Proud Kraut Posted March 1, 2021 Share #1 Posted March 1, 2021 I would like to start a new topic about Bundeswehr cloth and metal insignia with a manufacturing defect. I know this kind of insignia is discussed in every militaria forum because many collectors out there are looking for especially these incomplete of defect badges and patches that were issued by mistake. I´ll start with the woven Offizier/Unteroffizierschule des Heeres (OCS/NCOCS) patch for the dress uniform. The correct one on the left, the error patch with the plain white border on the right. Please feel free to post your Bw error patches as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share #2 Posted March 2, 2021 Pocket hangers (Brustanhaenger) were introduced by the Bundeswehr about 40 years ago. They can be compared to U.S. Forces DUI. Meanwhile thousends of different pocket hangers do exist, most of them from units that were disbanded after the cold war. In any case a very interesting field of collecting. Here´s the badge of Panzerartilleriebataillon 45 (Armored Artillery Bn) with correct colors on the left and inverted base colors on the right. The unit was disbanded in 1993. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 3, 2021 Author Share #3 Posted March 3, 2021 Depicted are cloth insignia worn by German elements of the Multinational Corps Northeast. The correct insignia has a blue background. Error bullion insignia with grey background on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 7, 2021 Author Share #4 Posted March 7, 2021 Artillery School pocket hangers from various periods since 1980. I´m sure you can find out which one is the error. 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 8, 2021 Author Share #5 Posted March 8, 2021 Airmobile Operations Division (active from 2002 to 2014) SSI. Correct woven and bullion variations with silver/black border and error insignia with maroon border on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 10, 2021 Author Share #6 Posted March 10, 2021 I´m still unsure if this a prototype or an error badge. Correct pocket hanger of former ArtyBn 701 on the left and variation with wrong colors on the right. In any case it isn´t depicted or listed in any of my reference books so I´d call it rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted March 10, 2021 Share #7 Posted March 10, 2021 These are really interesting insignia variations. It is amazing they got through the inspection process as mistakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 11, 2021 Author Share #8 Posted March 11, 2021 Thanks Sarge. Yes they did and I love to collect these variations. I also did when I still collected US Army SSI. Here´s another Bw one. Heeresunterstützungskommando (Army Support Cmd). Correct SSI on the left, error patch on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 16, 2021 Author Share #9 Posted March 16, 2021 Pocket hangers (Brustanhänger) were introduced by the Bundeswehr in 1980. During the last 40 years several thousends of different badges were produced and worn by all kind of units of all branches. Most of the units were disbanded after the cold war. I focused my small collection on Artillery units so most of the errors I can display are pocket hangers of Arty units. Of course these errors exists of other branches´insignia as well. Here´s the badge of Armored Artillery Battalion 2. Correct one with silver barrels on the left, error variation with black barrels on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 17, 2021 Author Share #10 Posted March 17, 2021 After reunification most of the West German Divisions were disbanded. Two new divisions (13th, 14th) were deployed in East Germany. They are already gone as well... Here´s the 13th Division 1st design SSI. Correct woven and bullion one with white/black border and an error bullion with red border on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 19, 2021 Author Share #11 Posted March 19, 2021 Here´s another error pocket hanger. Panzerartilleriebataillon (Armored Arty Bn) 305 was active from 1962 until 1994 and garrisoned in Donauwoerth, Bavaria. At some point a badge with wrong unit number "385" occured. Would love to know the story behind this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 21, 2021 Author Share #12 Posted March 21, 2021 Sanitaetskommando IV - Medical Command IV. 3 other commands (I, II, III) do exist as well. The correct SSI has a medium blue background and silver detalis and roman number. Two errors on the right with black number and dark blue background. The same errors do exist for all commands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 22, 2021 Author Share #13 Posted March 22, 2021 Pocket hangers of the Officer Candidate School with correct red background (left & center) and error orange background on the right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted March 26, 2021 Author Share #14 Posted March 26, 2021 During the cold war the German Bundeswehr Army consisted of the field army and the territorial army. Part of the territorial army where independend home defence brigades. Main elements of these semi active brigades where light infantry (reserve) units. Thus the SSI of these brigades had a green border. Here´s the SSI of Heimatschutzbrigade 54 located in s/w Germany. Correct SSI with green border on the left and on the right, error patch with "divisional" white/black border in the center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share #15 Posted April 10, 2021 Next one is still a mistery (at least for me). Since the late 1950´s members of the Mountain and Airborne branches wore an oval cloth insignia on their right upper sleeve of the dress uniform. Different variants existed. SSI for officers with hand embroudered silver border and for enlisted with single white border. Here´s a mountain branch variation with red border. I still don´t know if it is a prototype with red (artillery) branch color or an error. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share #16 Posted April 11, 2021 Here´s another one: Stammdienststelle des Heeres (SDH), former Army Personnel Command. Correct SSI with white letters and hand embroidered error variant with black letters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted April 12, 2021 Author Share #17 Posted April 12, 2021 On the right a decentered eagle SSI of the former Heeresfuehrungskommando which managed to pass the final inspection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packratt713 Posted June 25, 2021 Share #18 Posted June 25, 2021 Very Nice ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now