SS Medical Officer (Doctor/Dentist) Sleeve Diamond

Product Description: This is a textbook original SS Medical Officer (Doctor/Dentist) Sleeve Diamond. It features a Rod of Asclepius snake-and-staff emblem of the medical services, and was worn by SS officers with an occupational assignment in medicine (Führer im Sanitätsdienst/Ärzte). Generally speaking, the wearers of this patch were actual SS doctors and dentists. The emblem is executed using wire bullion that has been very neatly stitched into place, with a hand embroidered red thread accent for the serpent’s tongue. It is on a base of typical SS black badge cloth, with a textbook buckram stiffener visible on the reverse. There are some spots of glue and old paper on the reverse that are probably the remnants of an RZM tag. It has no stitch holes,and doesn’t appear to have been actually worn, though there is some wear or grazing to the nap of the base fabric on the right side of the diamond. This SS Medical Officer (Doctor/Dentist) Sleeve Diamond measures about 2-3/4 inches tall by 1-3/4 inches wide. It is a great example of a classic piece of medical insignia for an SS doctor.

Historical Description:  The uniforms worn by the various SS branches before and during WWII used a variety of insignia to indicate rank, unit assignment, and role, including collar tabs and shoulder boards, cuff titles, and sleeve diamonds. The sleeve diamonds were initially authorized in October 1935. Each had a distinctive letter, symbol or emblem, with its own unique meaning. SS sleeve diamonds were used to indicate which SS organization the wearer was assigned to, specific roles of SS personnel, special achievements such as proficiency in sports or marksmanship, or to recognize former service in other Nazi Party organizations. Some diamonds were specific to certain SS branches, such as the Allgemeine-SS, Waffen-SS, or the SS-Totenkopfverbände. Other sleeve diamonds could be worn by a member of any SS branch. The materials and construction of original sleeve diamonds varied. Some were either hand-embroidered or machine-embroidered on black wool, while others were “Bevo” machine woven on a rayon base. Generally, silver-gray thread embroidery was used for enlisted ranks and NCOs, while officers wore hand embroidered wire bullion. Diamonds could be edged with silver-colored twisted wire cord for officers, or black and silver twisted cord for NCOs. Originals existed with paper or cloth RZM tags on the reverse, or were unlabeled. In total, there were dozens of different types and variations of these made between 1935-45. Some were produced in limited numbers, and others are more commonly encountered today, but all are desirable and collectible pieces of SS regalia.

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