Display Idea. Opinions and Help!

[GIZMO8Z]

Hello all,

Recently, I've gotten the idea to put together a small collection of badges an individual German infantryman could have been awarded. I'm not looking to represent a super soldier, or the broad range of German medals and badges that were awarded during World War II (Although I'd love to have a great collection like this... I figure I'll have a more personal display and save a lot of money this way ).

In a nut shell, I'd like this small collection to represent a single individual. A respectable combat vet who did his duty and saw some action!

I've been speaking with Mo, and he suggested a silver Infantry Assault Badge (Infanterie Sturmabzeichen), black Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen), Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse), Eastern Front Medal (Winterschlacht Im Osten), and perhaps a sports badge and campaign shield of some sort.

QUESTION 1: Am I missing anything? Can someone suggest any other medals or badges that fit perfectly with this grouping idea? Maybe someone could suggest a real life soldier to represent? Maybe I could include unit and rank insignia with this grouping?

I already have salty looking set of an ekII, black wound badge, Eastern Front medal, and I'm on the chase for a silver Infanterie Sturmabzeichen:






I've been thinking about how to display this grouping. Buying a whole tunic and dressing up a dummy is out of the question.

I've been leaning towards using specimen cases.


However, instead of using just the regular cotton backing, or a piece of random colored felt backing like how my ek2 and eastern front medal are currently displayed (see pictures above), I want to use authentic looking wool combat tunic material. Obviously cutting up a vintage combat tunic to use as backing for a specimen case would be a mortal sin... so I'm looking for either a destroyed authentic tunic, or a portion of fabric that companies use to make reenactor's kit. It would be awesome to use a complete pocket as backing that i could actually pin the badges too...

QUESTION 2: Does anyone know where I can get a portion of combat tunic wool material, or a combat tunic breast pocket complete with button to use as backing for a specimine case? Is this even a good idea?

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION!

[Glenn66]

Just going to a fabric store might give you something close. Or maybe go to an army disposal store, maybe there'll be some east German surplus that could be cheap.

[GIZMO8Z]

Just going to a fabric store might give you something close. Or maybe go to an army disposal store, maybe there'll be some east German surplus that could be cheap.

I never thought about East German surplus... would the fabric be similar? Would the breast pockets have the exact pebbled button?

[Franz1944]

You could use a repro tunic they go for about $90 and have a good show. rank i would say try grefeiter or Obergrefeiter, or uberschüzte.
To put other medals on would be little less common. Your good where your at.

[Adrian]

It depends how far you want to go. An EK1 would fit nicely with those awards. I've seen somewhere a display where the collector bought, begged or borrowed an old re-enactors tunic that was past it's best and cut a square or rectangular section out of it to include the left breast pocket and buttonholes.
He then framed the section of tunic with his collection of awards attached as they would've been worn. The EK2 and Ost ribbons through the buttonhole, the EK1, wound badge and combat badge pinned to the pocket and a close combat clasp above.
I guess an old Bundeswehr tunic could serve the purpose just as well. This method of framing a section of tunic would obviously take up less room than a whole tunic on a dummy and if your awards are behind glass it would keep them clean too.

[ObKrieger]

At The Front supposedly sells the best quality tunics for the price. Their M43 Heer tunics are on sale at the moment. They come without insignia so you could dress it up however you wanted.

Heer Tunics

[GIZMO8Z]

I've seen somewhere a display where the collector bought, begged or borrowed an old re-enactors tunic that was past it's best and cut a square or rectangular section out of it to include the left breast pocket and buttonholes.
He then framed the section of tunic with his collection of awards attached as they would've been worn. The EK2 and Ost ribbons through the buttonhole, the EK1, wound badge and combat badge pinned to the pocket and a close combat clasp above.
I guess an old Bundeswehr tunic could serve the purpose just as well. This method of framing a section of tunic would obviously take up less room than a whole tunic on a dummy and if your awards are behind glass it would keep them clean too.

This is EXACTLY what I have in mind. A beat up tunic would work great... it would match my salty awards!

Now the question is... WHERE CAN I GET ONE?!

[talltom]

a bundeswehr tunic cut up a bundeswehr tunic good god

tom

[GIZMO8Z]

a bundeswehr tunic cut up a bundeswehr tunic good god

tom

I'm really not looking to cut up anything authentic. An ideal situation would be a beater of a reenactor's tunic.

[stuka f]

Why not use a picture of the area of the tunic you want and just use it as a backgound in a frame.
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