Original German WWII Army Recruiting Service Armband - Wehrersatzdienststellen

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice hard to find original German WWII Army Recruitment Service or Wehrersatzdienststellen Ärmelbinde (Army Replacement Services Armband). These were issued per the Army Mobilization Order of 1937 for members of the Wehrmacht to help identify personnel, especially non-uniformed personnel. The armband would only be worn when the individual was performing their specific duty.

The Reich conscription laws of 1935 dictated that each of the three branches of service would be allocated a percentage of the available recruits according to their manpower requirements with the army being allotted the lions share of roughly 66% of eligible personnel followed by the Luftwaffe who were accorded roughly 25% with the Kriegsmarine receiving the remaining 9% of personnel.

The recruitment armband features a BeVo machine woven, stylized, left facing, Heer / Army eagle with closed wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swas in its talons, in black cotton threads, to the obverse center. It measures approximately 15" x 3 7/8", and is sewn together in the back.

This German Heer Recruiting Service Armband is a nice one, with a lovely lightly worn look, showing light overall staining and wear. The eagle is still crisp, and there are not really any holes or tears we can see. The dark marks on the reverse are small spot stains, probably from being in contact with metal over a long period of time.

Ready to display!

Nearly every military, civil, political and paramilitary organization in existence during the Third Reich used armbands. Armbands were worn on military and civilian uniforms and also on civilian clothes, from suit jackets to work clothing. They were used to denote membership in organizations, to indicate a specific role or function of the bearer, and as insignia of rank. Many organizations would change the design of their armbands over time, which added to the variety produced. These were manufactured in countless variations, ranging from simple printed bands to elaborately hand-embroidered pieces of the highest quality. Some NSDAP armbands were worn by all members of large organizations and were made by the millions. Others were intended for use at a specific time and place and were unique. Many types were made in very limited numbers. Some bore metal insignia or special identifiers that indicated the wearer’s rank, unit affiliation, or nationality. Armbands were sometimes but not always marked with ink stamps by the issuing authorities.