Red flag or not???

[Drew Wright]

Opinions wanted on the following:

I am considering buying an army officer's waffenrock. This tunic appears 100% "correct" in all aspects, however two small things bother me a bit. The first is that while the collar tabs are nicely machine sewn, the cuff tabs are hand applied. The second is that the rank is to a major, yet there are no loops for awards.

I am curious what other collectors think of these "inconsistencies." Do you think these are merely interesting points of discussion or aspects that would put serious doubt as to authenticity into another collector's head?

Thanks much!

Drew Wright

[Dave Suter]

The lack of award loops doesn't bother me. They are easily removed, and it is not uncommon for the original owner's family to have removed them.

The hand-stitched cuff tabs are another matter though. I currently have 10 waffenrocks and all are machine sewn. Sounds like a rehab job to me.

[Rick Research]

No Major had NO awards: a pair of long service awards at the very least at the beginning of the war.

I can't iamhine why on earth anyone would go to the bother of removing award loops, let alone why they would want to.

Sounds like the boards and cuff tabs, at the least, have been mucked with.

Is there the button under the right board for the officers' dress aiguillette?

[Drew Wright]

There are loops for a very small ribbon bar, perhaps two medals at most. There does not seem to have ever been any loops for awards. There is also a button sewn for the aguillette.

All of the insignia matches in color, with only a slight variance for the piping (not alarming).

Thanks for the thoughts! I'm looking forward to more informed opinions.

Drew

[Bill D.]

Drew...
-What is the branch of the Waffenrock?
-I don't think I can agree that a Major must have had some badge-style awards. The waffenrocks were pre-war uniforms. Depending upon when the Officer was commissioned, whether he had any prior service, etc., could all effect the decorations. Even if he had been old enough for WW I, he would have been a young man, and he might might have received, for example, the EK II and Hindenburg Cross. If a long service medal was added later, the two loops would probably still easily do for a medal bar with 3 medals.
I have noticed that a number of the nicer waffenrocks I have owned were for combat arms and often lacked loops for more than perhaps one badge. I noticed that, going by the regimental numbers on the boards, they were often Eastern Front combat units. I've speculated personally that some of these fellows may well have never lived long enough to put either any real wear, or combat badges, on the uniform. Another question is whether there are any indications that this uniform was a tailored piece. In the 1930's (and it remains true today), a mark of quality tailoring was the extent of hand-done stitching to the garment. Again, just my personal opinion, but I would not rule out an entire waffenrock simply because the cuff effects were sewn onto the cuffs by hand.