Germany - Third Reich: Wehrmacht Heer German Army Enlisted Man’s / Non Commissioned Officer’s Model 1935 Sports Vest Eagle. The insignia consists of a white, rayon, half-moon shaped base with a black, machine woven, national eagle, with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it's talons, to the centre. The eagles wingspan is roughly, 23.5cm wide from wing tip to wing tip.
Condition: unused, Good Condition.
The German army originally adopted a slightly modified version of the NSDAP's, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker's Party), national eagle by order on 17th February 1934, with instructions to have it applied to all steel helmets, visor caps, and tunics by 1st May 1934. Later amendments to the introductory order stipulated that the national eagle was also to be worn on all field caps, the sports uniform and the black panzer wrap. The eagle came in three distinct designs with two having slightly different out-stretched wings and the third with down-swept wings. Physical fitness of its personnel was a prime concern of the German army and each new recruit was issued a specific sport uniform that consisted of a pullover "tank top" style shirt, navy blue, later black, shorts and athletic shoes. Regulations of 22nd October 1932 introduced the Troop Sports Badge that was to be applied to the front centre of the sports shirt. On 14th May 1935 the M35 sports shirt eagle for EM/NCO's was introduced to replace the previously used Reichswehr era Troop Sports Badge. Of Note: NCO ranks were identified by the addition of a black stripe around the neck of the sports shirt.
