{"product_id":"imperial-german-mecklenburg-oberleutnant-dragoon-rgt-18-shoulder-board-cypher-copy","title":"Imperial German Jager Bataillon 14 Enlisted Shoulder Strap Green Red Piping","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 8.0pt;\"\u003eAn original enlisted ranks (Mannschaften) shoulder strap (Schulterklappe) of Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14 (Rifle Battalion No. 14), identified by the dark Jäger-green wool field, the red piping, and the red battalion numeral “14.” The reverse carries a collection label reading “Fig. 10.0 – JB 14 EM,” and your inventory files the piece within the Mecklenburg grouping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 8.0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 8.0pt;\"\u003eThe strap is cut from heavy Jäger-green wool to the peaked, single-point pattern of the other ranks, edged on its long sides and head in red wool piping (Vorstoß). The battalion number “14” is worked in red chain-stitch embroidery (Kettenstich) at the center of the field. A button slit is set at the pointed head for attachment, and the reverse is plain-backed in dark cloth. There is no metallic cord or applied device, the construction being that of a simple enlisted man’s strap rather than an officer’s board.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 8.0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 8.0pt;\"\u003eThe Jäger battalions were the light infantry and marksman arm of the Imperial German Army, heirs to the huntsman-rifleman tradition that distinguished them from the line. They were dressed in green rather than the infantry’s dark blue, trained for skirmishing, sharpshooting, patrol, and independent action, and recruited with an eye to woodsmen and foresters in the older units. The green field of this strap is the defining branch colour of that arm; the numeral “14” identifies the specific battalion, and the red piping served to distinguish it within the Jäger establishment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 8.0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 8.0pt;\"\u003eCondition is honest and consistent with field use by an enlisted man. The green field is intact and the red “14” is complete, though lightly frayed at the stitch edges. The red piping survives around most of the strap with abrasion and loss toward the base, where the lower point shows an open tear. The reverse is heavily soiled and threadbare, the backing cloth degraded and worn through in places to reveal the green and red beneath. No restoration is evident in the provided images.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 8.0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 8.0pt;\"\u003eEnlisted shoulder straps of this kind represent the accessible, foundational end of Imperial German state and branch collecting. Numbered Jäger straps are sought for matching to specific battalions and for assembling branch-focused or collect-by-state groupings, and a genuine, clearly numbered other-ranks example carries straightforward appeal at a modest price point despite its wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 6.0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49701147312367,"sku":"23-1002 XJT@JT","price":85.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/9169\/5855\/files\/23-1002_1.jpg?v=1781123890","url":"https:\/\/derrittmeister.com\/products\/imperial-german-mecklenburg-oberleutnant-dragoon-rgt-18-shoulder-board-cypher-copy","provider":"Derrittmeister Militaria Group","version":"1.0","type":"link"}