Stabsscharführer
was a non-commissioned officer title which
was used by the
Waffen-SS between the years of
1938 to
1945.
Stabsscharführer
was not an actual
SS
rank, but rather a positional title
held by the senior SS-NCO of a company, battalion,
or regiment. Typically, those holding the
position of Stabsscharführer
ranked SS-Unterscharführer or above.
Translated as “Staff
Squad Leader,” the position of Stabsscharführer was
denoted by a special sleeve chevron, worn
on the upper right shoulder of the field
grey SS uniform. There is ample photographic
evidence, however, that the sleeve chevron
was often worn on the left sleeve, or not
at all.
Those holding the rank of Stabsscharführer
had the choice of being address either by their actual
rank title (Unterscharführer, Oberscharführer,
etc) or simply by the title of Stabsscharführer.
The position of Stabsscharführer is most often
considered equivalent to a First Sergeant in the militaries
of other nations. The position of Stabsscharführer
was unique to the Waffen-SS and was not used by branches
of the Allgemeine or “General” SS.
