Fred Green's Anal-Retentive Insignia Collection

[Fred Green]

Hello,

I have collected Heer cloth insignia on and off for 40+ years. I have bought and sold my collection many times over. I was stationed in Ulm, Germany from 1977-1980 with the US Army. I always had an interest in the military history of the area and this is still the heart of my collection.

During the Weimar years IR13 was stationed in Ulm. The 3rd Battalion carried the traditions for the Wurttemberg Infantry. IR120, IR123, and IR127 were stationed in Ulm with some other units pre-WWI.

[Fred Green]

IR120 was one of the units in Ulm.

[Fred Green]

The one of the battalions of IR13 was stationed in Ulm from 1921-1935.Here is some basic insignia from that time.

[Fred Green]

The Reichsheer also had a moleskin tunic and insignia designated just for it.

[Fred Green]

Here are a few other examples of Reichsheer insignia and a Soldbuch from IR13. Notice the early hand embroidered eagle. This came about in 1934.

[Fred Green]

The facing colors and cloth changed a few times. It went from a uniform cloth to a field grey badge cloth to a dark green badge cloth. The change didn't happen overnight and lots of insignia variations can be seen during this period. Here are some examples of Reichsheer specialty badges on the new dark green badge cloth.

[Fred Green]

Here are some more examples of enlisted and officer insignia

[Fred Green]

In 1935 the 3rd Battalion IR13 and the Wurttemberg Landespolizei were joined together to become the 1st Battalion IR56 of the Third Reich era. The Landespolizei had been training as soldiers for the 2 years prior. This was just a formality.

[Fred Green]

With the new regiment new uniforms were ushered in. Here is an example of both enlisted and NCO insignia for the waffenrock.

[Fred Green]

Here are 2 more examples of waffenrock insignia. Notice the Reichsheer signal blitz in the first photo! The second photo is of some insignia of a bandsman. The schutzenschnurr is missing the plakett.

[Fred Green]

The standard field uniform insignia in 1936 was a white eagle on a dark green base material and collar tabs branch piped. That changed in 1939 to a light grey eagle on a dark green base material and standard universal collar tabs. The shoulder boards shown for the NCO are the standard pointed 1936 style while the round end board for the enlisted man is the 1938 style. German insignia types were worn mixed throughout the war.

[Fred Green]

Here are a couple of examples of officer insignia worn from 1936-1942 with the regiment.

[Fred Green]

In 1940 the facing color changed for the German Army from Dark green to Field grey. Here are a couple of examples of Heer infantry boards of this time.

[Alan Wilson]

Fred, what a fantastic collection of insignia devoted to Wurttemburg units. A pleasure to see it.
Mike

[Fred Green]

In 1942 the Regiment, as did the whole 5th Division, change over to a light infantry or Jaeger regiment. The branch color changed from white to a medium shade of green. The also were authorized to were the Jaeger insignia on the right sleeve

Notice the shoulder boards in the lower half of the second photo. They are tailor made using dark green badge cloth and early Reichsheer tresse.