DougD Wrote:In regards to the Army Generals rank boards being only narrow before 1958, I'll have to disagree as there are quite a few examples of M1943 and M1945 wide boards known for both medical and judicial generals. See the thread on the Legal uniforms for an M1945 Major General with the wide boards, and this thread for Clete's photo of the wide medical generals boards. They may or may not be against regulation (using silver administrative boards to fill needs?). The narrow boards are shown in these threads as well.
As you clearly can see in exhibit 1, by 1955 wide medical general’s boards stll existed only in the Navy. But to wear them it was a privilege. If Naval Medical general or officer meet the requirements I’ve mentioned above then Military council of the fleet of flotilla made the decision about permission to wear wide shoulder boards and that decision was recorded in personal file of the officer or general. Only then he can wear them.
In 1958 narrow shoulder boards were abolished all together. In exhibit 2 you can see 1958 regulations were medical, veterinarian and justice generals first time received wide shoulder boards. But as you can see in exhibit 3 type 43 shoulder boards were left as well (in regulation it says for everyday uniform, but in fact for summer coats only).
In conclusion when you see in this tread or elsewhere “model 43” (what you meant by "model 45" I have no idea) wide judicial shoulder boards they are in fact 1958 model. And if you see “model 43” wide medical shoulder boards they 99% are 1958 model. Real model 1943 wide medical general shoulder boards are so rare, they almost don’t exist and they slightly different from 1958 model.
