HBT opinions please

[Panzer-G-man]

Howdy all,ive been studying the HBT thread on the forum.Im looking at this one for sale,and comparing it to the ones here,and im not seeing any red flags.Can i get the experts opinions please?
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[Panzer-G-man]

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[OSS]

I see several red flags; the use of litzen with Waffenfarbe is essentially unheard of on any tunic after say 1939, also the hole near the wing of the breast eagle often indicates the removal of the factory sewn eagle. Like you however, I defer to the experts.

[Glenn McInnes]

Agree,replaced insignia.










Glenn

[Waffenreich]

Fundamentally speaking I agree with OSS (and Glenn), however, there were definitely factory produced tunics depot stamped in 1940 with colored litzen. I owned this GI "send-back" Heer Feldgendarmerie Oberwachtmeister that had orange-piped backed tabs (named to OWM Meinhardt, KIA Nov 43 in France [sorry about the crappy pic - it's a pic of an old pic from my "archives"]).

Regarding the HBT, from these few pics the jacket itself stands a good chance at being original, but the insignia was in all likelihood applied postwar. The collar tab has the corn-flower blue piping for a medical EM/NCO, and like both OSS and Glenn said, this type of tab would not have been applied to this pattern of jacket. With that I'd say the eagle is probably postwar applied as well. Like OSS said, when you see damage off the corner of the eagle's wing that indicates a sloppy removal job.

Unless that tunic was $250 - $300 I wouldn't touch it. It has restoration potential, but by the time you put the time and money into it with proper insignia you could buy an untouched example.

[Glenn McInnes]

Fundamentally speaking I agree with OSS (and Glenn), however, there were definitely factory produced tunics depot stamped in 1940 with colored litzen. I owned this GI "send-back" Heer Feldgendarmerie Oberwachtmeister that had orange-piped backed tabs

In my opinion,the piped collar tabs would have been personal preference and added by the wearer when the tresse was applied..


Looks very nice.



Glenn

[Waffenreich]

I don't disagree Glenn, just providing a wartime example dated '40 with colored tabs.

In my opinion,the piped collar tabs would have been personal preference and added by the wearer when the tresse was applied..


Looks very nice.



Glenn

[OSS]

I apologize for suggesting that there are no genuine tunics with tabs which display Waffenfarbe that were wartime applied. As Glenn said, many soldiers (primarily NCOs) had these tabs applied to issue or tailor made tunics as a personal preference generally for walking out dress. However, by regulation, at the outbreak of the war factory applied Litzen no longer displayed Waffenfarbe.

[Waffenreich]

...... by regulation, at the outbreak of the war factory applied Litzen no longer displayed Waffenfarbe.

[Panzer-G-man]

Many thanks once again,for all your expertise.At this point,im not a stickler for 100% insignia originality.Maybe in the future when i narrow down my field.Unfortunately $250-$350 seems an impossible find to the standard collector,even the pocketless,stripped,restoration jobs for sale on here,are looking over $200.

[jacquesf]

In my opinion,the piped collar tabs would have been personal preference and added by the wearer when the tresse was applied..


Looks very nice.



Glenn

Agree, seen often on an upraded tunic, but I have never seen it on hbt. Still very possible. J