History

The belt and buckle worn by Officers of the Waffen-SS were the same as those worn by the Allgemeine SS. The design was introduced in around 1933 and remained unchanged until 1945.

Officers wore a circular shaped buckle that featured the national eagle with spread wings and holding an enwreathed swastika in its talons. Along the bottom circumference of the circle, there is a scroll with the inscription, “Meine Ehre heißt Treue” (My Honour is Loyalty).

The Officer’s buckle ranges from 45 to 50mm in size. The buckle was produced in nickel, aluminium, or a metal alloy.

In late 1934, SS uniforms and accoutrements came under the control of the RZM and as a result, these items received RZM approval markings. In 1943, the SS took over control of uniform production and the items no longer needed RZM authorization. The addition of an RZM marker indicates pre-war or early war production.

The reverse of the buckle generally features the following markers: “RZM,” “SS,” a manufacturer’s code, and the last two digits of the year of manufacture.

Officers wore the belt buckle on a black leather belt with their service uniform and on a brocade belt with their dress wear.

During combat, SS Officers generally wore the army-issue brown leather Officers belt, which featured a simple two-pronged, metal frame buckle. This is due to the fact, that the SS-issue Officer’s belt was too easily opened for wear in the field.