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SS 1st CLASS MARKSMAN'S BADGE FOR SHARPSHOOTER
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The question of an award for marksmen in the SS first arose prior to the end of 1936. Members of various branches of the SS had no insignia to show marksmanship qualifications. Several members of the SS-Verfugungstruppen returned from their periods of conscript army service with a marksmanship lanyard gain during their time in the forces. Were they to be allowed to wear this on their SS uniform? On 13th October 1936 the Chief-of-Staff of the SS-Oberschnitt Elbe asked the SS-Hauptamt if it would be permitted for personnel returning from service in the armed forces to wear their marksmanship lanyard (Schüzenschnur) on their SS uniform. Himmler ruled this out, and the decision was made not to allow the wear of the lanyard, but rather to allow the wear of the older shooting awards utilising a series of bars and chevrons worn prior to June 1935 by the army. These were to be worn on the lower left cuff of the SS service dress tunic. Himmler then ordered that a metal badge to be known as the Schützenabzeichen der SS-Verfugungstruppen (SS Schießauszeichnung für Scharfschützen) be created. This would be worn on the right breast pocket of the tunic with parade, re-porting, guard and walking-out dress, but not with field and training dress. The order instituting this award is rather vaguely worded, but it states that, the lowest grade shall be without a lower oak leaf; the middle grade will have two lower oak leaves, the highest, or sharpshooter, grade will have three oak leaves.
The metal badges were manufactured in the work-shops of the Munchen silversmith Otto Gahr.
Their production stopped in november 1937, when a new order instituted a totally new series of marksmanship insigna in four classes to be worn on the lower right sleeve. So, these badges were only produced for one year.
The badge offered here is a first class, made in CupAl, a very rare combination. The copper layer is visible in some small points where the silver finish is gone.
Overall the finish on the badge is excellent, silver is very bright and almost 100% complete. Hardware setup perfectly works.
An extremely rare and impossible to upgrade SS badge.
The question of an award for marksmen in the SS first arose prior to the end of 1936. Members of various branches of the SS had no insignia to show marksmanship qualifications. Several members of the SS-Verfugungstruppen returned from their periods of conscript army service with a marksmanship lanyard gain during their time in the forces. Were they to be allowed to wear this on their SS uniform? On 13th October 1936 the Chief-of-Staff of the SS-Oberschnitt Elbe asked the SS-Hauptamt if it would be permitted for personnel returning from service in the armed forces to wear their marksmanship lanyard (Schüzenschnur) on their SS uniform. Himmler ruled this out, and the decision was made not to allow the wear of the lanyard, but rather to allow the wear of the older shooting awards utilising a series of bars and chevrons worn prior to June 1935 by the army. These were to be worn on the lower left cuff of the SS service dress tunic. Himmler then ordered that a metal badge to be known as the Schützenabzeichen der SS-Verfugungstruppen (SS Schießauszeichnung für Scharfschützen) be created. This would be worn on the right breast pocket of the tunic with parade, re-porting, guard and walking-out dress, but not with field and training dress. The order instituting this award is rather vaguely worded, but it states that, the lowest grade shall be without a lower oak leaf; the middle grade will have two lower oak leaves, the highest, or sharpshooter, grade will have three oak leaves.
The metal badges were manufactured in the work-shops of the Munchen silversmith Otto Gahr.
Their production stopped in november 1937, when a new order instituted a totally new series of marksmanship insigna in four classes to be worn on the lower right sleeve. So, these badges were only produced for one year.
The badge offered here is a first class, made in CupAl, a very rare combination. The copper layer is visible in some small points where the silver finish is gone.
Overall the finish on the badge is excellent, silver is very bright and almost 100% complete. Hardware setup perfectly works.
An extremely rare and impossible to upgrade SS badge.