David A. Suter for Wehrmacht-Awards.com
NUMBERS
As will be obvious from the examples below, there was a great variation in the style of Arabic numbers used, regardless of whether
they were embroidered or metal. Some of the hand-embroidered enlisted shoulder straps are almost works of art. In most cases, Arabic numbers
indicate a regiment or independent battalion, with the branch determined by the waffenfarbe. In some circumstances, a certain number and
waffenfarbe combination were specific to one particular unit, usually with the color's usage being out of the norm and indicating an honorarium of some
sort. And, there were other instances where, along with the obvious identification, there existed additional less
obvious possibilities, including some rather obscure unit types. While I have not listed the general obvious units, such as infantry
or artillery regiments, I have included the 'number specific' units, along with some of those other possibilities. In most cases, without some provenance, the actual unit the soldier who
wore the strap or board belonged to is pure speculation.
Letter |
Branch Color |
Designation |
Arabic number |
all |
Regiments and Independent Battalions.
|
|
Arabic number |
cornflower blue |
Medical Detachment. Number indicates the Division.
|
|
Arabic number |
cornflower blue |
Personnel Decontamination Company Effective 30 March 1940. Changed to carmine 19 March 1941. |
|
Arabic number |
cornflower blue |
Medical Unit/Detachment, Park, Field Hospital, Hospital Train, Evacuation Transport Unit, Personnel Decontamination Company, Malaria Instruction Detachment Effective 1 July 1940. embroidered numbers bordered in light blue.
|
|
Arabic number |
cornflower blue |
Senior Medical Officer Candidate Also wore a trade bade on the sleeve. |
|
Arabic number |
lemon yellow |
Propaganda Company Distinguished by a cuff title.
|
|
Arabic number |
red |
Assault Artillery Battalion, Assault Gun Battalion, Armored Artillery Regiment
|
|
Arabic number |
crimson |
Horse Hospital, Home Veterinary Park, Veterinary Park, Army Horse Park, Horse Transport Column, Veterinary Company, Veterinary Research |
|
Arabic number |
green |
Certain Infantry, Grenadier, and Panzergrenadier Units renamed as Jäger Units Effective 11 June 1943
|
|
Arabic number |
carmine |
Street Decontamination Company, Battalion, later Rocket Battalion Changed to carmine from cornflower blue 19 March 1941. In January 1942 reorganized into Rocket Battalions. |
|
Arabic number |
orange |
Military Police Traffic Control Battalion Created 26 October 1939. Discontinued due to reorganization in 1942. |
|
Arabic number |
black |
Fortress, Bridge, Railway, Railway Bridge Construction Battalion. Construction Troops (1943) Effective 27 February 1940. Construction Troops effective 11 October 1943 when Reserve Construction Battalions changed from brown branch color to black due to transfer to the Engineer arm.
|
|
Arabic number |
black |
Armored Engineer Battalion Effective 10 May 1940. Black with white striped waffenfarbe used.
|
|
Arabic number |
light blue |
All Parks (except Medical and Veterinary), Ammunition Administration Company, Repair Shop Unit Effective 1 July 1940, except Repair Shop, whose effective date was 13 May 1941.
|
|
Arabic number |
brown |
Construction Unit, Senior Construction Staff, Construction and Street Construction Battalion Changed to black on 11 October 1943 when transferred to Engineer branch. |
|
Arabic number |
copper brown |
Panzer and Motorized Infantry Division Motorcycle Battalion Effective 28 October 1941. |
|
Arabic number |
grey |
Propaganda Troops Effective 25 January 1943 when reorganized as separate branch. Used lemon yellow prior to that date. |
|
24 |
golden yellow |
24th Armored Regiment Instituted 28 February 1941 for units of the 24th Panzer Division. Done to honor the division's origin, the 1st Cavalry Division. |
|
21 / 26 |
golden yellow |
21st and 26th Panzergrenadier Regiments (as above.) |
|
92 |
green |
92nd Infantry Regiment (Finlandia) Jäger designation and surname instituted 11 November 1941 in honor of a Prussian Jäger Battalion that was of Finnish origin. |
|
101 |
red |
Army Coastal Artillery Instruction Battalion |
|
R. num. |
white, pink, green, golden yellow |
Headquarters of Army, Panzer, Mountain, or Cavalry Corps
|
|
R. num. |
crimson |
Main Veterinary Park Created 1 July 1940. Number is for the Military Area.
|
|
R. num. |
golden yellow |
Military Area Remounting or Equestrian School
(on a unit-marked Waffenrock) |
|
R. num. |
black |
Fortress Engineer Inspectorate No longer authorized for use after 9 June 1939.
|
|
R. num. |
light blue |
Home Motor Park, Garrison Battalion at Special Assignment, Transport Guard Company Changed from Arabic number on 28 February 1941.
|
|
R. num. |
cornflower blue |
Reserve Hospital |
|
R. num. |
orange |
Recruiting Office
|
|
R. num. (+ no.) |
light brown |
Cadre Personnel of POW Construction and Labor Battalion Created 16 May 1941. Wore Arabic number also if more than one battalion in a Military Area. In Bohemia & Moravia a Latin 'WB' device was used. |
|
R. num. |
grey |
Special Battalion |
|
R. num. |
various |
Supplementary Officer
|
|
R. num. |
various, with light grey secondary |
Secondary Reserve Officer
|
|
R. num. |
white |
Home Guard Unit |
|
R. num. |
black |
Bridge Guard Company
|
|
R. num. |
light brown |
POW Construction and Labor Battalion |
All
pictures from the David A. Suter collection unless otherwise noted.
Text and Content David A. Suter, Layout Sebastian Bianchi.
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