History

In 1938, a new pale grey uniform was introduced for the full-time staff of the Allgemeine SS. The new uniform was identical in cut to the standard black SS uniform, but it featured two shoulder boards and an eagle badge rather than a swastika armband.

The grey uniform was introduced to give permanent Allgemeine SS members a more militaristic look, despite the fact that they were exempt from service in the Wehrmacht due to the nature of their work.

The single-breasted, open-collared tunic is cut in the traditional military “Rock” style and features two pleated breast pockets, two lower slash pockets, and a rear vent. The tunic has four front closure buttons, and all exposed buttons are pebbled and matte silver in colour. The tunic waist features two belt suspension hooks, and the sleeves have deep turn-back cuffs. The collar is edged with piping that denotes the rank of the wearer: silver cord for Officers, and black and silver twisted cord for Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and Enlisted Men (EMs).

Following the outbreak of the war, the light-grey uniform was replaced by the Waffen-SS field-grey uniform, which was favoured by troops stationed in occupied territories.

The majority of Allgemeine SS personnel, who largely had reserved occupations, were never issued this light grey uniform, and instead wore the standard black uniform while on duty in Germany.

By 1945, the once admired black uniform had become a negative symbol, as those who wore it were not required to actively participate in the nation’s defence.