History

Following the First World War, the German Red Cross (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz, DRK) was threatened in its existence by the Treaty of Versailles, since the organisation was mainly focused on preparing its members for war and military-related medical service. This resulted in the DRK switching focus to social welfare activities during the time of the Weimar Republic.

The stipulations enforced by the Treaty of Versailles were declared null and void following the NSDAP’s consolidation of power in 1933. The new Reich Minister of the Interior, Wilhelm Frick, an NSDAP member, ensured that the DRK would be ready to support all of the Third Reich’s future military affairs and political ideologies. In 1938, the DRK was merged with the Ministry of the Interior’s Social Welfare Organisation, officially becoming an organisation under NSDAP oversight. The DRK also had ties to the SS, mainly due to high-ranking medical professionals serving in both organisations simultaneously.

The belt buckle designs used at the beginning of the Third Reich for Enlisted Ranks and Officers are a continuation of the designs implement during the First World War and the Weimar Republic.

The Enlisted Ranks belt buckle has two main patterns, the buckles worn from until 1938, and the buckles worn from 1938 to 1945. These buckles are rectangular.

The first pattern buckles feature the Red Cross emblem with a half-wreath along the bottom on a smooth and bright field. While these buckles were primarily silver-coloured, there are also examples that have a gold-coloured (gilt) centre section. They were worn on a brown leather belt strap.

The second pattern buckles feature the Red Cross eagle emblem (2nd pattern) on a pebbled field surrounded by an open wreath. These buckles were initially produced from a single piece of die-struck aluminum, but were eventually transitioned to an injection mold mode of production that used "Kriegsmetall" (war metal).
The reverse should be stamped with the German patent mark “GES. GESCH.” followed by the number 1, or 2. The numbers are thought to represent the buckle’s main manufacturing contracts. The reverse may also be stamped with a manufacturer's mark.
The buckles are worn on a black leather belt strap.