Hey guys, even being a board/strap collector I find myself needing some guidance. What's the general opinion on this Panzerjager Oberfeldwebel Board? My concern was the button hole possibly being a "tear drop" fake variant that I haven't seen. Thanks in advance!
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Hello,
looks good without red flag. It is regular privat made board with fine hand sewn button hole.
Radek -
I have no issues with this board.
BobComment
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THANKS guys! My gut feeling was that it was fine and I know I shouldn't second guess my own knowledge, but sometimes I think we all do! Thanks again guys!Comment
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An original tailor made piece.
Note how thin in width it is;
Senior NCOs often had straps that came as close
as possible to Officer (showing the smallest amount of
dark green material in the middle)Comment
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The thinness did have me wondering,I was thinking Taylor made, but then had my doubts.Comment
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These narrow NCO boards have a specific meaning in the Wehrmacht. They are for a rank equivalent of a 3rd Lieutenant. In other words an NCO who because of experience or specialist training can wear the silvercord on his visor hat and officer dagger/ sword with silver officer knot. You will note that this NCO board is the same size and width as the narower officer Lieutenant board to indicate this status of the wearer in the field.
Here is a listing of where such a "Fähnrich" or "Oberfähnrich" NCO's with this "3rd Lieutenant or sub-Lieutenant" recognition could come from. Such a board is more likely to be worn by an NCO in group II than group I but there were some exceptions to the rule depending on qualification/ experience;
(I) Fähnrich = Cadet completing Officer Candidate School or specialist academy
Feldwebel (Offizier-Anwärter)
Wachtmeister (Offizier-Anwärter)
Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel
Fahnenjunker-Wachtmeister
(II) Oberfähnrich = Graduate serving as acting lieutenant, ensign or 3rd Lieutenant prior to commissioning as an officer
Unterarzt (physician)
Unterapotheker (pharmacologist)
Unterveterinär (veterinary)
Oberfähnrich im Ing. Korps (Engineering)
Feuerwerker m. b. Offiziersprüfung (Ordnance)
Unterapotheker
Feldingenieur
Oberfähnrich (Waffen)
Nice board and a hard type to find,
ChrisLast edited by 90th Light; 07-30-2016, 09:41 PM.Comment
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THANK YOU for all the info and input!!! I made the deal to buy this board, can't wait to have it in hand !!!!Comment
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I was always under the impression that such narrow boards were nothing other than just a tailor made variant, always sew-in and had no other significance...Originally posted by 90th Light View Post
I have a narrow set for an unteroffizier (mounted on a tunic) and he was never an officer candidate!Comment
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I do tend to believe that the thin boards were primarily Taylor made and private purchase. The officer candidate might hold some merit, but I believe that is based on individual instances.Comment
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Medical
You will see the "thin" straps used by medical personnel of the higher rank quite often.Comment
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What was his professional or technical training Nick ?Originally posted by NickG View Post
A German NCO wearing these narrow boards did not always have to be an officer cadet or even a senior NCO. However because of his professional or technical training, he could have the right to wear and officer silver chincord & knot yet only be as low as an unteroffizier in the Wehermacht.
The unteroffizier examples of this are very rare. However, I have seen an example of an "Unterveterinär" who was a qualified vet nurse then gone on to train as a vet but had not finished his last year of vet training. Instead he had joined the cavalry and promoted to an unteroffizier-3rd Lt. . The medical example I have all his detail of, was an "Unterarzt". He was a qualified 6 year medical student/ intern doctor. In his final year of medical school he was training to become a spinal specialist when he was press-ganged in to the Wehrmacht with no officer training as a medical Oberfeldwebel-3rd Lt because of his training to date.
Both of these NCO's wore narrow NCO shoulder boards the same size as a Lieutenant's boards with silver bullion breast eagle, silver badges on their crusher caps or silver cords on their regular visors. Both could wear silver officer knot on a bayonet for the unteroffizier or dagger for the Oberfeldwebel.
In their professional capacity they were technically acting-officers,
ChrisLast edited by 90th Light; 08-01-2016, 10:44 PM.Comment
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Chris remember this one? Exotic NCO that I restored (named set, cap+tunic+breeches all from the same MP,
all custom made in Holland in Dutch cloth) Named Feldgendarmerie Unteroffizier! The loop at the end I added....Comment
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Thanks Nick,Originally posted by NickG View Post
did the Police visor hat come with the tunic and was that the original chinstrap on the hat ?
would be interesting to know what civilian rank and specialist training in the police, this unteroffizier held ? i.e detective-sargent, fingerprints, forensics ?
It is also important to point out that such an unteroffizier would not hold that rank forever. It might only be a year ?. Once his professional training is completed, he would be sent to officer training school if the shortages of the war years permitted his absence.
Similar situation in the Imperial German Army, a conscript with 2 to 3 years training could become a surplus corporal (überzählige Unteroffiziere (Reservists)) . On absolving his primary recruit training, may be he was aspiring to become a Reserve-Officer ? This would mean further training and courses to qualify and achieve suitability for promotion to the officer rank. May be he would continue to receive further specialized instruction, with the opportunity to advance further in rank upon completion of that training.
I will check my boards tonight. From memory, the narrow calvary "Unteroffizier" is a sew-in board and the narrow medical "Oberfeldwebel" is a button in board,
ChrisLast edited by 90th Light; 08-01-2016, 10:40 PM.Comment
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