Forestry General? - Hoping for positive ID

[Rick C]

Picked this up some time ago. Was told it may be a Forestry General board - perhaps from Bavaria.

A positive ID would be great since I'm hoping to thin out some stuff around here.

Thanx, Rick C.

[Rick C]

reverse

[Rick C]

closer on the crown

thanx

[SCHUPO]

It looks like Saxon insignia to me. Not a General rank board, IMHO.

[Gordon Craig]

Rick,

I can not indentify your board but I do not beleive it is a Forestry one. General or otherwise. German Forestry rank insignia has featured the acorn for some time and although I have no definitive proof of when they started to use the acorn I would expect to see it used for a general equivalent rank in Imperial times rather than a crown. The plush green backing certainly looks like that used on the uniforms associated with Forestry although not necessarily Forestry itself. The best I can do is compare it with a uniform in my collection which features green plush backing on the shoulderboards as well as the collar. The uniform tunic pictured below was sold to me as a Forestry tunic, which it is not. It remains unidentified after several years in my collection. It probably dates from the time between the two world wars.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

A close up of the shoulder boards and the collar.

[foersterBerlin]

Hi Gordon,
the tunic is a so called B-Rock (used for Parades and formal events)from the german forestry sevice from 1942 -45. After this date it was worn unaltered in most parts of West Germany until 1953.
The Schutzenschnur is not correct with this uniform, as it is for a Rifle Association.

Regards
Stefany

[foersterBerlin]

Hi Rick,
as imperial militaria is not my special subject it is a bit difficult for me to tell exactly.
I had a saxon parade forestry tunic and it too had green plush (velvet) backing on the boards. The rank was shown by a 6-pointed star.
So it could be saxon forestry service, but I have to look it up as at this time every german state had its own uniform regulations which makes it really difficult to find out.
But I will do my best.
Regards
Stefany

[Rick C]

Thanx Stefany.

I appreciate any help on this. Rick

[GdC26]

Saxon Forestry is not out of the question, IMHO.

Im Dienste Sachsens, pp52 and 53, shows a gold braided shoulderboard on a green background (admittely, with four braids rather than three) as the 1905-1919 insignia for rankgroups 1-7. Furthermore, it shows the crown as part of the insignia used in1815 (so: a century earlier) to denote rank. The text does not provide further information that could assist in a more positive identification. Slightly scattered info, I admit, but perhaps a start.
Regards,
Sandro

[Rick C]

Not sure if it makes a difference but the board is 5&5/8" long by 2&1/8" wide so I'm assuming it's for a great coat.

RC

[Gordon Craig]

Stefany,

Good to hear from you again. Long time since we've communicated. Now I can thank you in person for the Police hat I had asked Nico to bid on for me.
Back to the B rock and the aguillette. I knew about the aguillete but I left it on the uniform as it is damaged and will probably survive better if left alone. The tunic has always puzzled be because of the lighter green piping around the plush, dark green backing of the boards. Since you are more experienced than me in this area a B rock it is.
Loking forward to hearing more about early Sachsen Forestry shoulder boards and rank insignia.

Regards,

Gordon

[foersterBerlin]

Hi Gordon,
the lighter sides are perhaps only signs of age, either bleached out or rubbed off from bad storage or heavy use.
So it is an original piece which is correct for Rank of "Ausserplanmässiger Revierförster" (one rank before Revierförster, only the acorns on the boards are the differencebetween them).

Sure, bidding for you is no problem!

Best Wishes
Stefany

[Gordon Craig]

Stefany,

You are probably correct about the wear on the boards. It really looks like separate piping but under close magnification it isn't.

Regards,

Gordon