Some Heer shoulder straps and slip-on unit titles.

[PaulW]

Kavallerie/ Reconn M40 EM pair

A Kavallerie/ Reconnaisssance M40 EM pair.

[PaulW]

The back. The moths have had a field day with these, but they display OK from the top.

Note the use of the reinforced-slit (or 'shirt button') type button hole on the tongues only. This is listed as a rare but accepted variant in the Suter book mentioned earlier, with examples shown in that book.

Also, note the 'end of bolt' white stripe on the back of one board.

[PaulW]

Also shown with a pair of slides for the "Aufklärungs-Abteilung (motorized) 246" (246th Reconn battalion of the 246th Infantry Division). This Division served in France in 1940, then served as an occupation unit, before being sent to the Eastern front in February 1942. It was mostly destroyed in June 1944 during the Soviet 'Bagration' offensive, but was reconstituted in September 1944 as a Volks-Grenadier Division.

I have Mario Hiscoll to thank for the boards again, and Mike Davis of the Virtual Grenadier to thank for the slip-ons!

[PaulW]

Closer shots.

[PaulW]

Pioneer Battalion 246

A pair of 'sister slides' to the above for "Pionier-Bataillon 246", also of the 246th Infantry Division. Again, the unit was destroyed on the Eastern Front at Vitebsk in June 1944.

[PaulW]

A closer shot.

[PaulW]

Artillerie-Regiment 69 slip-ons

A pair of slip-ons for "Artillerie-Regiment 69". This seems to have been a Regiment (rather than a battalion sized Divisional support unit), used at the Corps level (by various Corps, rather than any particular one) on the Eastern Front until it was destroyed in June 1944.

It was later 'resurrected' and ended the war in West Prussia.

[PaulW]

Displayed on a pair of Artillery M40 boards.

[PaulW]

Infanterie-Regiment 485 slip-ons

A pair of Infantry slip-ons for "Infanterie-Regiment 485", a part of the 263rd Infantry Division. The Regiment was re-named Grenadier-Regiment 485 in October 1942. The 263rd Division served in France early in the war, and then on the Eastern Front, ending the war in the Kurland pocket.

[PaulW]

The slip-ons on a pair of Infantry M40 boards.

[PaulW]

'M38' type Infantry Unteroffizier shoulder straps

A pair of 'M38' type Infantry Unteroffizier shoulder straps that I recently 'inherited' with a tunic. They are obviously combat worn, and have the look of a pair that have always been together (no proof, just a gut feeling). One of the button-holes has been repaired.

I think they are an interesting pair because one has wool piping, and the other has "corded material" piping (description used by Suter and Suter in the Heer Shoulder strap book).

This piping is also sometimes referred to on the WAF as 'basket-weave' and is often associated with M44 boards. I have seen this piping on a pre-war Waffenrock, and this is clearly an earlier war pair so I would guess that this piping type might be a pre-war manufacturer variation, resurrected later in the war when stocks were scoured for anything that could be used. Just a theory! Although we might notice this kind of thing, I imagine that a front-line soldier would not lose much sleep over this 'mis-match'...

[PaulW]

One of the tongues has been replaced.

[PaulW]

More pics.

[PaulW]

Close shots.

[PaulW]

Added a pair of M40 EM Pioneer boards (thanks to WAF member MULON for these).

There are some minor 'production line' variations between the boards, but I think (IMHO) they are close enough to call a pair.