Gentlemen,

Apologies for asking what may seem an obvious question but Russian uniforms are not really my area of expertise, I thought that I might pick your collective brains.

What is the significance of the colour of the enamel badge fixed to the pilotka and tan field cap? Would it be naive to assume that the green enamel badges were for enlisted men and the red for officers ?

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Andy

Maybe, You can provide some images, what You mean ?

At first look - green colour of badges is for Russian field uniform, and red - for parade uniform.

Your pictures could to help understand You.

Eduard,

Thanks for your reply, images here;





Hope this explains what I mean,

Andy

Yes, I understood You. So, I am right. See the reasons:

1) Despite the existence of field and parade uniforms, most part of Russian stars during WW2 were used in red colour (independently - by soldiers or by officers) - see the link:

http://www.google.ru/search?q=%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B9+%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80+%D1%80%D0%BA%D0%BA%D0%B0+%D0%B7%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%B7%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%B0+-%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D1%84%D0%B5+-%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%8B&hl=ru&lr=&newwindow=1&prmd=imvnsfd&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=9JE6T466M8j04QTV58iCCw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBIQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=912

Here is results of search by Google Pictures. Note: most part of all stars is in red colour.

2) More accurate division on field and parade uniforms was made after WW2, and especially from the Sixties. At that time green and red stars were introduced and widely used:

http://talks.guns.ru/forummessage/114/723488-0.html

Sometimes (at present time) some field insignia are made from green plastic !

3) As regards Your images - if we see green stars on WW2 style headdresses and caps - it is most probably new-made things, which are have not something in common with WW2. Simply these are new-made caps (or even WW2 caps from military stocks) with new-made stars, which are painted with green colour to "give a "real military" shape and view", and to sell this new thing for good price. So, this is usual trading trick. Or even if those stars are real WW2 things (from military stocks again), they are painted in "military manner" for trading.

Besides, the fabric of headdresses on Your images # 1,2 is real, and on images # 3,4 is wrong. Real fabric have more dense structure - see the image:



Thus, on Your image # 1 - real star + real cap;
on image # 2 - newly-painted star + real cap;
on image # 3 - newly-painted star + fake cap;
on image # 4 - real star + fake cap.
This new cap have only real shape of original WW2 cap.

Hope this help.

Eduard,

Thankyou very much, your post is very useful indeed.

So for modelling purposes I can paint my figures, regardless of rank, with a red star on their caps - it looks better anyway !

Thanks again

Andy