Allgemeine SS uniforms with 2 shoulder boards?

[Friedrich-Berthold]

an SSVT uniform of mine, one shoulder cord.

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The black uniform usually only had a single shoulder cord.

The exceptions are very few indeed.

[HPL2008]

Hi, the wearing of two shoulder boards was permitted to the LAH in 1934 and from 1936 the wearing of the SSVT which came in Green, Grey, Earth Grey and Black.

There are several pics and detailed regulations, information on this subject in UNIFORMS OF THE WAFFEN -SS by Michael Beaver.

Actually, the Beaver work does not say anything about the wearing of two shoulder boards on the black service tunic, which is the subject here.

Digging around for more data on the matter, I found an earlier thread with some more examples of period photographs showing the twin shoulder boards in wear:

Allgemeine SS in the year 193X?

Best of all, the thread also contained the following info from our most knowledgable member when it comes to the the black uniform and its insignia and accoutrements:

The double shoulder straps were authorised for the three groups using the three part shoulder straps: Cavalry, Medical and Musicians (Spielmannszug and Musikzug).

Said three-part shoulder straps being the "Y"-frame seen below as opposed to the "Sam Browne belt"-style single cross-strap normally worn with the black SS service uniform:

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thanks, Andreas is always right. Mr. d'Alquen has studied the regulations and shared them with us in an exemplary way over the years.

I own six SSVT and SSTV black uniforms, all of which have a single shoulder cord. I sold two others of the SSVT which also only had a single shoulder cord.

I included an SSPB 1 image with double shoulder cords on a black uniform in this thread the source of which has escaped me.

The custom of the single shoulder cord originated with the Habsburg army, features of which were strangely included in the SA and then SS uniform, even though Hitler and the Nazis loathed the Habsburg ideal.

The shoulder boards of rank in the Prussian army were an especially sacred aspect of military uniform, which, when adopted by the SS in whatever form, were a source of endless friction in the civil military relations of the epoch from

1933 until 1939 and beyond.

An example in this connection of the civil military dynamic was the Eigenmaechtigkeit in the LAH to wear the 1935 army eagle badge on the peaked cap, which prompted the creation of the SS eagle badge in the course of 1935-1936.

The Roehm Putsch in 1934 had been supported by the Reichswehr not the least to preserve the position of the officer corps of the 100,000 Mann Heer in the midst of the rearmament effort begun already prior to 30 January 1933.

The book to read on this is the classic of Klaus Juergen Mueller, Das Heer und Hitler from 1969.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Habsburg, Kaiser Josef II

[HPL2008]

The custom of the single shoulder cord originated with the Habsburg army, features of which were strangely included in the SA and then SS uniform, even though Hitler and the Nazis loathed the Habsburg ideal.

The display of rank by collar patch stars being another such feature. I have always wondered whether this might have had to do with Hitler's Austrian origins and his possible direct influence in such design choices.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Habsburg, Kaiser Josef II

Österreichische Militärgeschichte - Historischer Service

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The display of rank by collar patch stars being another one. I have always wondered whether this might have had to do with Hitler's Austrian origins and his possible direct influence in such design choices.

voila. Those in Bavaria who had served in the German Army in 1914-1918 would also likely have been in service alongside Austrians, too, and become habituated with the rank system in the interoperability of the central powers of the epoch.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Wim Saris can also tell us, since he is very at home in early SA regulations, as is Mr. Derek.

The army uniform was also tied to concepts of estate and caste which were also hated by the egalitarian Nazis, in that the old nobility had failed in addition to having been stabbed in the back in 1918.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

von wegen interoperability in the old regime, here is the picture of Franz I in Prussian guard uniform as chief of the regiment.

He is hardly lacking for two shoulder boards, either, here in Prussian blue.

[Wilhelm Saris]

I must check my material about the how and what.
Anyway the SS price-list from November 1, 1940 shows a black
service-dress for the Allgemeine-SS with one shoulder-strap;
the field-grey for the Waffen-SS shows two of them.

With the article-numbers for the Allgemeine-SS the shoulder-strap
is sold as a single item; the shoulder-straps for Wafen-SS as a pair.

If I have information about Reiter-SS or so, I do not know. Maybe!
With the new regulation for the Reiter-SA in 1937 it was specifically
said there was only one shoulder-strap The leather shoulder-belt was
a double.

PS: I forgot to mention the Formal Evening dress was black for
Allgemeine-SS and Waffen-SS and was to be worn with two
shoulder-straps.