WWII German Waffen SS SPORTS SHIRT INSIGNIA

WWII German Waffen SS SPORTS SHIRT INSIGNIA. (SS Sportshemd Abzeichen). Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler’s obsession with pagan runic symbolism manifested itself in runic emblems used by the SS, Schutz Staffel, (Protection Squad), the most famous of which was the dual sig-runes used on the collar tabs, helmets decals and sports shirts of the SS. The dual sig-runes design was initiated by SS-Sturmhauptführer and graphic artist Walter Heck in May 1933, who sold his design to the SS for 2.50 Reichs Marks. Physical fitness of its personnel was a prime concern of the SS and prior to the war each new recruit was issued a basic sport uniform that consisted of black short pants and athletic shoes and a white pullover “tank top” style shirt with the runic SS emblem on the front center plus an additional track suit consisting long pants and a long sleeve shirt. The basic regional organizational infrastructure of the Allgemeine-SS, (General-SS), began with the SS-Oberabschnitte, (SS Districts), which corresponded roughly to the German Armed Forces, Wehrkreis, (Military District), and each SS-Oberabschnitte contained a Sportabteilung, (Sports Detachment), which was tasked with all aspects of physical fitness and sports training. Of Note: The SS sports uniform was based on the army’s sports uniform and was officially adopted by regulations in May 1934 but in likelihood it had been introduced prior to that date. Originally the insignia utilized on the sports shirt consists of white SS runes on a black base field but the coloration of the insignia was soon reverse to black SS runes on a white base field. The issue of the sports uniform was discontinued sometime early in the war.