WWII German Army Medic Belt Buckle -
Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Reichswehr was only allowed 100,000 men split between the
Army and the Navy. Following the 1932 German elections the Nazi party came to power and began
to abrogate the treaty. The Army was made part of the Wehrmacht in May 1935 with the passing of
the "Law for the Reconstruction of the National Defence Forces". Initially, the Army was expanded
to 21 divisional-sized units and smaller formations. Between 1935 and 1945 this force grew to
consist of hundreds of divisions and thousands of smaller supporting units. Between 1939 and 1945
close to 16 million served in the Army. Over 3 million were killed and over 4.1 million were
wounded. Of the 7,361 men awarded the initial grade of the highest German combat honour of World
War II, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, 4,777 were from the Army, making up 65% of the
total awarded. The Allies dissolved the German Army on 20 August 1946.
This is a German Army medic belt buckle. As manufactured during World War Two.
The design of the buckle consists of a smooth surface. Of steel construction. Two circles, one
inside the other are placed at the center of the buckle. The Army eagle is displayed inside
the innermost circle. The space between the two circles is divided in two sections. The upper
part is adorned with ribbing and displays the words "Gott Mit Uns". The bottom section has
a wreath.
The belt comes with a three pocket K-98 ammo pouches. of black leather construction. Pebbeled
skin. A leather strap is sewn to the front of the pouch flap. The strap secured to a metal
stud found at the bottom of the pouch.
The back of the buckle is not marked. This is correct. Not all the buckles were marked. The
catch is of "Square" type. Spot welded to the body of the buckle.
Two identical size prongs are attached to a cylindrical structure that allows them to move
over 180 degrees. The prongs secure the buckle to a leather flap attached to the belt. The
flap has multiple sets of holes. This accomodates for different waist sizes.
The tip of the belt is stamped with the number 158. Some belts had additional markings that
may include the date of manufacturing. Others did not have any markings at all.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German belt buckles. Multiple detailed
photos of specific samples are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined aspects that should be
noted when inspecting a Third reich belt buckle.
The belt buckles of the Third Reich came in a variety of designs. There were over 100
different types developed. Even the non-military belt buckles often displayed the
swastika as a means to show support of the Nazi party.
The high quality and intricate designs have made the German belt buckles of World
War Two a desirable military collectible. this information is brought to you courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com
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The belt comes with a medical pouch. Consisting of a heavy duty, black leather rectangular
pouch. The top cover opens and reveals a light brown finish. Several rivets can be seen.
They were employed to secure the belt loops to the back of the pouch.
The inside of the lid has a separate black leather compartment riveted to the top. No
markings are found on the pouch. A rotating silver metal latch secured the lid shut.
The belt buckles of the Third Reich came in a variety of designs. There were over 100
different types developed. Even the non-military belt buckles often displayed the
swastika as a means to show support of the Nazi party.
The high quality and intricate designs have made the German belt buckles of World
War Two a desirable military collectible.
This belt buckle may currently be reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality
of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style
and materials employed in the manufacturing of this buckle. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the belt buckle.
If you have an interest is seeing other belt buckles of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our WWII German Belt Buckles
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine), Air Force (Luftwaffe),
political and civilian buckles.
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