SS Gebirgsjäger Edelweiss cap patch
Black wool base with a machine embroidered Edelweiss with fourteen, irregular, silver/grey petals, a seven bulb, yellow stamen and dual silver/grey leaves and a stem all in rayon threads. The Edelweiss is encompassed by a fine, machine embroidered, silver/grey cotton, oval outer border stripe.
Roughly 73 x 60 mm.
Excellent condition, no damages.
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HISTORY:
During WWII the German army fielded nine Gebirgsjäger, (Mountain Troop), Divisions with an additional six Waffen-SS, (Armed-SS), Mountain Divisions. Generally speaking the Mountain Divisions were specially trained and equipped Infantry Divisions designed for mountainous warfare. On May 2ND 1939 the OKH, Oberkommando des Heeres, (High Command of the Army), authorized wear of a distinctive Edelweiss tradition badge by Mountain Troop personnel to be worn on the upper right sleeve of the service, dress and field uniforms. The design of the Edelweiss badge was based on a badge introduced by Emperor Franz-Joseph I in 1907 for the Austro-Hungarian Alpine troops and granted for wear by Imperial German Alpine troops in 1915 as an honorary emblem of bravery. Of Note: The Edelweiss, (Noble White), (scientifically, {Leontopodium Alpinum}), is a European Mountain flower of the Asteraceae, (Sunflower), family which tends to flourish in inaccessible, rocky, limestone locations at altitudes ranging from roughly, 6,560 to 9,515 feet, (2,000 to 2,900 meters), making it a most suitable emblem for Mountain troops. On October 1ST 1943 Waffen-SS personnel serving with Mountain Troop units were authorized wear of the traditional Edelweiss as an identifying insignia. The Edelweiss insignia was issued in two forms with one designed for wear on the left side of the Bergmütze, (Mountain cap), and another design for wear on the upper right sleeve of the greatcoat and tunic. The design of the Waffen-SS Edelweiss badges closely followed the pattern of the earlier introduced, (May 2ND 1939), army Edelweiss badges. Of Note: The only differences between the army and the SS Edelweiss sleeve badges was the coloration and the army style Edelweiss had a simulated mountaineer’s rope with a piton as opposed to the SS straight oval ring border.
17 USD
