yperman Posted 3 May , 2015 Share Posted 3 May , 2015 Good morning, I have recently become interested in rank badges and other insignia worn by the combatants on the Western Front - especially the Belgian and French armies. I wonder if anyone could suggest a reasonably comprehensive illustrated book? I have found the Osprey/Vanguard books a bit too limited. Many thanks, Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 3 May , 2015 Share Posted 3 May , 2015 Good morning, I have recently become interested in rank badges and other insignia worn by the combatants on the Western Front - especially the Belgian and French armies. I wonder if anyone could suggest a reasonably comprehensive illustrated book? I have found the Osprey/Vanguard books a bit too limited. Many thanks, Yperman The only book I know of that nature was by 'Andrew Mollo' and titled 'Uniforms of the First World War'. It had some pages or annexes with basic badges of rank. As a caveat the British details were not 100% correct, but that may be because they changed significantly for soldiers ranks between 1914 and 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 3 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 3 May , 2015 Thank you very much FROGSMILE for the title - I was surprised how few books there are on this topic. Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 3 May , 2015 Share Posted 3 May , 2015 Thank you very much FROGSMILE for the title - I was surprised how few books there are on this topic. Yperman Yes I agree. Andrew Mollo's books are well illustrated and you might be able to find a good 'used copy' online for a reasonable price.He did a similar book for WW2. Guido Rossignoli is also very good for the latter conflict, but I am unsure if he did anything regarding WW1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 3 May , 2015 Share Posted 3 May , 2015 I think somewhere I have a book printed commercially for sale to US soldiers coming to Europe which, if I am recalling correctly, had a couple of pages of allied/enemy rank insignia. I shall have a look. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 4 May , 2015 Share Posted 4 May , 2015 I think somewhere I have a book printed commercially for sale to US soldiers coming to Europe which, if I am recalling correctly, had a couple of pages of allied/enemy rank insignia. I shall have a look. Chris Yes the pages are available as images online. You just have to search in google images "WW1 Allied Forces Rank Badges". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 4 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 4 May , 2015 Thank you very much for the info. Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 5 May , 2015 Share Posted 5 May , 2015 Thank you very much for the info. Yperman There is another one well worth a look and it is more recent than Andrew Mollo's book, which was published in 1984. It also seems very comprehensive: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of World War I Hardcover – 11 Apr 2011 by Jonathan North "An expert guide to the uniforms of Britain, France, Russia, America, Germany and Austro-Hungary, with additional detail on the armies of Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Serbia, Romania, Greece and Japan: contains over 450 colour illustrations including uniforms, weapons, insignia and battle plans" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 5 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 5 May , 2015 I have a copy of 'An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of World War 1' by Jonathon North. It is an interesting background book but lacks detail - especially on many armies' rank and file rank and other insignia. To be fair it is trying to deal with a huge topic and it is beautifully illustrated. Thank you for the idea FROGSMILE. Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 5 May , 2015 Share Posted 5 May , 2015 I have a copy of 'An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of World War 1' by Jonathon North. It is an interesting background book but lacks detail - especially on many armies' rank and file rank and other insignia. To be fair it is trying to deal with a huge topic and it is beautifully illustrated. Thank you for the idea FROGSMILE. Yperman I have just ordered an 'ex libris' copy of Andrew Mollo's book, published in 1984. I will let you know if I think it is worthwhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 5 May , 2015 Share Posted 5 May , 2015 for British you could do much worse than: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=144191&hl=guide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 5 May , 2015 Share Posted 5 May , 2015 for British you could do much worse than: http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=144191&hl=guide If you read the opening post you will seen from yperman's words that Comprehensive western front ranks are being sought, he is seeking a single volume covering all combatants Grumpy.I agree of course that your link shows the best guide to British ranks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 6 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 6 May , 2015 Thank you all for your help and the British Army link. I am looking forward to RWF's feedback on the ex libris copy of Mollo's work. Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munce Posted 9 May , 2015 Share Posted 9 May , 2015 I have a copy of 'An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of World War 1' by Jonathon North. It is an interesting background book but lacks detail - especially on many armies' rank and file rank and other insignia. To be fair it is trying to deal with a huge topic and it is beautifully illustrated. Thank you for the idea FROGSMILE. Yperman I must admit I found the quality of the illustrations in this book variable - and in several places in the British section you see Queen's crowns instead of King's crowns on NCO rank insignia. That's a pretty basic error, and makes you wonder about the rest. Mollo's illustrations are all taken from photos and in my opinion are excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 9 May , 2015 Share Posted 9 May , 2015 I must admit I found the quality of the illustrations in this book variable - and in several places in the British section you see Queen's crowns instead of King's crowns on NCO rank insignia. That's a pretty basic error, and makes you wonder about the rest. Mollo's illustrations are all taken from photos and in my opinion are excellent. Thank you, I am looking forwards to receiving the book and will make comment in due course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 11 May , 2015 Share Posted 11 May , 2015 Thank you all for your help and the British Army link. I am looking forward to RWF's feedback on the ex libris copy of Mollo's work. Yperman The Mollo book has arrived and i am very pleased with it, well illustrated in colour, it shows field uniforms, equipment and helmets of virtually all protagonists and 'describes' by text all rank badges. It could have been bettered if these latter were also illustrated, but I assume that would have made it prohibitively expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 12 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 12 May , 2015 Thank you very much FROGSMILE for the feedback - I will try and get a copy. Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 12 May , 2015 Share Posted 12 May , 2015 Thank you very much FROGSMILE for the feedback - I will try and get a copy. Yperman It is well worth the investment. The illustrations are by Pierre Turner, a superb artist, especially of military uniform. For a relatively small book it covers a lot of subjects, but seems centred largely on the Western and Eastern Fronts without any coverage of Middle East campaigns such as Gallipoli, Mesopotamia and Salonika. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeB Posted 14 May , 2015 Share Posted 14 May , 2015 There is a Austrian publishing company named Verlag Militaria. They publish books done by various authors that are MASSIVE studies of WWI period uniforms. Most of the books have english editions. I have their two volume study on the WWI French Army: "The French Army in the First World War - to battle 1914" and "The French Army in the First World War - 1914 to 1918, From the Winter 1914/1915 to Horizon-blue Victory 1918." The book are huge and the color pictures are so clear and sharp it is as if you have the actual uniform or insignia in ones hands to study. Visit the Verlag Militaria website, very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 15 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 15 May , 2015 Thank you very much GeorgeB - I will get on line and check out your recommendation. Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 23 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 23 May , 2015 I have now got my copy of Mollo's 'Army uniforms of World War 1' and I am very pleased with it - the descriptions of rank badges are very precise. Thank you for the tip FROGSMILE. Naval & Military are advertising a reprint of Richard Knotel's 'The Armies of Europe' - I wonder if anyone can give me any feed back on whether it would be any use (bearing in mind my interest in the Belgian Army) for the start of the Great War? Thank you . Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muerrisch Posted 28 May , 2015 Share Posted 28 May , 2015 Mollo's book worries me when I look at the badly [wrongly] captioned RFC/ RAF illustrations. One wonders how accurate the "foreign" stuff is .......... the very area where I can not suck my lips and say "tut-tut!" He cites Dawnay on British army rank badges. It is a pity that he did not read Dawnay ..... his descriptions are risible and misleading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FROGSMILE Posted 29 May , 2015 Share Posted 29 May , 2015 Mollo's book worries me when I look at the badly [wrongly] captioned RFC/ RAF illustrations. One wonders how accurate the "foreign" stuff is .......... the very area where I can not suck my lips and say "tut-tut!" He cites Dawnay on British army rank badges. It is a pity that he did not read Dawnay ..... his descriptions are risible and misleading. Yes I agree that Mollo is not perfect by any means, especially with British uniforms and rank. However, given the illustrations by the inestimable Pierre Turner and the lack of good alternatives, I thought it was the best that yperman could get to meet his desire for a single book that covered the badges of rank of Allies and Central Powers. Sadly it did not cover the Middle Eastern campaigns. All that said it was a massive project to undertake and I think that he did well given the pre-internet circumstances. We sometimes forget the import and impact of the communications / digital revolution that we enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yperman Posted 30 May , 2015 Author Share Posted 30 May , 2015 Thank you FROGSMILE and Grumpy - I have taken your comments on board! My interest in the rank badges of the Entente's combatants on the Western Front began when I started idly picking up old photos at flea markets on the continent and I wanted to recognise the rank insignia of the soldiers shown. I assumed that it would be a simple Amazon visit to pick up a guide book on these insignia. - yet there really don't seem to be many books out there at reasonable cost (Verlag Militaria is rather expensive and will have to wait for Christmas) which cover the French and Belgian armies. The best I have so far found ( and I do note your comments) are Mollo for the French and the 'Handbook of the Belgian Army1914' from Naval and military - though like Mollo it has only written descriptions of the insignia. I also note Mollo's caution that post 1914 the Belgian Army used a wide range of Entente surplus equipment as its own stores were of course lost. Maybe some military historian will provide a medium price basic guide book for types like me in due course! Thank you very much for your help. Yperman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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