Per the narrative in Beaver's book "Insignia and Artifacts of the Waffen-SS" (page 305), this group of 20 cuff titles was originally part of a 24 piece group of Waffen-SS cuff titles, sold to a New York collector in the 1990s. Lt. Walter Wolff was an officer of the 99th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army and was a member of IPW Team 131; attached to forward units. Interrogation of Prisoners of war teams were responsible for initial intake and interrogation of POWs between the Inn River and Linz (Austria). Even the Germans could see the writing on the wall, and many decided to end the war in the hands of the Western Allies instead of the Soviets, and Wolff was one of the interrogators who had to cope with the rush of these surrendering troopers. It was at this time that Wolff, with his collecting interest, saw a number of cuff titles and proceeded to trade cigarettes for them as he went from camp to camp. Titles include variants of many of the cuff title shown including Adolf Hitler, Deutschland (x2, script and block), Der Fuehrer, Totenkopf, Theodor Eicke, Thule, SS Polizeidivision, Wiking (x2, silver wire and white thread), Germania, Reinhard Heydrich (x2), Prinz Eugen, Florian Geyer, Hohenstaufen, Frundsberg, Hitlerjungend, and Goetz von Berlichingen (x2). The second von Berlichingen title merits special note in Beaver's book; quote Beaver: "one of the surprises in the Wolff grouping was this GvB cuff band made with tubular bullion lettering and army style cord borders. Many collectors over the decades have considered these to be postwar fantasy pieces, which never actually existed before. However, the Goetz von Berlichingen existed in the Wolff collection, and is now a treasure to collectors (see Beaver book, page 305). This one is now a sought after piece. There are other pieces that have rarely been seen. To name some of the variants, aside from the Goetz von Berlichingen, the "Polizei Division". The Florian Geyer Division was decimated in Budapest. Perhaps some 30-40 escaped alive and the one from Wolff might be the only one in existence. At the end of the war, as evidenced by Wolff, the last Waffen-SS units entered into the South of Germany/Austria. Some units were down to 10-20 people. Wolff had the sense to get them while they were still together in the camps. An important trove, this would be a recording of who was there at that time. Luck had it that many divisions were forced to congregate and that Wolff had the foresight, with cartons of cigarettes*, to get them before they would disappear and be sold separately. They had been kept together, without having been touched, leaving them with remnants of the original stitching and dirty exteriors, just as they looked when Wolff got them. A very important group for a collection/military museum. *American cigarettes were in great demand, both for smoking them, but more importantly they were also used as currency. A carton or two were worth a small fortune.

Very good overall, with mild wear and staining appropriate to age.