RA Shoulder Boards

[Gary Cain]

I was fortunate in finding these a few days ago at a flea market. I have not seen many of these here in the states and I was wondering how common they were in Italy.


Cheers
Gary

[Gary Cain]

the back

I was fortunate in finding these a few days ago at a flea market. I have not seen many of these here in the states and I was wondering how common they were in Italy.


Cheers
Gary

[Fabio]

Regia Aeronautica spalline

Hello Gary
Well RA shoulder boards are pretty common to find here ...

[Fabio]

RA shoulder boards

The gold embroided ones are more common than the silver ones like yours: are yours silver or have they lost their gold patina?

[Fabio]

sorry

I forgot the pic, I am tired man now ....

[Fabio]

ranks

I am sure I am doing something useful for all us to share with you this rank file:
yuors is a leutennant, mine the previous rank (in italian we call it Sottotenente: and in english?)
Hope it helps.
Ciao
Fabio

[Gary Cain]

Hi Fabio,

No they are silver. The rank you are thinking of is Second Lieutenant.

Thanks for the rank chart! and nice boards!

cheers!
Gary

The gold embroided ones are more common than the silver ones like yours: are yours silver or have they lost their gold patina?

[frank savage]

Hi Gary and Fabio!

I think that the boards of Gary are goldened, in the past, and that we can see today is due the oxidation or something else. Sure, could be a private manifacture variation, but there's no traces of the use between the Regia Aeronautica branch about boards with silver alluminium thread.
Yours, with white backing are born for the white dress, but used also for the tropical clothing.

Hope this help. Nice shoulder boards, both!!

Frank Savage

[mr_helmet]

Hello,

certainly the silver colour of the tinsel/leads is the result of the oxidation because according to the regulations the colour must be gold and its colours seems not a pure silver but a changed gold.

About the rank of the shoulder boards, these are not for a Second Lieutenant but for a Lieutenant Colonel (embroidery around the edge).

[frank savage]

About the rank of the shoulder boards, these are not for a Second Lieutenant but for a Lieutenant Colonel (embroidery around the edge).

I agree with Mr helmet. That's true what he say. On that type of boards, the embroired piping means officer from mayor to colonel. Different words for the boards of the parade jacket: there the piping is gold with little squared blue spot for leutnant to captain and whole goldened for the rank af major to colonel.

Hope this help.

Cheers, Frank savage

[ITALIANWARFRONT]

I agree with Mr helmet. That's true what he say. On that type of boards, the embroired piping means officer from mayor to colonel. Different words for the boards of the parade jacket: there the piping is gold with little squared blue spot for leutnant to captain and whole goldened for the rank af major to colonel.

Hope this help.

Cheers, Frank savage

so is this maggiore?
http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-ITALY-WWII-...QQcmdZViewItem

[frank savage]

Hi!
Not Maggiore, but leutnant (sottotenente in italian), a single star on. On parade uniform (that boards come from that) the little blue square on the golden 'piping' means leutnant to captain. If the board was for a maggiore (mayor) the piping was in whole gold, without any blue square.
In the board you have linked, also, the lapels for the slips on are cutted...

Hope this help!
regards, Frank savage

[Fabio]

ranks clarification

Hello gents.
I am a little bit confused:
which ranks are the Gary's ones?
And mine?
Are the mine or Gary's ones embroided in the edge?
Please write the ranks in italian too.
Thanks a lot

[frank savage]

Hi Fabio, I understand why you're bit confused...

So, we have split the difference:

On the boards for tropical or white jacket the piped is flat and this is only for the officers from major to colonel. The other officers doesn't have any piping on the edge of the shoulder boards.

On the boards for parade uniform, all the officers have the piping.
- the gold piping with the little blue squared stripes (as that one linked by
Italianwarfront) are for leutnants to captain.
-the whole gold piping is meaning officers from major to colonel.
-up to general the piping is different, more elaborate.

Hope is all clear...

Cheers, Frank Savage

[frank savage]

which ranks are the Gary's ones?

The Gary's boards are for Lieutenant Colonel for a white uniform (somethimes wore also on the tropical one)

And mine?

Fabio's board are for a leutnant for tropical uniform (I can't see the back if is tan or white)

Are the mine or Gary's ones embroided in the edge?

Fabio's boards have not any embroied (or flat piping) on its edge.
Gary's boards bear it.

Cheers, Frank savage