Heer What uniform ?

[Stijn David]

Hello,

Here is a scan from a rather strange uniform.

This person was later on a glider pilot and got KIA late 1943 in Russia. Here we do see him in prewar years (i assume) in a uniform but with strange striping on his arm?

Anyone ever seen this before in German military?, what is the meaning of these?

Thank you in advance,

[DonC]

Hi David -

Those are old-style Reichswehr markmanship chevrons. They were worn into the TR era by some of the old-timers until 36 or 37 - it was a mark of service in the more "elite" Reichswehr when all the new conscripts came in - sort of like officers keeping their "alter art" caps and tunics well past the wear-out date. I haven't seen any in 1938 or later dated photos, so the more commonly seen cords had taken over by that point...

Don

Edited August 4, 2006 by DonC

[Guest Rick Research]

Here is a very late version, worn on the M1936 dress tunic by an Unterfeldwebel in Infantry Regiment 97. This is probably from the late summer of 1936, since he is not wearing a Wehrmacht 4 years long service medal-- those were first bestowed on 1 October 1936.

[attachmentid=48711]

(That' was my sole contribution to the brand new Waffenrock book, BTW. )

It's a very old system. Here's an 1870 super hero wearing yet another class:

[attachmentid=48712]

[DonC]

Now THAT, my friends, is a beard!

[Stijn David]

Hello,

Thank you both fine gentlemen for the info. Much appreciated.

I never heard of that system before.

For what do these stripes stand then exactly? Are they related towards certain training, years of service?

Cordial greetings,

[Guest Rick Research]

These were replaced by the shooting cords worn from the right shoulder seam to the second buttonhole.

I don't know why the Reichsheer went back to the OLD Imperial system instead of these cords:

[attachmentid=48713]

[DonC]

David, the bars represent the level of proficiency, just as the acorns or shells do for the Wehrmacht sch?tzenschnur.

Don

[Guest Rick Research]

Yeah, Stijn-- I haven't been able to find a chart showing ALL the classes, but from what I can tell, the chevrons are for Sharpshooting and are distinct from the flat bars for normal Marksmanship grades.

That might have changed in the late 1920s and angled stripes were made to represent some number of straight stripes... but I can't find any regulations.

[Stijn David]

Hello,

Thank you => so a soldier who had these profiencystripes on his arm did receive later on a lanyard as according new regulations.

In the grooping there are indeed pictures with the cord etc ..

Fun fun

Greetz,

[Paul R]

I have not seen too many of these for sale(I have seen actually one).

Here it is:

http://brocks.macrobatix.com/default.tpl?a...udatarq=0308035

[Stijn David]

Hello,

Thank you for the update Paul, very interesting.

Here we have our very same man, this time already when he was with Luftwaffe => so iff i am correct the shooting lanyard did replace the profiencystripes.

Cordial greetings,