Penal battalion, brain buckle?

[Lenny Warren]

Just wondering what the current feelings are with these? There doesn't seem any evidence that they were penal battalion, and my personal feeling is they are post war buckles made by original makers just to make some money...

Thoughts?

[lebus12]

No picture(s)?

[Lenny Warren]

I don't have one, just wondering what the current feeling is... Here's one currently on the forum...

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/belt-...or-fake-44696/

[Ben Evans]

Lenny, have a look around the forum, there are a few threads on these, post war made, for what purpose who know?

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/belt-...or-fake-44696/

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/belt-...opinion-13998/

[Lenny Warren]

yes, just thought it was nice to have a poll...

[lebus12]

OK, this one, I bought mine in Stuttgart, the seller had no idea on thee buckle. I keep it...

[kirby]

I use to have a very worn example and a mint example of the brain buckle. It was the only worn example I have ever seen, the vast majority are in mint condition. Angolia wrote he found a case of them on a European trip. I don't like the the look of the buckle so I sold them on EBay and they only sold for $45-50 each.

[timothy]

I thought Peter Nash showed some period pictures of them in use or maybe they were just blank buckles somewhere in there he does. Pages 481 through 491 are these the same ones? Under Uncertain buckles. timothy

[Lenny Warren]

I thought Peter Nash showed some period pictures of them in use or maybe they were just blank buckles somewhere in there he does. Pages 481 through 491 are these the same ones? Under Uncertain buckles. timothy

Nash has some plain pebbled buckles in period photos, the so called "Condor Buckles" but attributes them as fatigue buckles probably worn due to shortages... I don't think anyone has ever seen a "penal" or "brain" buckle in contempory photos....

[lach470]

Yes....I am still waiting and hunting to find a period pic of these buckles in wear by military units....I have seen a picture of one in wear by the postwar German fire dept. I am including that picture along with pics of my example.

Here is my example - showing the typical B&N markings. I am pretty sure these are postwar made using pre-war stock but I acquired this one as it still hold a place in German belt buckle collections. There certainly has been enough talk about them in the past few years!
I hope the picture helps! Can't remember who it was that found it and shared it with me (sorry) but I was not the one who located this pic.

Cheers guys!


Rob