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The chaplain collar tabs of the Wehrmacht were a distinctive uniform insignia worn by members of the military clergy serving with the German Army during the Second World War.
These insignia were attached to the collar of the Feldbluse, the standard field tunic worn by soldiers of the German Army. Within the Wehrmacht uniform system, collar tabs served as an important method of identifying different categories of personnel and their specific roles within the military structure.
Military chaplains, known in German as Heerespfarrer, were responsible for providing religious services and spiritual support to soldiers serving in the field. Their duties included:
conducting religious services,
offering pastoral care to soldiers,
assisting wounded personnel,
conducting military funerals and memorial ceremonies.
Unlike the Litzen worn by enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers, chaplains wore embroidered collar tabs featuring an ornamental arabesque pattern, typically produced in silver metallic thread.
The cloth backing of these tabs was purple, a color traditionally associated with ecclesiastical service and clergy.
The tabs were usually manufactured using high-quality wool backing with silver metallic thread embroidery, reflecting the distinctive role of clergy within the military hierarchy.
During the war, insignia such as these were produced by various German uniform and textile manufacturers, responsible for supplying uniforms and insignia to the different branches and services of the Wehrmacht.
The purple chaplain collar tabs therefore represent a distinctive element of the uniform worn by military clergy serving within the German Army during World War II.
