Enlisted Shoulder Straps Officer Shoulder Boards Rank/Branch/Unit Officials Sonderführer Devices Non-Regulation Oddities Uniforms Index

David A. Suter for Wehrmacht-Awards.com

Officials

The Wehrmachtbeamte-Heer (Armed Forces Officials - Army) is a study all by itself.  The officials were members of the Army and subject to military laws.  At the same time, they held the status of Reich Civil Service officials.  The Beamte wore army uniforms and had ranks comparable to their military counterparts.  In addition, there were four Laufbahn, or career levels.  These were based on training and education.  The career levels were indicated by the collar tabs.  The rank structure ran all the way from Feldwebel to 3 star General.  While there were several pre-war variations, we will focus here on the '39-'45 period. 

Waffenfarbe / Nebenfarbe:

The basic branch color was dark green.  However, a secondary color (Nebenfarbe) was also used.  This was to denote the official's Fachrichtung (Professional Career).  Thus, most Official's boards will have two colors.  The Waffenfarbe is also indicated by a dark green stripe sewn in between the Russia braid on officer boards and by the dark green braid used to construct NCO boards.

In March 1940 a change in the shoulder boards was made.  Thereafter, the secondary color was light grey for all branches (Photo 65).

Photo 65

 

Devices:

Although there were some exceptions (discussed below), the vast majority of Officials wore a metal HV device on their shoulder boards (Photo 66).  In the beginning, the devices were silver or aluminum for NCOs and gold for officers. When the new uniform was introduced in 1940 all devices were in white metal. 

 

Basic Designs:

Non-Commissioned Officers: These used a dark green braid with a center stripe of aluminum cord. The interior of the board is braided with the outer row serving as a frame. All on two base colors (Photo 67). 

- Company Grade Officers: The boards are constructed in the same manner as regular army boards, with the addition of a dark green cord between the braid and the secondary color on the base (Photo 68). 

- Field Grade Officers: The braid is interwoven as with regular army boards, with the addition of the dark green cord and secondary color (Photo 69).

General Officers: General's boards were made the same as regular General's boards except that the center silver braid has dark green V's. They also used two colors for the base, and the HV device was of white metal (Photo 70). 

There were also specialized Beamte branches whose shoulder boards differed from the norm. The major ones are set forth below:

War / Military Administration Officials:

Created in late 1939, members of this branch were given the task of handling the domestic economy and other administrative tasks in the newly-occupied territories. First called Kriegsverwaltungsbeamte (War Administration Officials), this was changed to Militärverwaltungsbeamte (Military Administration Officials) in August 1941. The shoulder boards for officer and NCO were the same as other Officials, except that the HV device was replaced with a Wehrmachtadler device (Photo 71).

The secondary color was grey and devices were white metal. The highest rank was Kriegsverwaltungsvizechef, equivalent to a brigadier general.

Field Postal Service:

This branch of Officials became operational in September 1939. It was made up of members of the German Postal Service called to service as Officials. The Nebenfarbe was lemon yellow. NCOs had shoulder boards of the same design as 'regular' Beamte NCOs except that the aluminum center cords were replaced with lemon yellow and the HV device was replaced by a Latin FP (Photo 72). 

Officer boards differed from the standard boards in that the dark green cord were replaced with lemon yellow and again a Latin FP device, this time in gold (Photo 73). All boards were on a lemon yellow / dark green base. The highest Feldpost rank was that of Heeresfeldpostmeister, the equivalent of a 2 star general.

Secret Field Police:

This branch of Officials became operational in August 1939. It was made up of members of the regular German Police called to army service as Officials. The Nebenfarbe was light blue. NCOs had shoulder boards of the same design as 'regular' Beamte NCOs except that the aluminum center cords was replaced with light blue and the HV device was replaced by a white metal Latin GFP, for Geheime Feldpolizei (Secret Field Police).  Officer boards differed from the standard boards in that the dark green cord was replaced with light blue and again a Latin GFP device, this time in gold.  All boards were on a light blue / dark green base.  The highest GFP rank (effective 1941) was Feldpolizeichef der Wehrmacht, the equivalent of a brigadier general. 

Chaplains:

The army Chaplains were classified as Officials.  Their branch color was violet, but the chaplains themselves did not wear shoulder boards, only collar tabs (Photo 74).  However, there also existed the Heeresseelsorgewesen (Officials of the Chaplains Service).  These individuals were not ordained and served as office clerks, sextons, etc. These Officials wore the standard Beamte uniform with the violet secondary color.  The highest rank was 1st Lieutenant. 

 

Wartime Officials:

Not commonly encountered, there existed the Beamte auf Kriegsdauer (Wartime Officials). They wore un-backed shoulder cords rather than boards (Photo 75). The highest rank was major.

 

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