Unteroffizieranwärter: Heer Nachrichtenpersonal

     A studio portrait of an Unteroffizieranwärter. An Unteroffizieranwärter (Non-Commissioned Officer Candidate) was a soldier who was considered by his superiors to be a candidate for attending Unteroffizierschule (NCO School). His rank (for the moment) is Gefreiter which was equivalent to a Lance Corporal and this is shown by the “V” shaped silver tress on a triangular wool backing. His status as a NCO school candidate is denoted by the single loop of silver tress on his schulterklappen (shoulderboards). Of interest is his Nachrichtenpersonal (Signals Operator) proficiency badge. This proficiency badge was given to those soldiers who excelled in the tasks required to operate signals equipment but more importantly, how to service, maintain, and repair communication equipment. The color of the “blitz” (lightning bolt) followed the same regulation as the Waffenfarbe (corps colors) and so in this case, it would appear that the Unteroffizieranwärter is infantry and so the “blitz” would be white. Had he been, for example, artillery, then the “blitz” would have been red (the corps color of artillery). As a note, the soustache (the inverted chevron) on his feldmütze (field service cap) would also match the corps color. So, as another example, had this Unteroffizieranwärter been with a Kraftfahrparktruppen (vehicle troop), the piping on the shoulderboards, the soustache, and the “blitz” would all be blue.

     The Litzenspiegel (more often called Litzen; collar patches), prior to 1938, would have matched the Waffenfarbe. However, it was seen that logistically, creating collar patches in all of the Waffenfarbe colors was simply impractical and would have burdened unit tailors with having to sew on new litzen if a unit changed missions (for example, transitioning from a cavalry unit to an infantry unit) or soldiers from other units transferred in. So, after 1938, a universal litzen was introduced with silver-gray threading on a green backing. By 1940, this was changed to a feldgrau (field gray) to more match the uniform but it was never popular and troops, when they could, would wear the green backed litzen and those troops who had the pre-1938 litzen with the Waffenfarbe colors continued to wear them as a sign of pride.