Original German WWII SS Bevo Style Embroidered EM/NCO Totenkopf Skull Cap Insignia - Cut Off

Original Item. Only One Available. This is a lovely service used example of a German SS Totenkopf (Death's Head) Skull cap insignia, stitched in the famous “Bevo” machine embroidered style. The skull measures about 1 1/2" x 1 1/4", and is torn and frayed at the edges, looking to have been quickly cut off the cap it was on to bring home. These would usually be stitched on as part of a large piece of fabric, but carefully cutting away stitching is not really a priority with war trophies. It shows age toning and some deterioration, so it looks to have come off a cap that saw some real use.

This style of skull was seen on SS-VT (SS-Verfügungstruppe) overseas caps. The SS-VT or SS Dispositional Troops became the Waffen-SS ("Armed SS"), an official military branch of the SS organization. Its formations included men from NSDAP ruled Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands.

A great "salty" example, ready to add to your collection.

The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 as the Stosstrupp Adolf AH, (Shock Troops Adolf AH), and was redesignated Schutzstaffel, (Protection Squad), in April 1925 with the official acceptance of the name verified on the second anniversary of the failed Munich "Beer-Hall" Putsch on November 9TH 1925. On January 6TH 1929 Heinrich Himmler was appointed as Reichsführer-SS, (National Leader {of the} SS), and on July 20TH 1934 shortly after the, June 30TH 1934, purge of the SA, Sturm Abteilung, (Storm Troopers) on the "Night of the Long Knives", the SS was rewarded by AH by being granted the status of an independent organization under direct control of the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party).

The SS developed the distinctive SS style cap Totenkopf (death's head) skull and cross bones on October 6TH 1934 and introduced the SS pattern national cap eagle in February 1936. After their introductions the skull and eagle were to be worn on all forms of SS headgear. In 1944 the SS developed a single piece of cap insignia which incorporated both the skull and eagle on a one piece trapezoid base for wear on the M43 field cap. Originally these trapezoidal pieces of insignia were produced in a machine woven version until a final, embroidered version was introduced in late 1944. The first versions of the trapezoidal cap insignia featured dual rows of teeth in the skull while later versions only had a single row of teeth. Panzer personnel’s cap trapezoids were produced with a black base to match the color of the cap it was to be worn on.