Original WWII German Army (Heer) MOUNTAIN TROOP SLEEVE EDELWEISS. (Gebirgsjäger Edelweiss Ärmelabzeichen) Certified

SOLD

Original WWII German Army (Heer) MOUNTAIN TROOP SLEEVE EDELWEISS. (Gebirgsjäger Edelweiss Ärmelabzeichen) Certified. 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 introduction the badge was on a blue/green badge cloth base, but in early 1940 this was altered to a field-grey wool base. Of Note: A metal Edelweiss with stem was designed for wear on the mountain cap and a stemless Edelweiss was authorized for wear on the visor cap.  Original regulations, unsuccessfully, dictated the Edelweisses were to be removed from wear if the personnel were transferred out of a Mountain Troop unit. On November 12TH 1944 regulations were altered to permitted continued wear of the Edelweiss after transferring out of a Mountain Troop unit as long as the individual had combat experience with the Mountain Troops.   Generally, EM/NCO personnel utilized machine embroidered or woven Edelweiss while officers’ ranks wore higher quality, hand embroidered edelweis. The 1940 pattern sleeve insignia features a vertically oval, field-grey wool base with a machine embroidered edelweiss flower with thirteen, irregular, white petals, an eight bulb, yellow stamen and dual green leaves and stem in rayon threads. The edelweiss is encompassed with a simulated, silver/grey, mountaineer rope border, with a white piton to the top center. good example showing the expected minor age and edge wear  In good but used condition. Gettysburg Museum Certified (COA) provided. 100% Guaranteed to be authentic. Sold for historic purposes only. See our other pieces on our web site. Also note when browsing our web site there are several pages of items, at the bottom of the list look for other page numbers. Great artifact! don’t miss it!