Whats a 'hate belt,' pls?
It's a term that seems to have surfaced to describe a military belt which has been adorned with military cap badges .. buttons etc
What an odd term
Someone posted this when I needed help finding out what the belt was.
"German soldiers' leather belts, and other belts from participating armies, that were festooned with buttons from soldiers uniforms are called Hate Belts / Souvenir Belts / Grave Digger Belts. These made for excellent keepsakes. First for the "Hate Belt" explanation: the idea was that if a German soldier had killed or captured an Allied soldier, then he would have the button from the newly deceased or captured soldier attached to his belt as a kind of notch of conquest on his belt. This, no doubt, is the most intriguing explanation for those decorative belts. The "Souvenir Belt" explanation: this description is apt for many of the belts that are in circulation today. The souvenir belt would involve a German infantryman's belt being decorated with buttons and tabs from troops BOTH Allied and CENTRAL Powers and sold as a remembrance of The War. The "Grave Digger Belt" example is self explanatory, to a degree. Troops burying dead soldiers would sometimes remove buttons from those they buried as a remembrance. It is impossible to determine the origin of most belts, but some of these highly collectible belts provide some hints as to their origin."
Thx
Can anyone ID the buttons?
Jerry did...lol
Any ideas on the buttons?
Similar Threads
Bookmarks