Insignia utilized by the Waffen-SS

Types of Insignia Manufacture:

BeVo (Machine Woven): This process used cotton, aluminum or artificial silk thread on cotton material background to produce the required insignia. This type of insignia can be easily washed in soap and water and should be used on washable uniforms such as the Herringbone Twill.

RZM (Machine Embroidered): This process used cotton, aluminum or artificial silk on a wool background to produce the required insignia. This type of insignia should be used on those uniform items that require dry-cleaning.

General Waffen-SS Insignia:

Totenkopf:

Sig-Runen (Collar tab):

Sleeve Eagle:

Collar Tabs:
Collar tabs consist of two rhombus shaped tabs. They are required on all tunics (with the exception of camouflage tunics) and optional on all overcoats for all ranks. The Sig-runen are always worn on the wearer's right side, with the rank tab being worn on the wearer's left collar. Collar tabs will be positioned approximately 5mm from the front and lower edges of the collar (10mm on overcoats). Non-commissioned Officers will position the tabs up to the edge of the NCO tresse on all tunics. Officer collar tabs will be outlined with a thin white or aluminum border.

(EM) Enlisted Collar Tab         Officer  Collar Tab

Shoulder Boards:
Shoulder straps must be constructed of black wool material and secured to the shoulder by means of a loop at the shoulder seam and a pebble finish button near the uniform collar. All shoulder straps will be trimmed in white waffenfarbe denoting infantry. The LAH monogram is required on all shoulder straps and may be of the early (large) or late (small) style or the slip on cypher style. NCO monograms may be of silver metal, Officer monograms are of gold metal. Non-commissioned Officer's shoulder straps will be trimmed with tresse and will display the appropriate pips. Officers will wear the shoulder straps corresponding to their rank with appropriate pips and metal monograms.  All shoulderboards will be trimmed with the appropriate color designating unit,white for infantry, yellow for Aufklärung (recon),pink for panzer troops, etc.)

                   (EM)Enlisted man Shoulder Board (Infantry)            NCO (Unterscharführer) Panzer        Junior Officer (Infantry, Aufklärung)

Silver Pip for NCO shoulder board

Non-commissioned Officer Tresse:All SS Non-commissioned Officers (SS-Unterscharführer to SS-Hauptscharführer) will wear the silver Heer style 9mm diamond pattern tresse to denote their status as NCO's. The tresse will be affixed to the forward and bottom edge of the collar on all tunics (except camouflaged tunics). A subdued color tresse is optional on field uniforms. Tresse on overcoat collars is strictly prohibited.

Silver Tresse for NCO's

Shoulder Boards

                        Unterscharführer         Scharführer          Oberscharführer     Hauptscharführer   Sturmscharführer

Sleeve Rank Insignia for Non rated Ranks:

SS-Panzerobergrenadiers will wear wear a black wool or felt circle containing a white or silver embroidered diamond on the left sleeve.

  collar tab
SS-Sturmann will wear a black wool or felt inverted chevron on the left sleeve with silver NCO tresse in the shape of a "V", with 2 strips of sutash on their left collar tab.

  collar tab
SS-Rottenführer will wear the same chevron on the left sleeve with the addition of a second NCO tresse strip, with 4 strips of sutash on their left collar tab

Camouflage Rank Insignia:

Worn on camo tunics and smocks

(SS-Standartenführer)