quality badges.

The clasp in Fig. C1 is marked both "L/53" and "H.&.C.L.". This Hymmen & Co. in Ludenscheid badge is the only CCC I've encountered that has both a maker's mark and an LDO number. Unfortunately, someone "de-Nazified" this clasp by hammering flat the eagle and swastika. In Fig. C2 and C3, the clasps are made by the same manufacturer - Arbeitsgemeinschaft Metall und Kundtstoff in Goblonz - the difference being the larger lettering in example C2 in comparison with C3. They both can be found either with a flat or fluted pin. Note the four crimp points for the backing plate, ensuring that the plate stays in place. Also note that all marked CCCs I've examined have had lettering/numbering "raised" above the back surface of the badge.

The close combat badge is a handsome, distininctive decoration. Perhaps due to its being introduced late in the war, the finishes of the clasps have a tendency to drop off or oxidize. If you encounter a profusely marked CCC that bends, with a loosely hinged pin, congratulations, you found one of the early 1970's reproductions.

Tim Curley, "Close Combat Clasps - Some Observations", Der Gauleiter, 1993