Soviet Soviet Shoulder Boards

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

I'm assuming these are all Soviet. Don't know a ton about them but figured I'd post and perhaps get the scoop from some of the members who may specialize in these.

First off the ones I was told are WWII.

Lieutenant of Artillery:

[attachmentid=52252]

Edited August 31, 2006 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

[attachmentid=52253]

[Hauptmann]

This is the inside of the strap and under the board:

[attachmentid=52254]

Both boards are the same and have a number 2 under the strap as shown.

[Hauptmann]

Another Lieutenant of Artillery although not sure why on black instead of red.

[attachmentid=52255]

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Edited August 31, 2006 by Hauptman

[Hauptmann]

This set has no star... otherwise it would have been for a Junior Lieutenant. Am assuming Infantry here.

[attachmentid=52258]

[Hauptmann]

[attachmentid=52259]

No idea if the buttons are original to these as they seem a tad on the new side to me. But again I'm no expert.

[Hauptmann]

Now the ones that I believe are more modern.

AF Private:

[attachmentid=52260]

[attachmentid=52261]

[Hauptmann]

Air Force Major General:

[attachmentid=52262]

[attachmentid=52263]

I also have a set of these with red base for an Army Major General. But they're on a leather jacket I wear on occassion in winter.

[Hauptmann]

Army Major Infantry field boards:

[Hauptmann]

[attachmentid=52265]

[Hauptmann]

Army Major Infantry dress boards:

[attachmentid=52266]

[attachmentid=52267]

These are still stitched together.

[Hauptmann]

[attachmentid=52268]

[Hauptmann]

Army (?) Major General field boards:

[attachmentid=52269]

[Hauptmann]

[attachmentid=52270]

[Hauptmann]

And finally... Naval Captain 1st Rank:

[attachmentid=52271]

[Hauptmann]

[attachmentid=52272]

Well, that's it. If I've gotten any of these wrong please give me a nudge and let me know.

Thanks,

Dan

[Alfred]

How to recognize WWII borads.

[Hauptmann]

How to recognize WWII borads.

Hi Alfred,

Many thanks for that! That is indeed a huge help! Well, at least I still have a couple of possibles. And I'm guessing several of the others are early on after switching to the five sided's.

Thanks so much for posting that. I'm sure I won't be the only one to benefit from it.

Dan

[Paul R]

Another Lieutenant of Artillery although not sure why on black instead of red.

[attachmentid=52255]

[attachmentid=52257]

These could be for a Naval Weapons Officer or Coastal Arty?

Paul

[Hauptmann]

These could be for a Naval Weapons Officer or Coastal Arty?

Paul

Hi Paul,

You know... that thought never even occurred to me! But makes perfect sense!

Mucho thanks my friend. Where would my brain be without all my fellow hobbyites? God how I love this place!

Have a great one!

Dan

[Guest Rick Research]

There are OLD threads with many shoulder boards in the back pages.

Army boards were 5 sided for officers until 1947/48 (I have never seen any regulation date for the change) BUT they were 6 sided for navy and State Security all along from 1943.

IF the colors are accurate, Major General in post #8 is KGB, not air force. Air Force runs from robin's egg sky blue to a sort of faded graying-blue but State Security (taking its color from earlier army cavalry) is dark blueberry blue. A silver star on gold would date that before ABOUT 1965 or so, when silver rank stars went to gold on gold. I have no regulations dates after 1958.

4 sided boards for generals came in with the M1954 doubled breasted jacket, so that would date these to some time in that decade, say 1955-65.

I know that supposedly "no KGB general insignia exists" and supposedly they wore the red of army generals, but I have SEEN same, and even have M 1958 field boards for same (posted earlier threads).

Do a search on shoulder boards or just start back at page 1 and go forward and you'll see other examples.

Scanning tip: because of the intricate weave on officers boards, scan them SIDEWAYS and then turn the image "button side up" if that's how you want the image to display. It will make the shadows less liable to wash out the metallic thread designs and end up leaving metallic boards looking like the silk-woven variety. Try it.

[Daredevil]

Hey Rick,

...I am still not changing my KGB Generals opinion until I see a genuine, issued, 'KGB Generals' uniform. One should have shown up by now, and all we have seen are some bit-parts, while such places as the KGB museum have red piped KGB generals uniforms on dsiplay...i have seen the green piped but the blue eludes me...i saw one in Tallinn last year for sale but it had lots of 'issues'. DD

[Hauptmann]

IF the colors are accurate, Major General in post #8 is KGB, not air force. Air Force runs from robin's egg sky blue to a sort of faded graying-blue but State Security (taking its color from earlier army cavalry) is dark blueberry blue. A silver star on gold would date that before ABOUT 1965 or so, when silver rank stars went to gold on gold. I have no regulations dates after 1958.

"snip"

Scanning tip: because of the intricate weave on officers boards, scan them SIDEWAYS and then turn the image "button side up" if that's how you want the image to display. It will make the shadows less liable to wash out the metallic thread designs and end up leaving metallic boards looking like the silk-woven variety. Try it.

Hi Rick,

On the colors... as much as I "wish" it were true, I do believe these are AF and no the colors on this are not accure on the scan. Try as I might in adjusting it would not come out to the proper AF color to match the boards. But they match my AF privates boards so no doubt that's what they are. I have a couple of KGB shoulder patches and the boards do not match that color but do match the AF color.

On the scanning tip... mucho thanks!!!! Will definitely try that in future.

Thanks Rick... deeply appreciate.

Dan

[Nack]

Army boards were 5 sided for officers until 1947/48 (I have never seen any regulation date for the change) BUT they were 6 sided for navy and State Security all along from 1943.

Which "state security" folks had 6-sided boards from 1943?

[Nack]

Maybe I should have asked it this way: what do you mean by "state security?" NKVD?

NKGB had the "bottle boards" I understand, for some time anyway.

Then, weren't there various NKVD-controlled state organs like the fire service, police, etc? Did their officers have 6-sided boards as well? What about NKVD blocking troops?

I'm confused. Help.