Converted Officer belt to EM belt "Sud-Front"

[Joda]

Thanks Joda,

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5/ The RB number on your belt helps us to work out where it was made or where it was modified ???

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7/ Why go to all the trouble of refurbishing officer belts in 1944-45. Why not just issue them as belts for use. By 1944-45, is it really going to matter if an EM/ NCO is wearing an open frame buckle ???

8/ There is a lot of extra work in refurbishing that belt. The open frame buckle has to be removed and the belt cut for a clip. The clip has to be stitched on followed by the new leather adjustment tongue to hold the buckle. Why bother. Why not just use the existing holes for the EM/ NCO buckle. ???

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Chris

Hi Chris,

I can give you only some answers to your questions:

5/ I think that the RbNr on my belt is not necessary applied when it was modified..might it also be the RbNr of the officer belt itself.. this is only my opinion, but your theory might be correct too.

7/8/ I think there is not a clear explanation: it is well accepted that germans used modified belts during the last years..why making such an effort ? We really dont know..perhaps officers belt were in surplus? consider also that many officers used EM belt to hide their rank because of enemy snipers..
About the inner leather tongue I think it is necessary to wear the belt, because the outer holes of the officer belt are wider then the inner buckle's prongs (Agree completely with Ric)

What do you think about, Ric?

Hope this helps..!!

Joda

[90th Light]

Hi Chris,

I can give you only some answers to your questions:

5/ I think that the RbNr on my belt is not necessary applied when it was modified..might it also be the RbNr of the officer belt itself.. this is only my opinion, but your theory might be correct too.

7/8/ I think there is not a clear explanation: it is well accepted that germans used modified belts during the last years..why making such an effort ? We really dont know..perhaps officers belt were in surplus? consider also that many officers used EM belt to hide their rank because of enemy snipers..
About the inner leather tongue I think it is necessary to wear the belt, because the outer holes of the officer belt are wider then the inner buckle's prongs (Agree completely with Ric)

What do you think about, Ric?

Hope this helps..!!

Joda

Thank you Joda,

I appreciate your reply and input. The RB number on your belt has me wondering. Where it is positioned on the belt is also interesting. It would be a help to now see other officer belts by this maker. In fact it would be great to see officer belts with RB numbers in general. It has occurred to me these are not common. Did they stop making officer open frame buckle belts around late 1942 to 1943 ? Has anyone ever seen one dated 1944-45 ?

In my search for information/ answers, I came across this example where they have gone the other way i.e. they have refurbished from EM/ NCO to officer configuration. Makes one wonder why ? Although we do see SS officer, HJ officer & other political officer leather belts like this.

Again more proof of the later war refurbishments going on in the Third Reich,

Chris

[90th Light]

Modified EM/ NCO to officer belt

Again proof of the later war German refurbishment industry to create enough combat uniforms & headgear,

Chris

[90th Light]

Chris,

as to your question by 8/ :

do not forget distance between adjustment holes on officer's belt is different than on EM's, so you have to add an adjustment tongue to allow EM's prongs fitting easily.

Ric

Thank you also Ric,

what you say makes perfect sense. It is interesting that this belt I have posted images of in post numbers 32 & 33, also has a leather adjustment tongue for the buckle. The holes are not punched directly into the belt when that would have been an option in this case. However it is RB numbered so we know it is from the later/ late war period.

Now is the RB number the maker of the belt or the factory that did the refurbished modification from EM/ NCO to officer configuration ???

Chris