Original WWII German Waffen SS SECOND PATTERN SS SPORTS SHIRT INSIGNIA. (SS Sportshemd Abzeichen) With RZM Tag Certified

SOLD

Original WWII German Waffen SS SECOND PATTERN SS SPORTS SHIRT INSIGNIA. (SS Sportshemd Abzeichen) With RZM Tag Certified. Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler’s obsession with pagan runic symbolism manifested itself in runic emblems used by the SS, Schutz Staffel, (Protection Squad), the most famous of which was the dual sig-runes used on the collar tabs, helmets decals and sports shirts of the SS. The dual sig-runes design was initiated by SS-Sturmhauptführer and graphic artist Walter Heck in May 1933, who sold his design to the SS for 2.50 Reichs Marks. Physical fitness of its personnel was a prime concern of the SS and prior to the war each new recruit was issued a basic sport uniform that consisted of black short pants and athletic shoes and a white pullover “tank top” style shirt with the runic SS emblem on the front center plus an additional track suit consisting long pants and a long sleeve shirt. The basic regional organizational infrastructure of the Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), began with the SS-Oberabschnitte, (SS Districts), which corresponded roughly to the German Armed Forces, Wehrkreis, (Military District), and each SS-Oberabschnitte contained a Sportabteilung, (Sports Detachment), which was tasked with all aspects of physical fitness and sports training. Of Note: The SS sports uniform was based on the army’s sports uniform and was officially adopted by regulations in May 1934 but in likelihood it had been introduced prior to that date. Originally the insignia utilized on the sports shirt consists of white SS runes on a black base field but the coloration of the insignia was soon reverse to black SS runes on a white base field. The issue of the sports uniform was discontinued sometime early in the war, circa mid-1941. Also Of Note: The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was officially founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), Quartermaster’s Department. The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized. Starting in late 1934 items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and were marked with a RZM/SS approval/acceptance tags. In 1943 the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM. The insignia consists of a roughly, 105mm diameter, machine woven, white rayon base with a black/white/black trimmed outer border encompassing a white field with central, interwoven, black, SS runes. Complete with original 1937 dated SS/RZM tag. Glue spots to the reverse indicating it was most probably in a scrap book at some point. Uniform removed. Nice clean example.  In good condition.   Complete museum documentation (COA) Provided. Certified by The Gettysburg Museum of History. 100% guaranteed to be authentic. 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. SS items are RARE and Very Desirable To Collectors And Historians! ALMOST MINT, DO NOT MISS THIS! We rarely find these anymore.