Shoulder Boards - EM Medic

Shoulder Boards – Wehrmacht Medical Service (Enlisted Men)

These shoulder boards are associated with enlisted personnel of the medical service (Sanitätsdienst) of the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War.

The medical service formed an essential part of the German military structure, responsible for treating wounded soldiers, operating field dressing stations and hospitals, evacuating casualties, and providing medical support to frontline units.

Within the German military uniform system, shoulder boards indicated both the rank category and the branch of service, identified through a color known as Waffenfarbe.

This example is constructed from field grey wool cloth with cornflower blue piping along the edges. The color cornflower blue represented the traditional branch color of the Wehrmacht medical service.

The boards follow the typical flat construction of enlisted shoulder boards and include a rear tongue with buttonhole, allowing them to be attached to the field tunic (Feldbluse).

Produced by various military textile manufacturers, these shoulder boards formed part of the standard uniform equipment issued to medical personnel serving within the Wehrmacht during the war.