RARE Original WWII German AFRICA CORPS PANZER GRENADIER OBERFELDWEBEL’S TROPICAL SHOULDER STRAPS. (Schulterklappen) Certified

SOLD

RARE Original WWII German AFRICA CORPS CORPS PANZER GRENADIER OBERFELDWEBEL’S TROPICAL SHOULDER STRAP. (Schulterklappen) Certified. On November 26TH 1938 the first pattern, pointed tip, shoulder straps without waffenfarben utilized by EM/NCO’s were replaced with a rounded tip shoulder strap that included the branch of service waffenfarben. Originally these 2ND pattern straps were manufactured in blue/green badge cloth until regulations in May 1940 altered their construction to field-grey wool. These 2ND pattern shoulder straps were worn for the duration of the war although a third and final pattern was introduced in September 1944. In late 1940, with the impending German entrance into the North African campaign, tropical uniforms and equipment were quickly developed and issued in time for DAK, Deutsches Afrika Korps, (German Africa Corps), personnel’s arrival in Tripoli in February 1941. Along with the new tropical uniforms new corresponding insignia, including shoulder straps were also introduced. The tropical shoulder straps were basically the same as the second pattern continental shoulder straps but were constructed in an olive/tan shade of material. Ribbed, olive/tan cotton construction slip on shoulder strap with subdued golden tan rayon diamond patterned, NCO’s tress to all but the slip on ends, double rank pips and grass green rayon waffenfarbe piping. The bottoms of the straps are in field-grey wool and the slip on retaining tongues are in ribbed olive/tan cotton with a light tan linen reinforcement panel machine stitched to the reverse. U.S. Veteran bring-back!  One of the classic desirable collector’s items  from the Third Reich  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. VERY RARE DO NOT MISS THIS!