Cuff title

[1][2][3] Cuff titles are often associated with the Second World War and units of the Waffen SS but were widely used by all branches of the German military, including paramilitary and civilian organizations.

It is approximately 4 cm (1.6 inches) wide and bears a name or symbol that identifies the wearer belonging to a particular unit or has served in a specific campaign.

Lettering could be in Latin, Gothic or Sütterlin style script, as shown on the Grossdeutschland cuff title.

For example; someone who was in the army and fought in North Africa and later transferred to Grossdeutschland had an "Afrika" campaign cuff title on their left arm and their Grossdeutschland cuff title on their right arm (General Manteuffel's leather coat was an anomaly to this rule).

Unit cuff titles were not granted as a mark of prior service in the same manner that divisional patches were and continues to be worn on the right sleeve of US Army uniforms.

The book The History of the Panzerkorps Grossdeutschland by Helmuth Spaeter describes an instance in which the motorcycle company of the Infantry Regiment "Grossdeutschland" was held to account for losing a position; they were forbidden from wearing their cuff titles until they had earned the privilege back by success in a later battle.

When Waffen SS divisions failed to perform satisfactorily near Vienna in April 1945, Adolf Hitler ordered the units involved to remove their cuff titles as a punishment.

SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich was enraged, and reportedly sent his own back to Berlin in a night vase (chamber pot).

The second for its Armoured Training Battalion (and School) which is a silver grey embroidered "Panzerlehrbrigade 9" in Gothic script.

A Bundeswehr "Gibraltar" cuff title. The title was initially awarded by George III to Hanoverian Army troops which fought in the Great Siege of Gibraltar ; Wilhelm II renewed the cuff title in 1901.
Image of the Latin script "Großdeutschland" cuff title introduced in 1944. This was a uniform insignia of the Panzergrenadier Division "Großdeutschland" , an elite combat unit of the army of Nazi Germany that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II.
The "Courland" campaign cuff title ( Ärmelband Kurland in German) was a military decoration of Nazi Germany awarded to soldiers of Army Group Courland who fought in the Courland Pocket during World War II.
The "Afrika" campaign cuff band ( Ärmelband Afrika ) was awarded to soldiers who took part in Nazi Germany's North African campaign of 1941–43.
Position of the cuff title. The Crete Cuff Title ( Ärmelband Kreta ) was a World War II German military decoration awarded to Wehrmacht servicemen who took part in the battle of Crete 1941.
Wearing two cuff titles; SS-Schule Tölz ( SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz ) and Frikorps Danmark
Cuff title of a DDR Wachregiment .
Cuff titles of the Luftwaffe
Cuff title of the Wachbataillon .