Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel (including concentration camp staffs) were granted Waffen-SS ranks and, in 1944, any "Allgemeine-SS" who served in an area that commanded SS combat troops, was granted a Waffen-SS commission. Another uniform insignia change occurred in April 1942 with the creation of the rank "SS-Oberstgruppenführer". This necessitated an insignia change for SS generals and all SS generals at this time began wearing "Wehrmacht"-style gold shoulder boards; "Oberführers" wore the shoulderboards of an army "Oberst" ("colonel") just as "Standartenführers" did. The sole exception was Heinrich Himmler who continued to wear the silver braided shoulderboard with oak leaves of his rank as "Reichsführer-SS". At
Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine sailor would be referred to by their rate and rank (i.e. "Steuermannmaat"). Rank was denoted by a collar tab while rate was displayed as a larger patch replacing the former sailor sleeve chevron and rating badge. A special petty officer rating insignia existed for those "Maat" who were unrated; a rare occurrence but sometimes happening with those in highly specific career fields who had enlisted directly as a petty officer or who had never held an enlisted rate as a seaman. Chief petty officers were addressed solely by their rate and wore rating insignia centered on their shoulder straps. The