Original German WWII SS EM/NCO Leather Waist Belt with Aluminum Buckle by F. W. Assmann & Söhne - RZM 155/39 ᛋᛋ

Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a lovely service used black leather SS belt, with a very good condition WWII German Schutzstaffel (SS) EM/NCO's Aluminum Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß). It is the correct injection molded and crimped aluminum box type with an embossed with a high relief, embossed, central motif pattern consisting of an SS style national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreath, encompassing a static swas. The swas and wreath are in turn encompassed by a circular, simulated, twisted rope border with the Gothic script motto, Meine Ehre heißt Treue!, (My Honor is Loyalty!). There is definitely some wear, oxidation, and staining, common on the early aluminum buckles. There is so loss of detail on the central swas and wreath, but the rest of the insignia is still crisp. 

The rear of the buckle is marked ((RZM)) 155/39 ((ᛋᛋ)), indicating 1939 manufacture by F. W. Assmann & Söhne of Lüdenscheid, a well-known manufacturer of buckles and other accoutrements. The next year, this maker would change to steel manufacture. 

The included belt looks to have seen fairly extensive use, and the condition matches the buckle well. The buckle end has been cut down a bit, so we cannot see a size marking, and it now measures approximately 36 inches in overall length. Near the clip end we can see an ((ᛋᛋ)) 1147/19 marking stamped into the leather. The aluminum clip on the end is marked with the OLC in a diamond trademark of Overhoff & Cie. of Lüdenscheid. The leather is definitely worn, and there are some small tears and chunks missing. The length adjustment tab is partly torn through at the first row of holes.

Overall a very nice SS EM/NCO Belt with an aluminum buckle, which looks to have seen extensive use during the war. Ready to research and display!

History of the SS

The Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), was originally formed in May 1923 under the auspices of the SA, Sturmabteilung, (Storm/Assault Detachment), as the Stosstrupp Adolf AH (Shock Troops). It was then 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.

As a subordinate unit to the SA, early SS personnel wore the standard SA style box belt buckle. It is believed that Adolf AH personally designed a new pattern box belt buckle specifically for wear by SS EM/NCO personnel with the manufacturing patent being originally granted to the Overhoff & Cie. firm in Lüdenscheid. This new style buckle was adopted for wear by EM/NCO personnel in late 1931 or early 1932. Generally the early buckles were produced in solid nickel/silver until sometime in 1936 when aluminum alloys replaced the nickel/silver versions. In 1940 the EM/NCO's belt buckles began to be manufactured in steel replacing the aluminum alloy buckles. The steel buckles were zinc coated than painted grey.

The RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster), was officially founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker's Party), as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA Quartermaster's Department. The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized. Starting in late 1934 items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and as a result were to be marked with the RZM/SS approval/acceptance mark. In 1943 the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM.