meffert

i was looking through the tunics i have of that color (white) and twill fabric and none of them (naval or other services) have the lower pockets. I wonder if you are right that it might have to do the merchant marine fromt the 20's to 40's and that the imprint would correspond to some officer rank. Afraid i can't help more than that

It looks the outline of rank stripes on each sleeve. Can you make out the silhouette of a small star higher on the sleeve?

That style tunic was used by the navy in the 30's (no shoulder boards) and multiple branches of service from 43 on (with appropriate shoulder boards). It was used by officers and commanders for sure, maybe also by lower ranks. Are there loops for epaulets on the shoulders? What is on the buttons? (Anchor=navy, anchor+crest=post45 admiral or naval general, H&S=any non-navy branch of service, crest=general officer of time period appropriate to number of ribbons on crest.) Hope it helps. They are relatively easy to obtain

Worst thing I didn't figure out how to buy: When we were about to leave Germany in 1972, the main clock dealer through whom I had bought most of my TR items offered a complete SS general's uniform; breeches, tunic, overcoat, visor cap. Price was $1100. I was sixteen and didn't have that sort of money and my dad was working a house buy at our next duty station and didn't have a grand laying around either. Could be a significant part of my retirement portfolio now if only I had figured out a way. Worst thing I did to a perfectly nice artefact: Bought a clean M16 stahlheim, good paint, good liner. I had my dad sandblast it to bare metal and then I krylon spray painted it black and put some cheesy Leibstandarte decals on it. Fortunately by the time I switched to soviet militaria from german, I learned not to monkey with anything. (Although I remember passing up a pair of ORB screwbacks with documentation for $500 shortly after I started, thinking that was a bit pricey.)

Similar but with silk background to boards and green background to collar tabs. Love the M43's...

M35 enlisted pullover

may I add one to these lovelies? M22 Komdiv from Moscow region. I also have a navy m43 parade with green stripes on the epaulets that would go with a medical officer but not the snake & chalice. Maybe another technical branch...or one went with epaulets that were close enough.

I believe the one on the left is a late model customs official hat badge

Here's a nifty collar you haven't shown yet...aeronaut!

Never seen a chinstrap on a winter bud but now I know they existed (lest some e-expert claim any such simply must be a fantasy piece). I notice also that the star is hammer and plough...cooler still.

Shoulder of same uniform

It was neat seeing the armor specific M22 collar badge in wear. My understanding is that much more common from 1922 to 1935 was the "universal armor" badge which included tanks, armored cars, armored trains, etc. as seen in post 28. Here's one off an M22 in the flesh. (or cloth and metal as it were)

I would probably stick with what you have (although may put the OPW on top of the slant). Some holes that don't make sense may be because, for instance, the guards badge (or a graduation badge) was in one location and when a time in service red star was added nearby, it had to be moved. A hole through front but not lining is probably either a moth nip or a careless cigarrette coal (I have many period uniforms with both).

I have an m43 medical parade like that (silver spools tarnishing to a golden color). But I've also gotten many mismatched uniforms over the years. I'm glad yours is a good one.

One thing I noticed. In other parade uniforms of the era, the cuff "spools" for a technician would also be silvered. Perhaps they are and the patina makes them look gold in these pictures. If that's not the case, are you absolutely sure the epaulets are original to this piece?

I have a late 50's gun magazine that advertises shootable Slothurn 20mm anti-tank rifles for $295 and ammo at just under a dollar a round. Lot of money in 50's terms but those were the days. Makes me wonder who bought them and where they are now...and how ammo do they have left. Nice Degtyaryov...always impressive wartime footage showing soldiers hauling them off into battle.

Adding some color to your lovely cap. 1st Cav Div/1st Cav Reg

Way cool A soldier of apparently few but singularly distinctive accomplishments. "I fought an entire war and all I got was a lousy ORB and an order of Lenin". That would certainly be an interesting tanker to research.

Major General Aviation B.A.Smirnov, taken in Moscow August 1951. It's on page 316 of Volume 2 of the Air Force uniform books (uniforms 1935-55.) Probably not the vodka guy or the inventor of Smirnov Ice

Regarding retired officer boards, another soviet cloth guy sent me these photos so I'll pass them on.

Found an unattached set of naval silk for a lieutenant. Not as cool as some of the others but with it's own class

The stars on the colonel's boards are brass; I agree that I've never seen other stars like them but, like you say, I've never seen another pair of the retired officer pogoni so that may be the way they all were. Even better, they are the same on the other side. Stars on the VOSO lieutenant are bullion. While I have any number of bullion embroidered flag officer stars, this is the only such officer epaulets I have.

And then there's these wacky railway director boards...but I think flag officer silk epaulets may be more the rule than the exception.

And a VOSO M43 service and a retired armor colonel m43 service

Well, OK, here is the medical lieutenant