Rescued Early BGS Wool Tunic

[GREENEDUDLEY]

I recently purchased this early BGS jacket that had been made into a replica 3rd Reich jacket. I am wanting to restore with proper rank and insignia. I have some sew-in shoulder boards (pictured). I need to find some pips. I would like make the boards Hauptwachtmeister. What type of sleeve patch do I need? I have enlisted collar tabs all ready. I just need to find them.

[GREENEDUDLEY]

More photos. Is it possible to determine the date the jacket was made by the numbers in the inside pocket? I am kind of new to the BGS collecting.

[GREENEDUDLEY]

Shoulder boards, minus the pips, that I would like to sew back in. The photos did not come out to good.

[Nachrichten]

I think the boards may be a later pattern than the tunic.

They appear to be more 'moose green'. The earlier ones have a more pronounced dark green color.

Like you, I'm in the process of 'rescuing' one of these.

Good luck with your project!

N

[Collectinsteve]

Thanks for rescuing another piece of history

Your jacket is appropriate for late 1950s, but I can't remember exactly when this jacket was superseded by the "french cuff" type. Perhaps Klaus will stop by and give better date ranges.

Note that your type of jacket first saw service with nothing on the collar at all, but that changed shortly after the uniform was first introduced. You definitely should put collar badges on yours, but I wanted to make you aware in case you saw some pictures without any.

What you need is the following:

1. Very dark green EM collar tabs. Lighter green ones are from the 1970s/1980s. The color of the older tabs should be pretty close to the collar cloth color.

2. Matching dark green enlisted rank. Be aware that the rank structure changed a few times, which means some ranks are not appropriate for your jacket.

3. Machine woven BGS eagle shield badge machine stitched onto dark green felt backing.

That should do it!

Steve

[GREENEDUDLEY]

Here are some better photos of the sew in shoulder boards that I have. Do they look to be early enough?

[GREENEDUDLEY]

Some other should boards that I have in different shades of green.

[GREENEDUDLEY]

I think the boards may be a later pattern than the tunic.

They appear to be more 'moose green'. The earlier ones have a more pronounced dark green color.

Like you, I'm in the process of 'rescuing' one of these.

Good luck with your project!

N

After comparing some of my shoulder boards. I noticed that some are a olive green and one is a brighter dark green. Is the brighter dark green the earlier style? If you look at my photo below, you can see the differences in the color.

[Klaus1989]

this is the first model of the 4-pocket Dienstrock, which were worn 1953-61/62. Collar tabs were introduced 1957, but older tunics were also fitted with them. The turnback cuff tunics first appear in very limited numbers 1960.

You need the older embroidered eagle with cotton thread on wool backing. The earlier shoulderboards are the brighter green, but should only glued, not sewn. Later ones were sewn and then they switched to olive with the new post-76 green uniforms. I have a couple of these tunics with originally applied insignia, can take photos later, if that help.

Regards
Klaus

[Klaus1989]

proper rank would be any of the Grenzjäger or Wachtmeister ranks.

[Collectinsteve]

Thanks Klaus!

Note that rank is are in "mirrored" pairs. Notice around the edges that the pointy ends are different depending on if it is left or right. I think of them like arrows. The arrows start at the shoulder front and go around the button to the shoulder rear.

Steve

[Nachrichten]

I think your boards (as depicted in post #6) may have a chance of being appropriate for the period of the tunic.
Although it is always difficult to accurately judge shades of color in images on the internet, the newer images do look more of a dark green than the later style circa 1970's). They are a mirrored pair, so they meet the criteria.
The boards which you have are for the rank of a Wachtmeister, so they should be just fine for the reconstruction.
I'm curious about the "glued not sewn" comment in post #9. I have not heard of that before and I am uncertain how stable that would be for wear.

N

[Klaus1989]

I'm curious about the "glued not sewn" comment in post #9. I have not heard of that before and I am uncertain how stable that would be for wear.

N

it mean the earliest boards (until sometime in the 60s) have the tops attached to backing only with adhesive and you will not see stitching on the underside. And yes, sometimes the tops will seperate over time. Probably why they switched to stitching them later. The far left board might be glued, but i would need to see photo of the underside. Not see any stitches on top however.

Regards
Klaus

[Collectinsteve]

I think your boards (as depicted in post #6) may have a chance of being appropriate for the period of the tunic.

Except that they are the button on type with strap, not sew in type I missed that at first glance too!

Steve

[Collectinsteve]

it mean the earliest boards (until sometime in the 60s) have the tops attached to backing only with adhesive and you will not see stitching on the underside. And yes, sometimes the tops will seperate over time. Probably why they switched to stitching them later. The far left board might be glued, but i would need to see photo of the underside. Not see any stitches on top however.

Regards
Klaus

I can confirm this. I have several that have separated from the plastic. Worse, it seems the rank itself has shrunk, which means you can't simply reglue it to the backing because the backing larger than the rank. Total loss

Steve