History

Foreign volunteers serving with the Waffen-SS were divided into ethnically based formations, although oftentimes several ethnic groups or nationalities were combined into a single unit. Arm shields were used to identify the nationality of a unit's members and they often incorporated a nation’s flag or a relevant cultural or ethnic symbol.

The shields were worn on the upper or lower left sleeve, although eastern troops often wore the shields on the right sleeve.

Initially, many of the shields were produced locally but the manufacturing process was later standardised by the RZM. All officially produced shields were machine-embroidered and the majority were produced by the firm Tröltsch & Hanselmann, Berlin.

There are often numerous versions or patterns of a sleeve shield.

Estonian members of the Waffen-SS wore arm shields in a variety of patterns and designs.

The first pattern was a shield with a scalloped top, which featured the national colours in diagonal bands, and three lions. It was primarily worn by the Estonian Schuma/Police battalions, but it was also worn by Estonians serving with the Waffen-SS.

The style worn predominately by Estonian Waffen-SS personnel featured the national colours in three diagonal stripes, top right to bottom left, and was worn on the upper right sleeve.

In June of 1944, the Waffen-SS produced an official shield for Estonian personnel to wear on the left sleeve. The insignia was a simplified straight shield that featured the Estonian national colours in horizontal bands.

Other variations of the arm shield include a silk-screened version that features the Estonian national colours in horizontal stripes.