Blue German Army buckle

[Steve Sherlock]

I have a buckle question--

WWII steel German Heer buckle, but painted Luftwaffe blue. No leather tab. I don't recall seeing a blue Heer buckle before. Are these unusual? Any ideas? (I just saw one a friend has.)

Thanks,
Steve

[Ray Brown]

Kriegsmarine

Hello,
I believe blue Heer buckles are Kriegsmarine, or possibly
coastal artillery-Ray>

[Wickie]

Hello Steve,

yes there are a lot of blue Heer buckles!

But I can't believe they are from the Kriegsmarine or CA. You can read my and other comments about this topic here:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...864#post133864


Christian

[Marc verstraete]

Nothing proves that the blue buckles are for the KM. Or CA, the story was probably made up as an easy explanation for the colour of the buckle. For someone who knows a little about uniforms it will seems very unlikely that the CA would wear a bleu buckle when all the rest of the uniform and equipment is green. CA did not have blue uniforms like the navy. On the other hand, there exist plenty green / olive painted steel buckles with navy eagle marked tab.
Also, I have a bleu rodo SS buckle. Same bleu paint as on the bleu rodo army buckles. Difficult to imagine a SS CA unit with a special selection of bleu buckles to wear with a (pink??) camouflage J:J
The dark bleu colour was indeed probably the last paint used to paint buckles at the end of the war. More research will have to be done on this subject. And I would be very grateful if someone could give me a believable prove that those buckles where indeed made for exclusive use by the navy or CA. I will give him a mint condition such buckle.
Marc

[Kurt Doench]

Tempting offer, Marc, but I think you and Wickie really said all there is to say on the subject as of now. Concerning proof, somebody once told me that he had actually seen an army order authorizing the dark blue as an Ersatz colour for Heer buckles - which would go some way to explaining Marc's SS buckle.

Anyway, if soemone digs up proof either way, please keep us posted and earn that buckle...

Greetings,

Schleppfux

[Pieter Verbruggen]

The blue buckles are nothing more than late war examples.
The German army had the intention to use this color for all their equipment parts.
Look at the late war buttons, hooks,...
Pieter.

[Steve Sherlock]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the feedback. It seems the stronger argument is that the blue is late war when they were either using what ever paint they had on hand, or that it was intended for much of the equipment to be painted that color. Pieter, yes, I've seen the examples you mention - especially the buttons on some very late war tunics.

Steve