Panzer Piped HBT for Comparison

[Will Brown]

16. And closing with the eagle seen in natural light.

Thanks for looking,

Will.

[Glenn McInnes]

Eagle and tabs are replaced post war in my opinion (probably by someone who wanted a Panzer tunic)..This sort of thing has been going on for decades..




Glenn

[Johnny R]

Insignia

I posted on the other link as well. I agree, all looks reapplied, also the tunic collar has been replaced, top pockets, it looks like it has been let out. I think it was a stripped tunic "restored". Boards look real, they are rare.

[TCT]

It looks like this was originally a two pocket drill tunic with chest pockets and lower pocket flaps added later. You can see the stitching lines on the back from where the waist adjustment tape once was.

William

[Jens Thune]

William:

I didnt even see that, but you are definetly right.. it is a 2 pocket drillich..

Kind regards
Jens

[LDR]

Could all these changes, adding tabs, eagle, pockets, letting out back etc, have been done by the original soldier to his/a drill tunic at the time?
Rather than post war by a collector?

[Will Brown]

Well, ask a question... Before leaving this morning I read the one reply from Glenn and figured that would pretty much set the tone for those to follow, but (insert expletive here) WOW.

Sounds more like a transformer than a tunic. I nevr considered it as anything other than a HBT tunic. Is not this material Herring Bone Twill, and if so were the Drillich tunics (I have never seen one) made of the same?

I do appreciate the comments guys, anything opinions/speculations and information you might have, I would like to hear them. Especially pertaining to the above question posed by LDR?

Will.

[Soldat de Fer]

It looks like this was originally a two pocket drill tunic with chest pockets and lower pocket flaps added later. You can see the stitching lines on the back from where the waist adjustment tape once was.

William

Hello
I agree ,used to be a drill tunic ,made into a combat tunic .
Regards
P-Y

[CWP]

This is HBT material, the standard fabric for these 2-pocket work tunics. Drillich is the German word for HBT fabric.

Could a soldier have taken early insignia from an early tunic that he had been issued, stitched the insignia on his work tunic, and had a unit tailor convert the tunic into a 4-pocket style? I suppose it is not impossible. Certainly, I think the modification to a 4-pocket tunic stands a good chance of being wartime done. But how could you ever know for certain when the insignia was applied? One can only speculate. It could have been done by a soldier, or a collector; the modifications could have been done in a POW camp, or for a film prop, who knows?

[Will Brown]

It seems most everyone has their own ideas as to the origins of this non-typical garment, which is fine. It is what it is and I'll leave it at that. My thanks to all for their insights.

BTW if anyone has been puzzled by the construction shown of the underside of one of the shoulder straps, (see picture 12) it is because some moron in the past saw fit to cut the tongues off. Why is anyone's guess. I had my tailor construct replacements using modern materials which seem to fit the bill. Certainly it has not damaged the straps any further and they are at least functional for display.

[JPhilip]

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[Ludwig]

Very nice!

[Will Brown]

Thanks guys, interesting comments. I am a bit uncertain as to the previous comment about the strap construction though, since when I got them I could definitely see signs of cut material, and there was no to way to fasten the outer ends to the tunic.

I will try and take some pictures tonight and show you what I mean.

Will.

[Will Brown]

Here are seven pics of the straps. It has been so long that I had forgotten that they are not a matched pair. Construction-wise they are of the pattern but differ in color and sizing.

Notice in pictures 4 and 7 where the inner reinforcing band of woven cloth appears cut at the ends of both. Clearly the underside half has been lost from each strap. You can see where my tailor grafted the replacement componants (everything to the right from where the piping has ended is new) so that I could use the straps for display.

1

[Will Brown]

2