A Waffen-Ss "Hohenstaufen"; 9Th Ss Panzer Division Cufftitle

This cufftitle measures approximately 44cm (or 18 inches) in length, and is approximately 32mm (or 1 1/8 inches) tall; it is of black rayon construction, with "BeVo” (for Bandfabrik Ewald Vorsteher, Wuppertal) style, machine woven, Latin script, "Hohenstaufen" embroidered in the center in silvery-grey threads; cufftitle is bordered at both the top and bottom edges with interwoven, vertical silvery-grey threads. The reverse features typical, so called "salt & pepper" pattern on reverse. A very scarce cufftitle in extremely fine condition.

Footnote: The 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen", also known as SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9 Hohenstaufen, was a German Waffen-SS Armoured division which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. The division was activated on the 31 December 1942. Many of the men of the division were young German conscripts, with a cadre of experienced NCOs and staff from the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Their first action was in March 1944 in Poland; they were then moved to Normandy in June that year. After the retreat from France, they were moved to Arnhem in September 1944, to rest and refit and became involved in the Allied parachute landings. Their next action was the German advance in the Ardennes in the winter of 1944–1945. After defeat in the Ardennes, the division was moved to Hungary, where it took part in the fighting to the west of Budapest in February and March. Falling back into Austria, the division surrendered to the advancing United States Army on 5 May 1945, at Steyr.