SS Division Wiking

Wiking Cuff Title

In August 1942, members of the Wiking Division were presented with the unit's cuff title, while Grenadier regiments wore their own respective sleevebands bearing the name of their particular regiment.

All members of the division were issued cuff bands bearing the unit title "Wiking." Enlisted men and NCOs wore the RZM pattern machine woven black rayon cufftitle. Above shows an early enlisted sleeveband, introduce in 1942. This style sleeveband is commonly referred as RZM pattern. The cuff band has machine embroidered latin script "Wiking" in silver/gray cotton thread on black rayon. It shows seven aluminum threads bordered on both ends. This cuff band has been removed from uniform and has been stiched together.

SS-Infanterie Regiment "Germania"

In August 1934, the SS-Standarte 2 of the SS-Verfügungstruppe was formed. At the 1936 Nürenberg Rally, the SS-Standarte 2 was officialy granted the honor title "Germania" where it received the unit colors and authority to wear the cuffband bearing the unit title.
In November 1940, the Germania Standarte was transferred to form the nucleus of the motorise SS-Division "Germania." By January 1941, the name was effectively changed to the motorise SS-Division "Wiking."

The SS-Infanterie Regiment "Germania" was attached to the new SS-Division "Wiking." By November 1943 it was finally designated as SS-Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 9 "Germania." The Germania Regiment had numerous Danish and ethnic-German volunteers from western Europe.

Germania Cuff Title

Above is an enlisted early RZM pattern "Germania" cuffband. The "Germania" title is machine embroidered in Gothic script.
In 1939, a new version with Latin script characters was worn.
The RZM version for officers was initially hand-embroidered form, later it was flatwire woven.
After 1943, it was also produced in BeVo woven form.

SS-Infanterie Regiment "Westland"

Westland Regiment joined the Wiking Division upon its formation. Originally it was designated SS-Infanterie-Regiment "Westland" being renamed in November 1942 as SS-Panzer-Grenadier Regiment "Westland."
By November 1943 it was finally designated as SS-Panzer-Grenadier Regiment 10 "Westland." The Westland Regiment was primarily composed of Dutch and Flemish volunteers.

Westland Cuff Title

The Latin script was machine embroidered in silver/grey cotton thread with bordered top and bottom edges in seven strand horizontal silver/aluminum threads.
The RZM for officers was in hand-embroidered form and flatwire woven. After 1943 it was also produced in BeVo woven form.

SS-Division Wiking

After training at the SS Training Camp in Heuberg, Germany, the SS Division Wiking (Motorized) was ready for combat by 1 April 1941.
The SS Division Wiking was placed under the command of SS-Obergruppenführer Feliz Steiner. The SS Division Wiking was attached to Army Group South and achieved its first combat action in Tarnopol, Galicia (Ukraine) on 29 June 1941. In August 1941, it established a defensive perimeter across the Dnieper River. The Wiking Division continued its advance to Rostov in the eastern Ukraine. In November the Wiking Division fell back to defensive positions behind the Mius River. In the summer of 1942 the Wiking Division was sent to the Kurks-Kharkov sector in order to take the Caucasus oilfields. Within six weeks the entire Don River region was in German possession. There the Wiking Division remained on the defensive in the Caucasus during the winter of 1942/43 and in spring of 1943.

"Commander Brigf. Steiner of the SS-Division Wiking gives orders for the next action."

Panzer-Grenadier Division der SS Wiking

On 9 May 1943, the command of the division was placed under SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert O. Gille. By 9 November 1942, the SS Division Wiking was renamed as "Panzer-Grenadier Division der SS Wiking," even though it was not fully organized as one.

In March 1943, the Nordland Regiment was withdrawn from the SS Panzer-Grenadier Division Wiking to form its own SS-Division. In addition, the Finnish Volunteer Battalion was disbanded in July 1943. Its place was taken over by the "Estnische Frewilligen Bataillon Narwa" (Estonian Volunteer Battalion Narva). The Estonian SS Battalion Narwa was assigned to the III/SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment 10 and remained with the Wiking Division from 4 April 1943, until July 1944, where it was then transferred to Estonia, to form its own Waffen-SS Estonian Division.

By 19 October 1943, the SS Panzer-Grenadier Division Wiking was transformed into a full Armored-Division. It was designated as the "5. SS Panzer-Division Wiking."

Das Reich Cuff Title