Original WWII Waffen SS WAFFEN-GEBIRGS-DIVISION DER SS “HANDSCHAR” (KROAT.NR.1). COLLAR TAB. (Kragenpatte) Certified

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Original WWII Waffen SS WAFFEN-GEBIRGS-DIVISION DER SS “HANDSCHAR” (KROAT.NR.1). COLLAR TAB. (Kragenpatte) Certified. In August 1929 the SS incorporated the wear of rank collar tabs on the left side of the collar and unit collar tabs on the right side of the collar of the service tunic. The SS rank collar tabs were originally adopted from the earlier rank collar tabs as utilized by the SA, Sturmabteilung, (Storm Troops). The SS collar tabs remained in usage through-out the war with a couple of minor alterations and numerous additions. EM/NCO’s collar tabs were piped in twisted white cord from their original inception until to October 1934 when the piping was modified to alternating twisted black and silver/aluminum cord piping. The final modification, in August 1940, eliminated all piping from the EM/NCO’s collar tabs. On February 10TH 1943 Hitler ordered the formation of a new Waffen-SS Division to be manned by volunteers from the Independent State of Croatia. This new division would eventually evolve into the 13.Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS “Handschar” (kroat.Nr.1), and was primarily manned from Moslems from the Bosnia-Herzegovina region of Croatia, with a cadre of German personnel from the 7. SS-Freiwillingen-Gebirgs-Division “Prinz Eugen”. Due to the racial makeup of the divisional personnel Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler forbade wear of the SS runes on the collar insignia and it was decided that another suitable symbol be utilized and the distinctive collar insignia for divisional personnel was introduced on April 30TH 1943. Of Note: It is believed that SS-Obergruppenführer Gottlob Berger came up with the design of the collar tab and the name “Handschar”. The “Handschar” refers to the scimitar featured on the collar tab and is meant to represent the blade carried by Turkish police in the Balkan region for centuries and was also featured on the Bosnian coat-of-arms during the reign of the Hapsburg Empire. Black wool construction, right hand side, unit designation collar tab featuring a machine embroidered hand clutching a scimitar, with a canted swastika positioned just below the blade, all in silvery/grey cotton threads. The collar tab is mounted on a buckram backing.  Nice used example showing the expected   age and wear. 100% Guaranteed to be authentic Brought home by a U.S. solider as a trophy of war. SS items are very collectible and difficult to find  in good condition. Complete museum documentation (COA) Provided. Certified by The Gettysburg Museum of History. The Gettysburg Museum of History does not support or condone Adolf Hitler or the Nazi Party and is only offering this as a historic relic. Please see our other items. Also note when browsing our web site there are several pages of items, at the bottom of the list look for other page numbers.