SS SHOULDER BOARDS UNTERSCHARFUHRER SUBDUED TRESSE FOR MOTORCYCLE AND RECONNAISSANCE

Waffen-SS Unterscharfuhrer NCO shoulder boards made from black wool with subdued  tresse. With Copper brown piping for: Motorcycle/Reconnaissance (1940-1942). 

Black wool shoulder boards were also worn by Army Unteroffizier ranks in all services especially Panzer and Armoured units.

Has button hole for uniform attachment and black wool strap

The rank tresse is the subdued version and not the early shiny silver ones. 

The SS used black wool shoulder boards throughout the war changing only the rank tresse.  Rank tresse was sewn onto the edges of the shoulder boards.  The early war tresse was originally shiny silver aluminum but during the war (sometime in 1940) the tresse was changed to a grey or tan colour with a slight green shade. Probably due to the ease of seeing this bright silver tresse the Germans quickly introduced the subdued tresse instead.   

After 1940 both silver and the subdued tresse was worn on the shoulder boards.

Check out our other Waffen SS Shoulder boards of different ranks in all services with different piping Waffenfarbe colours in stock.

Owing to the losses suffered by the Germans in 1941, as well as an overlapping of missions by the two battalion types, it was decided to merge the motorcycle and reconnaissance battalions.

By mid-1942, this reorganization was mostly completed. Most motorcycle battalions retained their designation, whereas only a few of the reconnaissance battalions retained theirs. (In mid-1943, the motorcycle battalions were once again re-designated as Panzer reconnaissance battalions.)

The main changes to the motorcycle battalions resulted in the dissolution of the MG motorcycle companies, two HMB and two 8cm mortars, with their crews, were transferred to each of the motorcycle rifle companies, the remaining HMG were moved to the Antitank Gun Platoon in the heavy weapons company as LMG. Also, further changes were that the independent signal platoons were incorporated into the motorcycle battalion headquarters, the armored car companies were added, as were the light reconnaissance columns.