History

The so-called Swallow's Nests (Schwalbennester, nicknamed due to their shape), also known as Musicians’ Wings, were worn by military and paramilitary musicians, one on each shoulder. They were removable and generally held by five metal hooks. They were only worn when the wearer was actually performing.

The swallow's nests indicated the rank and regional level of the wearer. They feature seven tress (braid) elements with a swastika pattern, on light brown velvet for Ort or Ortsgruppe (local group) level, dark brown for Kreis (district) level, and red for Gau (larger district) level. There were no Reich (national) level swallow's nests. The nests for Spielmänner (drummers, pipers, bandsmen) don't have any additional features, while the ones for Musiker (musicians) feature a 3 cm gold frindge, and those of Spielmannszugführer feature a 5 cm gold fringe.