Red Cross Leaders Buckle

Product Description: This Red Cross Leaders Buckle is a scarce type to find. It’s made of aluminum that never had any finish, and probably dates from the prewar period. The front of the buckle depicts the DRK organizational emblem on a stippled field surrounded by a laurel wreath. The surface shows light wear and some age patina. There are some small scattered areas of oxidation. Lots of sharp detail is evident. The reverse of this Red Cross Leaders Buckle is complete, with a catch for the belt hook, and a roller bar and prongs assembly for fitting it to a belt, all made of aluminum, and functional. It’s marked with a maker code “1” as well as “Ges. Gesch.” indicating a legally protected design. This is a nice example of a hard to find buckle. The condition rates as excellent.

Historical Description: The belt buckle was an important part of the regalia worn by all uniformed military, civil, political, and paramilitary organizations during the Third Reich. The belt (“Koppel”) was part of the uniform and would always be worn while on duty. The belt buckle (“Koppelschloss”) was generally specific to each organization, with many organizations having separate belt buckles for officers and for enlisted personnel, sometimes with different colors and finishes to further denote specific purposes. The buckles were adorned with various mottos and designs specific to the organizations for which they were intended. Many designs used the German national eagle emblem, in a variety of forms. Belt buckles were worn with uniforms ranging from finely tailored officer parade uniforms, to the issue uniforms of enlisted soldiers in combat. Generally speaking, most German belt buckles of the Third Reich were made with two prongs on the reverse, to allow the buckle to be worn and adjusted on a belt. The buckle had a catch that would mate with a hook on the belt, when worn. The earliest Third Reich buckles were often made of brass, or nickel silver. Later, aluminum became very common, and was used on private purchase as well as enlisted buckles of the German military, with or without a painted or plated finish. After WWII began, most enlisted military buckles were steel. Nazi belt buckles were popular souvenirs for Allied troops who served in Europe. Some types were made by the millions and remain quite common today. Others were made in limited numbers and are very rare.

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