Shoulder Boards - EM Jäger DAK (Afrika Korps)

Shoulder Boards – Jäger Troops, Deutsches Afrika Korps

These shoulder boards are associated with enlisted personnel of the German Jäger troops serving within the Deutsches Afrika Korps (DAK) during the North African campaign of the Second World War.

The Deutsches Afrika Korps was deployed to North Africa in 1941 to support Axis operations against British forces. Among the various formations operating in the desert theater were Jäger units, a designation traditionally used in the German Army for light infantry formations trained for mobile operations and difficult terrain.

Within the German uniform system, shoulder boards indicated both rank category and branch of service, represented by a color known as Waffenfarbe. For Jäger troops, the identifying color was light green, visible as piping along the edges of the shoulder boards.

This variant is produced from light tropical cloth, typical of the uniforms developed for service in hot climates such as North Africa. These lighter fabrics were introduced to improve comfort and practicality in desert conditions.

The boards follow the typical flat construction of enlisted shoulder boards and feature a tongue and button fastening system, allowing them to be attached to the tropical field tunic worn by German soldiers during the African campaign between 1941 and 1943.

Manufactured by various military textile producers, these insignia formed part of the tropical uniform equipment issued to German units serving in the African theater.

Shoulder boards made of tropical cloth with light green piping represent a distinctive insignia of the Jäger troops of the Wehrmacht serving in the Deutsches Afrika Korps.