Hauptscharfuhrer Shoulder Boards

[Killroy]

Can someone educate me on the purpose of the guys that wore the orange piping? These are another set of boards that I am looking at buying from a vet bring-back collection.

[HPL2008]

The precise assignment of branch colors [Waffenfarben] was modified several times over the years. Mollo lists the following usages of the orange branch color:

November 1939:
Recruiting [Ergänzungsstellen]


May 1940:
Special Services [Sonderdienste], this included:

Administrative Service [Verwaltungsdienst]
Legal Service [Gerichtsdienst]
Technical Service [Technischer Dienst]
Recruiting Service [Ergänzungsdienst]
Personnel of Garrison Headquarters [Angehörige der Standortkommandanturen]

June 1942 (and Final):
Special Services [Sonderdienste], this included:

Technical Officers (Vehicles, Weapons and Signals) [Technische Führer (Kraftfahrzeuge, Waffen und Nachrichten)]
Military Police [Feldgendarmerie]
Recruiting Services [Ergänzungsdienste]
Welfare Officers [Fürsorgeführer]

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Thanks for the images and the nice compendium of military occupation specialties.

[Killroy]

Thanks HLP, I think I would lump these in the latter category due to them being captured in 1944.