Question on size markings

[WWIIBuff]

Hi all,

Although I have a few quality tunics in my two year old collection, I am the first to admit I am still a novice. So please assist in my education process by helping me to better understand the size numbers inside the tunic.

What I have understood so far is that there were 5 numbers. These numbers represented metric measurements for length of rear seam, overall tunic length, chest size, collar size, and lastly length of the arm. And I believe they were typically listed in that order from top left to bottom right.

If I am correct so far, than my questions are, would these numbers ever be wrong or could we use them as a guide to check originality? Also would these numbers change if the tunic was modified? By modified I don't mean just an alteration for a better fit. I mean a major modification. For example, would a greatcoat ever be turned into a tunic and if so would it have been restamped before being issued again.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

John Klein

[bnz. 42]

XX   YY
  ZZ
VV   NN

XX = the length of the tunic back
YY = the tunic collar size
ZZ = the tunic chest size
VV = the overall tunic length
NN = the sleeve length

[WWIIBuff]

Size markings

Hi BNZ 42, thanks for the illustration. I am hoping someone is still able to answer my questions as well. But this illustration also brings up another question... are the stamps always in the order or location shown in his illustration?

John Klein

[derspiess63]

Hi all,

Although I have a few quality tunics in my two year old collection, I am the first to admit I am still a novice. So please assist in my education process by helping me to better understand the size numbers inside the tunic.

What I have understood so far is that there were 5 numbers. These numbers represented metric measurements for length of rear seam, overall tunic length, chest size, collar size, and lastly length of the arm. And I believe they were typically listed in that order from top left to bottom right.

If I am correct so far, than my questions are, would these numbers ever be wrong or could we use them as a guide to check originality? Also would these numbers change if the tunic was modified? By modified I don't mean just an alteration for a better fit. I mean a major modification. For example, would a greatcoat ever be turned into a tunic and if so would it have been restamped before being issued again.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

John Klein

Hi John,
very good questions indeed!Bnz gave you the right answer as to read those numbers and these COULD be used to check originality prividing they're original themselves.....if you know what I mean by that!You have hit the nail on the head with what you have asked next;when a tunic or a pair of trousers were modified within the depot the sizes were over-stamped with the new ones or new ones were stamped somewhere else inside the garment after the original ones had been cancelled by a few dabs of black ink;I'll try and post a few pictures later.
You can try and see by yourself if the numbers match the measurements they should indicate, but they seldom are spot-on...sometimes you'll find that that leg is a cm too long or that sleeve a tad too short, but that's due to many reasons;cloth shrinkage or "giving",an approximated measurement on behalf of the worker and so on!Please notice that to solve this problem(read the measurements being not that precise in the first place) a ney line was added to the size stamping,nearly always above them,this line would read like this: "168/175" or "168-175" or even "168175",but what about"168 175"?It means that that tunic or that coat or that pair of trousers should and would suit a soldier 168/175cms. tall!
Hope that shed some more light, buy I'm sure that a few pictures will do their part of the talking as well.........stay tuned!
Manny

[Glenn McInnes]

Here is an example of a enlisted tunic which was tailor upgraded for officer use and was re-stamped as such after the alterations.


Glenn

[bnz. 42]

For example, would a greatcoat ever be turned into a tunic and if so would it have been restamped before being issued again.

This is a good question as well. Does any body know if greatcoats have really been turned into tunics during the war?

[WWIIBuff]

Size numbers

Here is the photo that actually brought these questions to mind for me. Notice there are 7 numbers instead of 5 - why? And if the top two numbers have to do with length, than this should be a greatcoat correct?

John

[bnz. 42]

Here is the photo that actually brought these questions to mind for me. Notice there are 7 numbers instead of 5 - why? And if the top two numbers have to do with length, than this should be a greatcoat correct?

John, see Manny's post #4:

Please notice that to solve this problem(read the measurements being not that precise in the first place) a ney line was added to the size stamping,nearly always above them,this line would read like this: "168/175" or "168-175" or even "168175",but what about"168 175"?It means that that tunic or that coat or that pair of trousers should and would suit a soldier 168/175cms. tall!
Hope that shed some more light, buy I'm sure that a few pictures will do their part of the talking as well.........stay tuned!
Manny

[derspiess63]

[QUOTE=bnz. 42]John, see Manny's post #4:[/QUOTE

[WWIIBuff]

Size markings

Hi Manny,

Thanks for the info. Somehow I completely missed your reply before I posted my last question.

John

[christiandbn]

can someone explain to me the difference between:

the length of the tunic back
the overall tunic length

Is there a picture out there that shows the way tunics are measured?

Thanks,

Christian

[vbergman1]

The "tunic back length" is actually the back waist length, which is measured at the center of the back (along the spine) from the base of the collar to the level of the middle eyelet on the back panel of the tunic. (This level is at the natural waistline, which is not the modern day waistline we use now for jeans, low-riders, etc. It's usually about midway between the top of the hipbones and the bottom-most rib.)

The overall length is measured, again at center back, from the base of the collar to the very bottom of the tunic.

The sleeve is measured from the top of the armhole (where the sleeve meets the tunic body) to the bottom of the cuff, roughly in the middle of the sleeve.

The collar is measured from hook to eye with the collar lying flat open.

The chest is measured roughly from armpit to armpit with the tunic laying as flat as possible. Multiply this number by 2 and subtract about 10 cm ease from this result and this final number should pretty much match the stamped chest size. It's usually within 2 cm or so of the stamped size. There is some measurement error, fabric shrinkage, etc. that accounts for the difference. This is the only measurement of the five that uses any ease.

Hope this helps

[Mark_K]

Hi,

There is a thread about 'downsized' tunics here:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=649231&page=2

All the best,

Mark