If NOT State Security/KGB Generals Boards-- Then WHAT?

[DougD]

Rick,

"One set of pre-1960s silver star on gold braid boards are on a tunic from the 1943-47 period, though of course any such button ons were worn into the 1950s."

I think that these boards are MGB General; i have a M43 tunic with M1947 buttons on it for a one star MGB General in my inventory now. These boards are OK, not in dispute. NKVD-NKGB Generals wore these boards as well as the "wave" boards.

"I have seen a MAGNIFICENT field grade officer's so called "Victory Parade" tunic posted over where I "live" online with
blueberry blue priping."

These are around; while not common, I have sold a few. These seem to be Ok and from the 1945 era. However, while there are M1943 NKVD generals parade uniforms, there was NOT an M1945 NKVD 'Victory Parade' Generals uniform; they used army style.

Now, that being said, there are photos of at least one NKGB General at the VP in his M1943 uniform.....perhaps the "army" regulations for NKVD Generals ONLY applied to NKVD Troop Generals, and not NKGB-MGB. Perhaps they contiuned to wear the blue piping (would explain the tunic i have and one set of your boards) and when the new uniform changes were introduced in 1955 they wore some combination of the blue and crimson ( explains the generals caps and your boards). When the next uniform changes were made, even these generals were changed over to all 'army' red (would thus explain the red piped KGB generals we have seen). Anyway, that is my theory based on the past few years examples, research, etc.

Here is blue piped MGB General, 1947-1954. So, we know as late as 1954 or so there were still blue piped State Security Generals. However, we still have not seen a real blue piped KGB General from after this.

Again, I think that probably the red piping was for most NKVD generals in 1945, but some stayed with blue...these went on to MGB...but somewhere in mid 1950's even that blue was done away with in favor of army red.

DD