Help identifying rank from photo

[RichieC]

He was a reservist from 1921 through 1941..perhaps it was taken on reserve exercises? I can also see two possibilities:
-Maybe there were some of these "Buddenovki" hats for troops as late as 1941? The army was pretty poorly equipped as we all know.
- Maybe he packed this hat with him to go off to war in 1941

Makes sense George. I actually have seen an image, that I believe that was taken in Leningrad, with an older man in uniform wearing one of these budionovka...

[RichieC]

Again great photos...

If you can, fine scan his shoulder-boards in second image also.

Also interesting, is that the man to his right is wearing a gymnasterka from what seems to be constructed from U.S. made ( Lend-Lease) HBT.

Great image!

[Pobeda45]

Also interesting, is that the man to his right is wearing a gymnasterka from what seems to be constructed from U.S. made ( Lend-Lease) HBT.

Too cool, I never knew that! :cheers

Here's another photo and a closeup of the plain shoulder boards.

As a sad side note, grandpa was from a large family--4 brothers and two sisters. Two of his brothers perished in the war. A younger brother, born 1909, was MIA in the fall of '41. The archive says his last letter was sent in September of 1941 and that he became officially missing in 1943. I wonder what happened to him--death in battle? Or equally likely, an even worse fate as a POW? Tragic.

Thanks again for the info!
George

[RichieC]

What was his name George?

[Pobeda45]

PM sent. :thumbsup