Corps colours, or Troop-function colours (German: Waffenfarben) were worn in the Waffen-SS from 1938 until 1945 in order to distinguish between various branches of service, units, and functions. The corps colours were part of the pipings, gorget patches (collar patches), and shoulder boards. The colour scheme was similar to the corps colours of the German Army from 1935 to 1945. The colours appeared mainly on the piping around the shoulder boards showing a soldier's rank.
Colours and examples The table below contains the Waffen-SS corps colours, and examples for their use from 1938 to 1945.
Branch/unit/functionColourExampleRank/Explanation General officers Personal staff of the Reichsführer-SSSilver-grey SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SSInfantry Motorised infantry PanzergrenadiersWhite Flag of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 40 SS-Oberführer SS-StandartenführerArtillery Sturmgeschütze (assault guns) FlakScarlet Artillery flagSS-ObersturmbannführerVeterinary serviceCarmine red SS-SturmbannführerLegal serviceBordeaux red GeologistsLight pink TransportSalmon-pink Panzers Panzerjäger (tank destroyers)Rose-pink SS-Scharführer Signals War correspondentsLemon yellow SS-Untersturmführer Cavalry Reconnaissance (1942–45) Armoured reconnaissanceGolden yellow SS-Obersturmführer Feldgendarmerie (field police) Sonderdienst (special services)Orange SS-Unterscharführer SS-Standartenjunker (officer candidate OR-6)Reconnaissance (1938–42)Copper-brown Standartenführer OberführerConcentration campsLight brown SS-HauptscharführerSicherheitsdienst (intelligence service)Poison green SS-SturmscharführerGebirgstruppe (mountain troops)Meadow green SS-Untersturmführer Ersatzwesen (recruitment service) SS-Sonderführer SS reserve officersDark green SS-ObersturmführerSupplyLight blue SS-HauptsturmführerAdministrationBright blue SS-HauptsturmführerMedical serviceCornflower blue Standartenführer OberführerEngineers corps Assault engineers Construction engineersBlackSS-OberscharführerMain colour for collar patchesSS-UnterscharführerMain colour for uniformsField-greyIdentical with Heer (regular army) uniform colour
See also Corps colours of the Luftwaffe (1935–1945) Corps colours of the Sturmabteilung
References Adolf Schlicht, John R. Angolia: Die deutsche Wehrmacht, Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1945Vol. 1: Das Heer (), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1992Vol. 3: Die Luftwaffe (), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999 (very detailed information and discussion but no coloured images)
External links Waffenfarben of the Wehrmacht Heer German WWII Army & SS Rank & Insignia