WW2 German Officer’s Cockade

The WW2 German Officer’s Cockade is an insignia that was worn on the headgear of officers in the German military during the Second World War. Typically produced from stamped metal or cloth, the cockade consists of a central roundel bearing the national colors of black, white, and red, encircled by a metallic or embroidered oak leaf wreath. This cockade was affixed to peaked caps (Schirmmützen) and other formal headgear, distinguishing officer ranks from enlisted personnel, whose versions were usually simpler. The design and method of attachment could vary slightly depending on the branch of service—Heer (Army), Kriegsmarine (Navy), or Luftwaffe (Air Force)—but the general form remained consistent across the German armed forces. These cockades served both a practical and symbolic function, identifying rank and branch while reinforcing national identity within the military during the 1935–1945 period.