achern

Here is one for Algeria, note the mirror-image coat-of-arms at the bottom:

Here is a set of ranks for Uganda, but I am not sure why there are two pips in the centre. Does anybody know what rank this is for?

This is the only picture I have:

Lawrence, thank you for your reply. I had a sudden feeling of deja vu because somebody asked the same question years ago, and I gave him exactly the same reply as you gave me! Actually, I wanted to know the difference between the red and the silver eagles. The bird is surely a poor representation of the eagle, and I am surprised, because these boards were made in England by Toye, Kenning and Spencer, and by Gieves, all very fine producers of regalia. Alf

Mervyn, I am enjoying the sunshine, although on some days I wish it were not shining because the heat and humidity really gets to me. I very nearly forgot all about the Admiral boards. I did take a good look at them, and there ARE small holes left from a previous GVIR cypher which some itchy-fingered chap removed and substituted the EIIRs. I'll post more on the original thread so there is a follow-up.

I have another set with a silver bird, so there appears to be these two variations. Comments would be greatly appreciated. Alf

Friends, I have with me a set of Nigerian admiral ranks, and I wonder what the red bird represents. Could anyone weigh in on this? Thanks!

And here is the reverse:

Here is a set of Jordanian army general ranks in metal devices on olive green cloth.

Lorenzo, for me, I have no preference, although I love the look of well-made bullion (metal thread). Some countries use bullion for their dress ranks, eg. France and Morocco, Singapore, to name a few, and they also use Lurex or some other thin metallic thread for their other forms of dress. Some countries use only bullion thread or gold braid, eg. Thailand. For me, it depends on what the "official" material is, they all have beauty in my eyes. Alf

Hi Elvis, Thanks for the information. You are right - the eagle should be a giveaway, but who in Libya wears a Field Marshal rank? Alf

Do you have any photographs of General Nasution wearing his 5-star ranks after he was promoted? Alf

I'm going to post a few more shoulder boards I have in my collection for your viewing. First up is a set of Field Marshal ranks, but I am not sure which country they are from. I am guessing it is Egypt? Let me know what you think. Unfortunately I didn't make pictures of the back, but they have three elastic straps across the back. Alf

Yes Lorenzo, Your Syrian ranks are correct. It is for an Air Force Brigadier General with war college red stripe. Let me know if you find anything else like the Syrian and Sudan ranks. I am also interested! Alf

Hi Lorenzo, Yes, the insignia are in the right order. If you check out this website, you can see President Bashar Al Assad wearing the same type of shoulder boards. Two stars above crossed swords is for full General, and three stars above crossed swords is for the President. I'll try and make a picture of the reverse later. Alf http://www.presidentassad.net/SPEECHES/Al_Assad_Speeches_2009/Bashar_Al_Assad_Army_Day_Speech_August_1_2009.htm

Hi Lorenzo, Concerning your Syrian ranks, they are very similar to these Syrian Mushir ranks that I have in terms of construction. The back is also sealed with a layer of PVC, with three black elastic straps. I'm posting a photo of the front for you to see.

Hi Lorenzo, No, the swords are not made of solid gold, but are thickly plated with gold. Actually, if you like these ranks, I'm interested in selling or trading them off since I don't collect air force ranks, but only army ranks.

Lorenzo, Here is a picture of four different types of Iraq "Mushir" ranks in my collection for comparison. And here is a picture of an Iraqi Air Force general rank, with the edges embroidered with real metallic bullion, instead of the shiny yellow cloth border that I often see.

Actually, for me, it doesn't matter if the ranks were not worn by Saddam himself. As long as the ranks were made before the war, and before all the copies were manufactured for souvenirs, I would be happy with such a pair.

Dear Lorenzo, I am happy to add some variations to this thread. I have heard that Trident has been getting Chinese shipments for some years now. Their Mushir ranks are now so cheap that I decided to buy a pair just to see what it was like, and the quality is fantastic. It's much, much better than the so-called OIF epaulettes that are coming back from Iraq. Nevertheless, it is still a fake. I'm actually only interested in the "Muhib" or "Mushir" ranks, but I can't find any that were made before the 1990s. If you happen to have a spare set, I will be happy to trade, or buy! Alf

Guys, I want to share with you three types of Iraqi epaulettes in my collection: Brigadier, unknown manufacture, but obtained many years ago. Very good embroidery. A pre-1990s Lieutenant General rank from the UK firm, Toye, Kenning & Spencer. The cloth material is very thick and heavy, and the epaulettes are huge in size. And finally, a post-1990s Field Marshal rank, probably a China-made reproduction from Trident, in excellent quality

Thanks for the input. Yes, these boards were discussed at some length on the WAF, but we came to no conclusions, although there were a few names bandied about. I thought we might get some fresh ideas here. Indeed, these are the AOF shoulder boards, and I cannot imagine an AOF stinging on a new pair of boards. I also cannot imagine the "protocol people" allowing such a thing to be worn. Perhaps you are right that somebody belatedly replaced the cyphers - for whatever reason. I don't think the cypher was added, though. The boards look as if they were made with the provision for a cypher in between the crown and batons. Let me examine the holes under the cypher and see if I can discover anything. Meanwhile, I find it unusual that the back of the boards are covered in black cloth rather than the usual leather coverings bearing the name of the manufacturer. I have two boards - a matched left and right pair.

Thanks for the thought. Would you have any idea who might have worn these boards and done the swap? I am thinking this person would have been in service at that rank at the time of the Coronation, but perhaps not a key figure in the ceremony.

Guys, I've been stumped by these boards for a long time. Take a look - they have the King's Crown buttons and insignia, but the QEII Royal Cyphers. Do you reckon the wearer swapped out the cyphers when the monarch changed? Why not just get a new set of boards? The boards look original enough though. Any ideas?