Strange SS Officer board . . .

[N.C. Wyeth]

Gary,

Thank you for your reply. I have never seen a board with a "donor" inside, especially not like this - one that actually has writing as such. It does say "Postkarte", so I am assuming that this is some sort of stiffener postcard as you say. It troubled me knowing that this set of boards has this "donor" layer that appears to be cello/plastic (somewhat glossy even) with writing imprinted on it - and along with the type of wool piping that it has, it gave me the impression that it might be some form of post-WW2 board that I have not yet seen. I guess this is a case of my imagination running wild away from me . . .

I appreciate your comments, and am happy to see that you have no trouble with this type of board - even as much as being confident that it is indeed something to be expected as being produced pre-1945. It's great to know that someone like yourself with as much experience and knowledge that you carry is willing to help one so ignorant as I about these things . . . thank you very much for the help! I learned something today . . .

Brad

P.S. I owe you one for freeing me from my complex - I'll be able to sleep again tonight!

[N.C. Wyeth]

Gary (and or anyone else . . .),

What "era" of the pre-WW2 timeline would you consider each of these types of boards to have been most commonly produced - pre/early/mid/or late war? Would it have been most expected to encounter wool piping prior to the beginning of the war, and maybe the rayon piping as the war progressed?

Thanks in adavnce for anyone's impression(s),

Brad

[Bob Hritz]

Brad,

I see nothing that would lead me to believe your artillery board is not correct. I have seen numerous boards with wool piping and all of them have had some form of stiffener to keep the shape of the piping.

I think the wool piped boards are earlier, but they do appear on later tunics, probably from being in tailors' stock when assembling a uniform for his customer.

I have also seen tailor made shoulder boards which have odd pipings. It was certainly not difficult for a good tailor to make his own shoulder boards by adding stock upper braid to whatever layer, or layers, he needed to make, for the appropriaqte tunic.

Sadly, many collectors reject anything that is not 'cookie cutter' RZM spec. There were many fine tailors who would alter size and shape of collar tabs, to fit the collar and fit NCO tress, as well as tailors who would apply shoulder boards, in the corresponding length to the size of a tunic.

Each item must be examined for what is is and we must be reminded that the era of a good tailor, in every neighborhood, is something common for the Third Reich era, if uncommon in todays 'off the rack' world.

Bob Hritz

[phild]

Gary (and or anyone else . . .),

What "era" of the pre-WW2 timeline would you consider each of these types of boards to have been most commonly produced - pre/early/mid/or late war? Would it have been most expected to encounter wool piping prior to the beginning of the war, and maybe the rayon piping as the war progressed?

Thanks in adavnce for anyone's impression(s),

Brad

I think that it is more complicated than that. Rayon and other materials were without question used in pre-war officer boards (at least Heer) along with wool badge cloth and wool felt.

The one point is that most and I guess all "official" SS officer boards made prior to 1940 were RZM controled items ...at least in theory. That would mean that the material used for the piping and all aspects of the board would have been dictated by RZM specs.....I'd bet that those specs allowed for Rayon, but I can not prove right now a rzm label on a pre-40 board using rayon.....or really anything else!

Wool was used until at least mid war for officer board piping and maybe until May 45!

I personally think that the quality of the weave of the backing badge cloth is a better indicator of period of manufacture than the material used for the piping.

[N.C. Wyeth]

Bob and phild,

Thanks for the information - I've often attempted to find an explanation to this question that made sense, and I think you have both provided such. Although boards are not the most popular item to collect (at least I don't think so?), I've been buying up a few every now and then just to get a better understanding of them. As hard as they seem to be to find, they also seem to be as equally difficult to find good information about as well. The wool-piping board (in SS Officer version) has always been the most curious to me . . .

Thanks again for your help!

Brad

[Gary Wood]

I think wool/felt piped shoulderstraps and rayon piped straps were both available at the same time for example;

I have a group where the earliest the officers straps could have been worn was late 1941, the straps on his first tunic are rayon piped, they were initially white but have been blackened as the guy was in the Pi, there was also a spare pair of slip on straps as well that are wool/felt piped these have black on black piping, these straps both have been upgraded to a higher rank so were in use after 1943 it would be interesting to see if there was any regulations covering what type of piping could be used on what

[N.C. Wyeth]

Additional photos requested, showing exposure under blacklight . . .

[N.C. Wyeth]

Second set

[N.C. Wyeth]

Third set

[N.C. Wyeth]

Fourth set

[N.C. Wyeth]

Fifth set

[N.C. Wyeth]

Sixth set

[N.C. Wyeth]

Final photo . . . best view

[istra63]

You have been well served by the previous comments.
Their knowledge should be repected.
I would say yes to the artillery shoulder boards(genuine).
As wool stocks twindled, silk/rayon superseded it.