Pioneer Standard Bearers Sleeve Insignia

Product Description: This Pioneer Standard Bearers Sleeve Insignia is a great example of a rare and desirable piece of Heer cloth insignia. It is likely prewar production, and features a central Heer eagle and swastika emblem, flanked with detailed unit standards with the black color of the Infantry units, surmounting an oak leaves emblem. This very ornate design is beautifully worked in rayon and aluminum wire, in “Bevo” type machine weaving. The black shield is on a medium green rayon backing. The reverse of this Pioneer Standard Bearers Sleeve Insignia allows a look at how these patches were woven. There are no stains, holes, or damage. Only very minor fraying on the lower edge of the backing is noted, which does not come close to the shield itself. It has never been sewn on a uniform and doesn’t appear to have ever been folded. These patches are not common and this Pioneer Standard Bearers Sleeve Insignia is among the more desirable branch colors. 

Historical Description: Trooped unit flags were an important part of ceremonial regalia for every German military, paramilitary and civil organization. In parades and rallies, the flag would be carried by a person appointed as standard bearer, a position of honor. As an external indicator of his prestigious role, the standard bearer would be adorned with a variety of regalia including, in many organizations, the standard bearer sleeve shield. This sleeve shield was generally a cloth patch that would be always worn on the uniform, not only when the standard bearer was performing his function. Standard bearer sleeve patches usually bore organizational emblems and sometimes had colors or numerals that designated the wearer’s branch of service or his specific unit. Because the standard bearer sleeve patch served a ceremonial function, it was generally attractively designed for visual impact. The total number of standard bearers in most organizations was relatively few compared to other roles, so the standard bearer insignia was generally made in limited numbers, and most types are rare to find today.

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