West Germany Fallschirmjager Spange

[Guardian 5]

Team - Manion's is currently carrying this Vietnam era U.S. Army field jacket (left) festooned with a number of qualification badges to include the "3rd Model" Bundeswehr jump wing awarded from 1958-1966.

If this jacket is original, it is representative of a highly skilled and experienced U.S. Army Paratrooper.

All the best - TJ

[Guardian 5]

A close-up of the foreign badges.

[Guardian 5]

This view provides a clear look at the Bundeswehr wings.

[Guardian 5]

Here's a look at his U.S. qualifications.

More pictures are posted on the Indo-China Wars forum where I'm sure our compatriots will have much more to say about these pictures.

All the best - TJ

[Gordon Craig]

TJ,

Interesting to see these BW wings on a US uniform. Obviously wearing wings from other countries seems common with other forces as well as the BW FJ.

Regards,

Gordon

[Collectinsteve]

Very interesting! Also lots of things to be troubled by:

1. The M-51 field jacket and M-51 wool service shirt don't have the same exact badging.

2. Badging on field jackets was generally limited to the two tapes above the pockets, unit badges, and "tabs". Generally

3. So many violation of uniform regs, I don't know where to start!

So either these items were dressed up by "BECK" after his service, as memory pieces, or they are faked. I suppose the possibility is it could also be somewhere inbetween.

Personally, I don't like the smell of it. This guy supposedly earned jump qualifications for US, Germany, France, ROK, and another (I don't know what the green oval one is)! That's not impossible, but highly unlikely. And to top it off he managed to get to some of the senior grades of these qualifications (i.e. multiple courses). Further still, he somehow had the time and connections needed to get the Pathfinder award, some sort of Aviator's award (which I can't identify), Ranger, and Airborne courses as well. I don't even know what to make of the "DELTA-TEAM" scroll. Obviously it didn't cut into the time necessary to be in a combat deployment in Vietnam, long and serious enough to earn a CIB. No wonder he had no time to make it beyond the rank of Staff SGT!

Still, those badges look real enough and are likely to be quite valuable.

Steve

[SirHarry1]

Gentlemen,
I thought I could contribute to your discussion about the German para badges.
The first photos shows the metal badge in a different version, got it from a veteran many years ago. Then comes the very early bullion wing version and finally, also aquired from a veteran, a uniform of one of the early day paratroopers with the wing and arm patch in wear. I got the uniform together with the visor hat with cookie edge and pants with green piping, never saw one like this before or after.
Harry

[SirHarry1]

pic 2

[SirHarry1]

pic 3

[SirHarry1]

pic 4

[SirHarry1]

pic 5

[SirHarry1]

pic 6

[SirHarry1]

pic 7

[SirHarry1]

pic 8

[Gordon Craig]

Sir Harry,

Thanks for posting pictures of this early BW FJ tunic. Great for reference purposes.

Regards,

Gordon