RBN Numbers; what do they tell us?

[PaulR]

I have a tunic that has the following RBN number:

R.B.N 0 0225(or 6) 0023

What does this number tell us?

What other numbers are there in your collections?

[Vincent S.]

This tells us that it was made by a factory which has been a uniform manufacturer from its foundation on, and that it was ordered in the Berlin Wehrkreis. I can not tell you the exact location, but it will pressumably be close to the Bekleidungs-Amt that ordered the production.

Just my 2 cents

[Johnny R]

There there are other threads on this. I suspect that somewhere in German or Allied documents there is a list of these but I have not been able to find it. The first value "0" is reported to indicate Germany, the second set of numbers the town or specific area and the last set the specific manufacturer.

[Vincent S.]

Hi,

The first digit indicates the production branch, so to speak uniforms and equipment. I have encountered other digits than a "0" or a "1", which indicated that the piece was manufactured by a factory which was originally not a uniform manufacturer.

The second series match up with the Wehrkreis, the third series pressumably match with the exact manufacter's location. I have posted my observations on these on a previous thread, but I can't find them straightaway.

All the best,
Vincent S.

[19BARBAROSSA41]

I was always told and thought that "0" means that I was made in III Reich area and "1" was made in occupied teritories.

By the way ; my idea is that RB Nr or RF Nr were given ONLY to very big manufacturers which were producing war goods in industrial amounts.
The smaller producers were still using 3 letters codes.
It makes sense cause who will bother bombing small factories ( which were still usisng 3 letter codes ) while they can destroy BIG makers ( who was using from 1942 RB Nr and RF Nr numbers ) and stop german war machine in in bigger scale.

[km-spain]

Hello, I have a very long list with RBNr codes, maker name, Town, address and products made. With this and the codes that I have seen on Heer tunics this is my understandng about these codes.

RBNr codes are of 9 numbers distributed in 3 sections, X / XXXX/ XXXX. First number was almost always a 0, but some wartime examples have been found with number 1 and 9. Some people think that these might be some sort of country code for items manufactured outside of Germany but I don’t think so because most of RBNr. codes that I have seen with this sequence belongs to German producers. The first section of 4 numbers indicates the code of the town, so you can find many different codes with this same sequence of numbers, and all are from the same town, and finally the second one indicates the maker code, that always is different.

Paul about your tunic these are thoughts.

R.B.N 0 0225(or 6) 0023

I have not found any code from 0225 (or 6) town, but those from 0201 to 0228 that I have found are all from Pommem area and most of them with 0215 code from Stettin, so is your tunic stamped with the St. depot code?

0023 would be the code from the maker in that area.

Just my 2 cents.

[Vincent S.]

I fully agree. I have posted my conclusions concerning these in a previous thread:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...+makers&page=2

Would it be possible to see this list, just to verify what I am saying and pressumably learn out of it?

Kind regards,
Vincent S.

[km-spain]

Hi Vincent,

the list is really long. around 140 pages with 38 codes per page (more than 5.000). It's a very good reference but I can not find any uniform maker in this list.

From your other thread comments:

0/0250 Berlin - agree, from 0/0250 to 0/0259
0/0350 Erfurt - Leipzig, Erfurt is 0/0343
0/0750 Stuttgart - agree
0/0850 Munchen - agree
1/1001 Wien (Not yet confirmed, awaiting further markings) - agree, from 0/1000 to 0/1025 Wien

Others, but I have many more:

0/0450 Hannover
0/0496 Hamburg
0/0550 Köln
0/0556 Aachen
0/0560 Wuppertal
0/0561 Solingen
0/0950 Nürnberg

In the list I hav also codes that started with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 and all are from German makers.

[Vincent S.]

Thanks for the information. Interesting to see that I was not far of with my conclusions (against all expectations).
0050 : Konigsberg (?)

Could you mail me the list of meanings of the second series? I would be very grateful. This would be top-notch information for my book. Although I have allready explained the RBNr and their construction , I have yet to complete a the list of locations, as this is only partially finished.

Kind regards,
Vincent S.

[km-spain]

Vincent, PM sent.

0050 : Konigsberg - 0/0020

Other Heer depot towns:

0/0675 Frankfurt
0/1325 Posen

[km-spain]

More:

0/0650 Saarbrücken - agree
0/0639/0049 Vereinigte-Bekleidungs-Industrie (Mainz) - OK 0/0639 is Mainz
0/0842/0009 Marte K-G. - 0/0842 from Mammingen (Bayern)

[km-spain]

In the other thread there are some good observations.

The first digit is not a country code (somewhat ridiculous to assume the '1' would refer to Austria in the totalitarian 'united' Grossdeutschland...), but refers to 'Industry' or 'Trade'. The '0' is simply 'Industrial production'. The '1' could refer to sub-contracting or some kind of artisanal production('Landeslieferungsgenossenschaft').

I'm not sure about this point, but if this idea is right, what about the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 that I have seen.

[Johnny R]

Hi Vincent,

the list is really long. around 140 pages with 38 codes per page (more than 5.000). It's a very good reference but I can not find any uniform maker in this list.

From your other thread comments:

0/0250 Berlin - agree, from 0/0250 to 0/0259
0/0350 Erfurt - Leipzig, Erfurt is 0/0343
0/0750 Stuttgart - agree
0/0850 Munchen - agree
1/1001 Wien (Not yet confirmed, awaiting further markings) - agree, from 0/1000 to 0/1025 Wien

Others, but I have many more:

0/0450 Hannover
0/0496 Hamburg
0/0550 Köln
0/0556 Aachen
0/0560 Wuppertal
0/0561 Solingen
0/0950 Nürnberg

In the list I hav also codes that started with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 and all are from German makers.

Where did you get that list? Sounds like an important research tool that would be great to have.

[km-spain]

Where did you get that list? Sounds like an important research tool that would be great to have.

John, I really don't know where did come from, I have a photocopy from many years ago. In the list I have not found unforms makers, but is a great helpful tool to placed the makers of uniforms and equipment.

I'm pleasure to send you (all who would be interested in it), but if you are many and as are 140 pages I have to ask for the cost (copies and shipping).

[Johnny R]

Thanks, that is very nice of you. I have tried to find a list in NARA before but was not lucky.