WWII GERMAN SS EDELWEISS -
During World War II the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS raised a number of mountain infantry units.
An entire corps was formed in Norway by 1941. Its divisions were lightly equipped, with much of the transport provided by mules. These mountain infantry were equipped with fewer automatic weapons than regular infantry, however the machine gunners were provided with more ammunition than their infantry counterparts. Mountain infantry were identified by the edelweiss insignia worn on their sleeves and their caps.
The Edelweiss is a flower that grows on the Alpine mountains in Europe. It is known for its resiliance
and has been associated with the German WWII Mountan Troops and other special forces.
The patch featured here consists of a black wool oval. an Edelweiss flower embroidered with white thread is
placed on center front.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German cloth insignia. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points
that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German patch worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the cloth insignia is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
patches and cloth insignia in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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Cloth insignia is currently being
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 uniform. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the uniform.
If you have an interest is seeing other uniforms of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our WWII German Cloth Insignia
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine),
Air Force (Luftwaffe), political, police and other cloth insignia.
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