Original Item: Only One Available: The SS (Schutzstaffel - 'Protection Squadron') was originally formed in 1925, ostensibly to act as a small, loyal bodyguard unit to protect the Führer, Adolf AH. Under the direction of the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, the SS grew to be the most ruthless and feared organization of the 20th century. They were the vanguard of NSDAPsm and eventually controlled nearly every function of German life and much of Occupied Europe.

This is a very nice SS LAH Member's Kampfbinde (Armband), with a red woven wool band, and a multipiece rayon swas (hooked cross) sewn onto the front. This armband is more or less identical to the standard armband of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, abbreviated NSDAP) used during the early war period. However the attached SS name tag on the back is anything but typical:

Babucke
Leibst. A.H. 12. (MG) St.

This would indicate that Babucke was a member of the SS Leibstandarte Adolf H****r, 12th Company MaschinenGewehr (Machine gun) Battalion, with the "St." most likely indicating staff or support. Of interest is that the font used is almost certainly Fraktur, one of the black letter fonts used by the NSDAP organizations until 1941, when they were deemed to be "Jewish Letters" and banned. This definitely indicates that the tag is pre or early WWII.

Below the name tag is an ((RZM)) tag with the number 21 / 26 next to the ((ᛋᛋ)) Doppelte Siegrune (Double Sig/Victory Rune) insignia. Unfortunately there are few records on the SS supplier numbers, so we are not able to tell which company made it.

Included with the armband is printed out research, giving the following information about Babucke:

Babucke Robert
B: 17.2.16
Rum.Award: 28.7.42 Uscha. LSSAH
Rottf. 12./LSSAH 4.39
Strm. 12./LSSAH 4.38
SS: Uscha.: Rottf: 1.4.39

Robert Babucke was born 17 February 1916, and from these records was made an SS-Sturmmann (SS-Storm Trooper) in April 1938 as part of the 12th Company. A year later he was promoted to senior enlisted rank SS-Rottenführer (SS-Squad leader), but the records are a bit unclear as to whether he was promoted to the junior NCO rank SS-Unterscharführer (SS-Junior squad leader) at the same time. He was definitely an ;SS-Unterscharführer in 1942, once the SSLAH had become a division (in 1940 they had been expanded to a full regiment).

There is also a passage from Beyond the Racial State: Rethinking N*** Germany, a compilation edited by Devin O. Pendas, Mark Roseman, Richard F. Wetzell, which details how Babucke got along with the local women in 1942 when the unit was in Charkiw, Ukraine. He was apparently the NCO responsible for food rationing at that time, which was taken advantage of. This comes from portion of the book titled Sex, Race, Violence, Volksgemeinschaft - German Soldiers’ Sexual Encounters with Local Women and Men during the War and the Occupation in the Soviet Union, 1941–1945 by Regina Mühlhäuser. It definitely helps illustrate the usual low level of morals and ethics that the typical SS soldier had.

The armband itself is in very good used condition, and measures approximately 19 1/4" x 4 1/4". It was removed from a uniform and shows past stitching, and is currently not stitched together in the back. The large size suggests that it is for an overcoat, definitely needed in the colder Russian climate. It is constructed of a red felt wool body, with a white rayon circle machine stitched on, which has a multi-piece rayon black swas attached. There are definitely some moth holes in the wool portions, but overall it presents very nicely. There is the usual age toning and staining to the white circle in the center.

A great historical piece with some great research already done, and the potential for more! We very rarely get items with such great background information. Ready to research and display!

The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf H****r or SS Division Leibstandarte, abbreviated as LSSAH (German: 1. SS-Panzerdivision "Leibstandarte SS Adolf H****r"), began as A H's personal bodyguard unit, responsible for guarding the Führer's person, offices, and residences. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into an elite division-sized unit during World War II.

The LSSAH participated in combat during the invasion of Poland, and was amalgamated into the Waffen-SS together with the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) and the combat units of the SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV) prior to Operation Barbarossa in 1941. By mid-1942 it had been increased in size from a regiment to a Panzergrenadier division and was designated SS Panzergrenadier Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf H****r". It received its final form as a Panzer division in October 1943.

Members of the LSSAH perpetrated numerous atrocities and war crimes, including the Malmedy massacre. They killed an estimated 5,000 prisoners of war in the period 1940–1945, mostly on the Eastern Front.

Nearly every military, civil, political and paramilitary organization in existence during the Third Reich used armbands. Armbands were worn on military and civilian uniforms and also on civilian clothes, from suit jackets to work clothing. They were used to denote membership in organizations, to indicate a specific role or function of the bearer, and as insignia of rank. Many organizations would change the design of their armbands over time, which added to the variety produced. These were manufactured in countless variations, ranging from simple printed bands to elaborately hand-embroidered pieces of the highest quality. Some NSDAP armbands were worn by all members of large organizations and were made by the millions. Others were intended for use at a specific time and place and were unique. Many types were made in very limited numbers. Some bore metal insignia or special identifiers that indicated the wearer’s rank, unit affiliation, or nationality. Armbands were sometimes but not always marked with ink stamps by the issuing authorities.