History

The Waffen-SS adopted career & trade badges to distinguish personnel who had successfully completed SS-affiliated training courses and had reached a certain level of proficiency in a trade, skill, or function.

Originally, the Waffen-SS issued circular army-pattern badges, but they later developed their own diamond shaped badge.The diamonds were worn on the lower left uniform sleeve, around 3.5 cms above the cuff title.

Initially, all ranks were issued badges that were manufactured out of black wool and embroidered with aluminium wire. However, after the introduction of the field-grey uniform, it was determined that the badges produced using aluminium wire were only to be worn by Officers with their walking-out dress.

Non-Commissioned Officers and Enlisted Men were instead issued badges embroidered with silver/grey cotton thread. Officer grades would also wear these badges with their field uniforms.

Until February of 1936, the badges were supplied by the RZM, but after this date, they were issued by the qualifying body.

In November of 1941, Heinrich Himmler created a specialist group that was tasked with performing administrative, legal, and technical duties. These specialists, designated SS-Sonderführer/Sonderunterführer, were each assigned a specific task or assignment. In June of 1942, the position titles were changed from SS-Sonderführer/Sonderunterführer to SS-Fachführer/SS-Fachunterführer.

The personnel of this unit could be assigned with one of nine assignments, and as of February 1943, there were nine different badges to denote the duty/function of the wearer.

Individuals assigned to Gruppe Bauwesen (Construction Group) of the SS Economic and Administrative Main Office (SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt; WVHA) were issued sleeve diamonds embroidered with an architectural compass and an eight-pointed star.

The WVHA was formed in January of 1942 when Heinrich Himmler ordered the consolidation of the offices held by Oswald Pohl into a single administrative office.

The consolidated offices included the Main Office for Administration and Business (Verwaltung und Wirtschaft Hauptamt, VuWHA) and the Hauptamt Haushalt und Bauten (Main Office for Budget and Construction).

In addition, the offices that were responsible for concentration camp administration were also incorporated into to the newly formed WVHA.

Oswald Pohl and the WVHA were responsible for the administration and supply of the Waffen-SS, 20 concentration camps, 165 labour camps, as well as all SS building projects and economic enterprises.