Lot 3340: Published Set of Five Luftwaffe Cuff Titles

1) "AFRIKA" cuff title. Issued to all branches of the Wehrmacht for A) six months service, B) three months of service and being sidelined by a tropical disease, or C) winning a military decoration while in Africa. This one is in Luftwaffe blue with white embroidery. 2) "KRETA" cuff title. Issued by all Wehrmacht branches to participants in the Battle of Crete and particularly associated with the paratroopers of the Luftwaffe. Gold thread on white cloth, with acanthus leaf accents and gold border. 3) "Fallschirm Division" cuff title. For issue to the paratroopers of the Luftwaffe. Gray lettering on hunter green cloth. 4 and 5) "Fallschirm-Division". Both show off-white lettering, one with a bottle green band, the other with a brighter poison green band. All five titles are attributed to noted collector George Petersen and can be seen on pages 50, 135 and 153 of the book "German Military Cuffbands 1784-Present" by Williamson and McGuirl. Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection

Good overall, with mild wear and stains. The Crete cuff is marked with a line of what appears to be ink to the right of the lettering; this line is also visible in the photo in Williamson and McGuirl's book.