Rank insignia on an early wool BW uniform?

[MattS]

I picked up this minty 1963 BW wool top and was wondering if slip-on shoulder boards were worn with this as with the moleskin jackets. I’ve searched the internet without luck. Thanks! 

[Gunner87]

1 hour ago, MattS said:

I picked up this minty 1963 BW wool top and was wondering if slip-on shoulder boards were worn with this as with the moleskin jackets. I’ve searched the internet without luck. Thanks! 

 

Hi MattS.

 

Slip on shoulder straps / boards were introduced in 1940 and have been worn since. 

 

This is a helpful article https://www.medalbook.com/germany-organizations/organizations-of-the-third-reich/german-army-heer/insignia/uniform-insignia/shoulder-boards-2/standard-officer-3/general-ranks-1/german-army-generaloberst-shoulder-boards-2#:~:text=Enlisted men who were NCO,This was introduced in 1942.

 

I hope that is of some use. 

 

Kind regards 

 

Gunner....

[MattS]

Thanks for the link! Yes, I know the German army uses shoulder straps to denote rank, I’m just looking for their potential use on these M1959 (1960?) pattern of BW uniforms and what they would look like. I have a later 1980s moleskin top with slip-on straps like these; 

[Gunner87]

10 minutes ago, MattS said:

Thanks for the link! Yes, I know the German army uses shoulder straps to denote rank, I’m just looking for their potential use on these M1959 (1960?) pattern of BW uniforms and what they would look like. I have a later 1980s moleskin top with slip-on straps like these; 

 

My apologies Matt, I didn't mean to send over anything you already knew. I served in West Germany and the slip on straps were interchangeable. If a jacket was put on over a shirt, then off came the straps if the soldier only had one pair and onto the jacket they went. Moleskin's were still in service when I was there. 

 

Gunner....

 

 

[MattS]

Ah, thank you! I didn’t know if the same style of slip-on straps were used on both uniforms, or if there was a wool version of the strap for the wool top. 

[Proud Kraut]

Matt, the depicted shoulder loops for field uniforms were introduced for Officers and NCO in the 1960´s. Until the 1970´s enlisted ranks wore their rank insignia (stripes) on the upper sleeve of the uniform. If your looking for the right officer loops you should look out for the ones with large size (21 mm) stars. Officer rank loops with 17 mm stars were introduced in the 1980´s. I have attached a picture of two examples.

 

 

[MattS]

44 minutes ago, Proud Kraut said:

Matt, the depicted shoulder loops for field uniforms were introduced for Officers and NCO in the 1960´s. Until the 1970´s enlisted ranks wore their rank insignia (stripes) on the upper sleeve of the uniform. If your looking for the right officer loops you should look out for the ones with large size (21 mm) stars.

 

So only officers and NCOs would have worn shoulder straps on the wool top? Was there any difference in the wool uniform tops between officers and enlisted? Sorry for all the questions, but information on early BW uniforms is hard to find. Thanks!

[Proud Kraut]

To answer your second question first: No, there were (and are) no differences between officers and enlisted field uniform´s quality.

Concerning the rank insignia it´s complex. Officers and higher NCO received their shoulder loops first. Unteroffiziere and enlisted wore angle and stripes. The "Filzlaus" with German colors was in use from the 1960´s until the 1980´s (I received mine in 1983 when being drafted).

So it depends on what you want to display. Here´s a picture from a 1962 Bw brochure showing the wear of enlisted stripes on the upper sleeve. Another picture is showing old enlisted sleeve stripes on the right compared to an enlisted shoulder loop on the left.

For a display taking place in the 1970´s or 1980´s you can use the white depicted enlisted shoulder loops as well. Hope this helps.

 

 

[MattS]

Danke! I am setting up a Cold War display and wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to display shoulder rank slides on this top. No particular year in mind although I will display a 1963 tanker beret and 1960s wool field cap with it, along with a dress jacket and visor cap. I have some field gear, not a lot, and a few colored BW berets. I also have a couple dress belts with gold (Bundesmarine) and silver buckles, not sure when they were first worn though. 

[Proud Kraut]

The 50 mm dress belts with silver (Army, AirForce) and golden (Navy, all Generals/Admirals) buckles were introduced in the early 1960´s (since 1962).

[MattS]

Great info, thanks! 

[MattS]

Here’s the 1982 moleskin jacket I have with shoulder rank.