Tunic Shopping. What Do I Need?

[mmiller]

Hello All & Happy New Year,


I have a question and welcome all comments. I presently have two Heer Awards, and am trying to figure out how to display them. The badges are a Fallschirmschützen-Abzeichen (C.E. Juncker, Aluminum), and a Flak-Abzeichen (C.E. Juncker, Tombak).


I would like to display both badges on a single Tunic, but I'm not sure what would be appropriate. I have to assume that the soldier was in the FIK early on, and then was somehow transferred into a Heer Flak unit. Am I on the right track? Does this even sound like a conceivable situation. What to do, what to do?


Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Mark




The Abzeichen

[Angel Farré]

Complicated, you need a soldier who was prewar with FIK and later transfer not to the LW or the Brandenburg but to a Heeresflak unit. In my opinion you need two tunics, one infantry for the FJ badge and another for the Heeresflakabzeichen (could be infantry, artillery even Panzer or Panzergrenadier)

Hope this help you a little.

By the way, wonderful pieces you have, with I have a Heeresflakabzeichen as nice as yours.

Angel

[DonC]

Mark, that would be a tough one to put them on the same tunic - the Heeres Flakabzeichen was authorized on July 18, 1941, which is after the army paratroop units were subsumed by the Luftwaffe. Nothing's impossible, but highly unlikely.


Don

[mmiller]

Hi Angel,


That's where I'm stuck. I was hoping that I could get by with a single Tunic. But it would be odd to have a FIK man transferred into a Heeres Flak unit. Most of the FIKs were absorbed into Luft Para units. Maybe toward the end, Paras would be needed to man Artillery pieces, but my Flak Badge is an early Tombak piece, so that would not make sense.


MM

[mmiller]

Don,


Now you see why I was looking for help. I couldn't make the pieces fit the puzzle. ????????


Mark

Mark, that would be a tough one to put them on the same tunic - the Heeres Flakabzeichen was authorized on July 18, 1941, which is after the army paratroop units were subsumed by the Luftwaffe. Nothing's impossible, but highly unlikely.


Don

[mmiller]

I did find this from Eric Queen's article:

Members of the Fallschirm Infanterie Bataillon continued to wear their original issue Army paratrooper badges after the transfer to the Luftwaffe on 1.1.39. On December 18th 1943 all former members of the Fallschirm Infanterie Bataillon were officially awarded the Luftwaffe version of the paratrooper badge, but very few opted to wear it in place of their original Army badges.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/war_...aratrooper.htm

So, the stretch is ..... Assuming a FIB/FIK man could/would continue to wear his Heeres Para Badge until 18.XII.43, could he be transferred into an Artillerie-Regiment after 18.VII.41 and then be awarded the Flak Badge?

[JasonA]

Hi Mark,

Nice badges you have there.

You could just get the best fit tunic for these two badges and enjoy them as-is, even if it might be a stretch.

That said, there’s some information that collectors assume and/or don’t know. You’ll see new things surface - including surprising badge combos in wear - in period photos.

Regardless, thanks for sharing these and good luck with your display!

Best regards,

J-

[mmiller]

Hi Jason,


Over the last 2 years, I've sold off most of my badge collection. I still have a few choice pieces, and so far, I've managed to 'load up' some tunics I have. I'm looking at these 2 badges and thinking it would be nice to have a tunic to display them on. I hate to be too 'non-regulation'. It'd keep me up at night. -


I don't mind springing for one nice Tunic. By the time I got done with it, I would have purchased the correct matching visor, a right-pocket award, etc. I guess I could always sell the Tombak Flak Badge, and not have to worry about it!


Mark


EDIT - I guess a lower ranked officer's Fliegerblusse with a Fallschirm-Jäger RGT1 or Fallschirm-Jäger RGT2 Cuff would do nicely! Good luck finding that.

[Stepdale]

No Mark, keep the flak badge and sell me the paratrooper badge. That way you'll sleep soundly at night.

Anything to help a fellow collector!
Dale

[mmiller]

Hey Dale,


That's a very generous offer. Now why didn't I think of that. I'd be glad to sell it to you. But once you realized it was made in Berlin, and not in Gablonz, You wouldn't be able to sleep at night!


Mark

No Mark, keep the flak badge and sell me the paratrooper badge. That way you'll sleep soundly at night.

Anything to help a fellow collector!
Dale

[Stepdale]

I occasionally stray outside of the Gablonz area for really nice things and I sleep just fine when I do. Except sometimes when my wife finds out how much the thing cost, then I might sleep fitfully on the couch until she gets over it!

Just keep it until you have another big home project to do or decide to move to warmer climes, then hit me up.

[JasonA]

Hi Mark,

I was encouraging you to spring for one nice tunic to display them on instead of two. Because to your point, it’s not just the tunic you’re buying: it’s the belt, visor, ribbon bar, other decorations, holster, etc. If you’re a 100% stickler for regs, you may be in a corner.

I think if you look long enough you’ll find a photo that will confirm someone wearing both of these badges. Regardless, I’m sure they’ll look magnificent on whatever you decide, me uniform or two!

Best,

J-

[mmiller]

Hi Jason,


I found a couple of contenders so far. the The first, a Feldherrnhalle '43 pattern feldbluse. The collar tabs and shoulder straps are Artillery red. The only slight drawback is the rank of Unteroffizier. After completing para training and with maybe a year or so in artillery, it would be nice if this guy had made Feldwebel. I also saw a nice early pattern issue tropical service blouse for a Heer Oberleutnant with white piped slip on shoulder boards for service with an anti-aircraft unit.


There is some nice stuff out there!


Mark

[jacquesf]

Mark, why dont you go for a " branderburger". Would be perfect for the Heer FJ and not beyond a flak award before transfer to the Branderburgers? Interesting award combinations and variety. J

[mmiller]

Jacques,


Great photo. Now I'm going to show my ignorance, but educate me on Brandenburger uniforms. I assume not all units wore wraps as in the photo. Did all units wear Heer dress? What makes their uniforms Branch specific - cuff titles, shoulder board devices, etc?


Thanks,
Mark