achern

Could you tell us how some of his insignia ended up on eBay?

And here is a set of Toye Kenning and Spencer Lieut-General epaulettes made around 1991. They are huge.

Here is the top back of the unusual Field Marshal epaulettes, same style as the LG ranks, but quite different stitching And the bottom

Here is the back top of the high quality Brigadier rank And the bottom

Here's a picture of the top back of the Lieutenant General rank And here is the bottom of the same

Thanks for the analysis. I also have that set of high-quality epaulettes with the X-stitching. In fact, of all my Iraqi epaulettes, that version is only one to have the X-stitching on the rear. All the others have the stitches hidden inside.

I've just checked: The white stabilisers on the Lieutenant General epaulettes are stitched to the outer fabric at the top and the bottom. Same for the black stabilisers for the Saddam ranks. Both of them have the same merrowed edges running down both sides of the inside seam that goes down the middle of the back. Quite nicely done, too. Additionally, the white stabiliser on my Cabinet ranks are stitched to the fabric at the top but not the bottom, while the RCC ranks are stitched both top and bottom. Alf

Paul, in fact, I took a closer look and there is a hint of a shield on the chest of the eagle. It is very faint, but there are also three stars sewn in the centre of the shield. This is more apparent in the left side epaulette than the right. A pretty poor job, but still there nonetheless.

Hi Hoyden, I'm with you on your observations. I'm very particular about detail and have noticed these things as well. The overlock stitching, or what I usually call merrowing (in this case, a rather low-density merrow), is not present on any of the other Iraqi epaulettes I have, but only the Lieutenant General set in particular. All the others are merely stitched across and left to fray. Also, these are the only ones I've seen which are angled, although I do not know what for. I'll check if the stabiliser is stitched to the other fabric. I also have not seen any other black stabilisers, except on this Saddam rank set. Do show me pictures of the stay stitching. I haven't seen these on any of my rank sets.

Thanks, Paul. I like the embroidery on your RCC epaulettes. It looks more dense and the characters on the flag more well-defined. Also, there is a row of double-stitching at the ends of the epaulette which mine does not have. Probably we have different manufacturers, or mine could be a later, lower quality piece (always that assumption, but in the Mid-East, standards are generally not high for embroidered materials). About the Saddam-level slides, I have in my possession five different examples, including the one I just presented. At least two of them are outright reproductions, with the war college stripe being of satin instead of velvet. Another example is from Trident, of very high quality and by far the most presentable, but definitely a fake. The latest one I posted is the most unusual one I've seen yet. The wreath and crossed swords are almost identical to the Trident copies, but the eagle has nothing distinct on its chest!

And here are two more sets of military ranks to confuse things even further! First, a set of Lieutenant General epaulettes: And then the Field Marshal epaulettes done in the same style:

Here's a close up of the cabinet ranks:

The tan ones with metal insignia are recent issues, I was told. The thick cotton Field Marshal ranks are something I have certainly never seen before, and are an addition to my growing collection of dubious FM epaulettes of all styles! Paul, what do you think of the cabinet minister and party epaulettes I posted earlier on?

That is very interesting. I am sorry to know that his insignia are now in various places in the world. Could you tell us how his uniform, ranks, ribbons and other bits ended up on ebay?

Not at all, Paul. When I got these ranks, they were described as prototypes. I can't be 100% sure, but if they really are, I would be very happy with them. On the other hand, they could well be fantasy junk. Close inspection of the embroidery, however, shows them to be consistent with the four-star ranks of the same type, so they appear to be good.

Now I can understand why they are sometimes called "surplus stores". Was that the time when the Air Force parachutist badges were shield-shaped?

Indeed, Omar Bradley did wear the smaller type of epaulette, which was more pronouncedly green, but his cloth material looks slightly different. I wonder if anyone has pictures of him wearing the cloth epaulettes. I cannot seem to find any on the internet.

Gents, I have two pairs of these General of the Army epaulettes. Both came in sealed plastic bags with the government contract cardboard tags with the manufacturing details on them. But both are different colours and sizes. Why is this so?

Gents, here is a selection of US General of the Air Force rank epaulettes. From left: The McPeak version, with crests and without crests. Comments are welcome.

Here are some more Iraqi ranks to add to the fray: And a pair of Field Marshal epaulettes:

White.

Hi Weixiang, sorry I missed your post. Since you are in Singapore, I would be happy to show you these ranks in person, where you could be one of the few to actually handle them. I bought the first pair in London, from the tailor that makes these things by Royal Appointment. I was told that nobody had recently made any of these, as all the current holders of the rank are still using theirs, and they like it toned to show age and seniority. Nobody wants to wear new shoulder boards! Needless to say, they cost an arm and a leg, but it was a chance too good to pass up. The next set came from an Australian seller. It is always a tricky thing to buy these sort of things without provenance, and it takes a very careful eye to decide whether something like this is real (made by an officially appointed tailor for actual use but never used), or fake (made by someone else for collectors). Once in awhile, a person who actually wore the rank sells it, but these items tend to be very costly. Yes, many of these ranks are restricted items, so it would be difficult to buy them online or even from a proper manufacturer. -alf

Got them from a collector of Iraqi insignia. Can't tell if they're real or not, although they're purported to be.

If the CDS, a position created in 1959, is from the Royal Navy, he is promoted to Admiral of the Fleet. Retiring First Sea Lords were also promoted from Admiral to AOTF until 1996. Together with the honorary appointments from royalty, there may be several living holders of the rank at any one time.

Here's an addition to this post - a pair of shoulder boards belonging to the late Admiral of the Fleet John Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse GCB GBE. He was Chief of the Defence Staff from '85 - '88, and died in '92.