Kriegsmarine Officer's Brocade Dress Belt Strap
CATEGORY: Version
SKU: 21.GOR.02.02.007.000
Estimated market value:
Estimated market value:
Line Officer’s Belt; in fine aluminum bullion wire with two rows of dashes in black embroidery intertwined with aluminum wire on the upper; black wool backer; right end of the belt finishes in a point and has a hook that connects to one of nine aluminum eyelets for length adjustment; matching gilt metal receiving clip on the left end, the belt with two sliders that have matching uppers, two hinged flaps with small integral rings on the body of the belt, each with protective black felt flaps, the belt measuring 50 mm x 1,200 mm; scattered soiling present on the upper, scattered mothing evident on the reverse with two rips on the black wool backer by the receiving end of the buckle; better than very fine condition.
The headgear, uniforms, and insignia worn by members of the Kriegsmarine were based upon the designs utilized by the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) and the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic. The official regulations governing the uniforms of the Reichsmarine were issued on April 5, 1921, and they were embraced, with a few alterations, as the Kriegsmarine uniforms in 1935.
From 1933-1945, the uniforms worn by personnel in the German Navy were produced and disseminated by the Navy Clothing Depot and private manufacturers.
The brocade belt strap and buckle were first introduced in 1869, but the version worn by Officers of the Kriegsmarine was based upon the brocade belt worn during the Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine brocade belts removed the imperial crown image from the belt buckle and replaced it with a fouled anchor.
The brocade belt strap and buckle are composed of several main elements, including the brocade strap, the strap loops, the two rectangular catches, the buckle, the buckle hook, and the manufacturer mark.
The brocade strap is generally composed of ribbed aluminum wire arranged in vertical rows with dashes of black embroidery, and a black wool backer. There are also examples of a leather belt strap worn with the brocade buckle. The brocade straps were worn with the formal evening dress, walking out dress, and parade dress. The left end of the belt strap is fitted with a rectangular belt catch, which may be gold-coloured for Officers or silver-coloured for Administrative Officials with the equivalent rank of Officer.
Each end of the belt strap has a loop composed of the same fabric as the strap, either aluminum bullion wire or leather. The loop by the right belt catch is sewn into position on the strap.
The buckle was originally gold-coloured and worn exclusively by Line Officers but after 1934, a silver-coloured version of the belt buckle was introduced for wear by Administrative Officials. The obverse of the buckle features a fouled anchor in the centre of a circular wreath. The reverse of the buckle has a rectangular catch that connects to the right end of the strap. The buckles worn on the bullion belt straps are larger in circumference than those worn on the leather belt straps.
The reverse of the buckle also features a u-shaped hook that attaches to the belt strap’s rectangular catch.
The marks of private manufacturers vary widely, ranging from codes to full names, and even abbreviated letters, as well as the year of manufacture. After 1942, Reich numbers (Reichsbetriebsnummer) were also used as manufacturer marks (RB-).
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