Germania shoulder board

[merdock]

Hi,
I have posted this before and people liked it,except somebody said Germania did not have a panzer division on reading several books it appears they did for a short time,
And in Michael.D. Beaver's book set on ss uniforms he shows a uniform with pink pipped G shoulder boards. Please help
Merdock

[merdock]

reverse

[Mike C]

Hi Merdock,

Germania was not a panzer unit - ever. It was, in final form, a panzer-grenadier regiment in the 5th SS Panzer Division. There is a possibility that a Germania soldier could have used pink piping while serving in the regimental anti-tank company - although this was against regulations. Or this soldier could have retained his Germania insignia while transferred to a panzer training establishment or unit (although all panzer regiments and battalions were named with their own CTs). Or this same soldier, though not entitled to it - may have acquired his own SS panzer wrapper as a sexy addition to his wardrobe. There is an example of a GD RK-winner who, although an infantryman, worn a panzer wrapper in another forum. Some thougvhts

Mike

[SgtB]

This isn't the type of "G" I'm used to seeing on Germania boards. Although
they may have been used in a pinch, I think this style was used by a whole different branch. Am I wrong?

Plus the prongs don't come through the backside which also happened
occasionally but is still suspicious. Has it been on this board forever?

[merdock]

Hi,
This style is seen in drawings in the bender book on ss cloth,and it's always been on ,there's no chance this board is made up or wrong,infact there's a better chance meeting Hitler having tea with God than that.
Merdock

[Gary Wood]

merdock,
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, I have seen and handled this shoulder strap many many years ago, last time I saw your strap it was for sale at a dealers table at Stockport when it used to be in the old town hall and I am talking 20 plus years.
the dealer also had other ss straps made in the same way, I have a photo of a couple, I though I had a photo of that one as well but have not found it,
The piping on your example although it looks like the rayon silk piping it is not it is a woven outer over a cord string on the inside, there is also not tongue like you normally find on rayon/silk piping, the 2 examples I will show in pictures below have the same type of piping, all this piping started off as white and has been dyed to the appropriate colour, again I will have to look but I believe somewhere I have an example of this type of piping.
the metal "G" on your shoulder strap is not an SS "G", although period it is much larger than the normal examples of cyphers, that type of "G" (on your strap) is designed for collar insignia but again not ss collar insignia, again I will post examples below.

I later found out who was making these straps although I can only now remember his first name which was geoff, he bought army straps dismantled them added the piping thus turning them into ss straps, he did most colours except white, this was because the piping glowed like a Christmas tree
cheers,
Gary
PS first picture is of the same type of cyphers

[Gary Wood]

here is the first example of the same type of strap

[Gary Wood]

2nd

[Gary Wood]

here is the latin style "G" on a ss nco's strap

[Gary Wood]

and a comparison of cyphers

[merdock]

Hi,
Thanks for that Garry i think that you are right.
Merdock

[John Pic]

Thats funny because these have made thier way into US collections and I have examined a couple.The piping is more coarse than the rayon and I have seen a white piped one and it did glow neon bright.Ive never seen one witha cypher.

[Tony Barto]

Gary;

You're a never ending source of valuable information!!