One of the most common World War II collectables along with chevrons and "brass" branch insignia from the armed forces are the service ribbons worn by veterans. While original uniform worn items are not as common on eBay today, many ended up in jewelry boxes of their widows and were passed on to the family they do represent the original award, the decoration (i.e. Silver Star or Navy Cross) or service (campaign) medal (i.e. ETO  medal or World War II Victory medal). These service ribbons were only worn on the dress uniforms, never in battle unlike the practice of the German Army.
During World War I only one size for all of the services was authorized, it was a cut of the same ribbon used as the suspension to the medal it represented and was the standard ribbon width of 1-⅜ inches and it was affixed to a metal ribbon bar with pin and safety catch making it one-half inch in height. The one-half inch size regulation continued into World War II for the Navy and Marine Corps but the Army and Army Air Force specified a three-eights inch size sometime around the start of World War II (after December 1, 1941). These were illustrated in reference like National Geographic (1943), Joel William Bunkley's (1941, 1942, 1943 editions) of the Military and Naval Recognition Book and the Whitman Coin Company's book by Colonel Rankin (1941, 1942).

In making the service ribbon the woven fabric (similar in appearance to the German BEVO weaving process) made of silk and later rayon was cut to the appropriate length, it was affixed, sometimes glued to a dull gray zinc later a shiny brass after the war ribbon bar that was crimped to form the letter "u" when viewed from the end. All of the World War II variety service ribbons I had collected from the friend's fathers were of the zinc variety, usually with a simple pin and open catch, seldom a safety catch that had a rolling locking latch like on the medal itself. This zinc bar was stamped from a metal sheet or roll with an open area about one-eight inch by about seven-eights of an inch to affix the attachments or "battle stars" or oak leafs for secondary awards. Inside that slide was a similar piece of blanked zinc with the same cut out. This extra piece was not always present as the specification changed. These service ribbon bars were then affixed to a single, double or stripe length slide bar with a cutout center having the pin and catch mechanism to attach the assembly to the uniform shirt or coat. That was also made of zinc, later after the war veteran's received the brass type bar and usually the slide used a brass pin and brass or plastic clutch assembly to attach to the uniform.

Keep in mind that service medals with the exception of the decorations like the Purple Heart were awarded after the war and a serviceman or woman had to request them from the government. Therefore only the service ribbon bar was available through the government supply system or from commercial sources. Most of the leading suppliers of military insignia to the government under wartime contracts supplied service ribbon bars. Names like GEMSCO (General Merchandising Company), N.S. Meyer, Vanguard, Hilborn-Hamburger all of New York City and firms like Wolf-Brown of Los Angeles and San Diego.

The general custom was to leave the ribbon material uncovered, it appeared most attractive and the moiré was visible, sometimes known as the sheen. As a practical matter and to keep the ribbon from getting dirty a plastic covering was installed, early types were of a clear celluloid or acetate material that in time would yellow and crack. Wolf-Brown applied for a patent for a fashioning the ribbon material between molded clear plastic and saving the cost of machined metal parts. A regular metal slide bar with pin and catch could be used or sometimes a black fiber board material. Wolf-Brown like Hilborn-Hamburger specialized in supplying the Navy and Marine Corps during the war so most of their ribbons were in the half inch size.

Illustrated here are examples of the products that Wolf-Brown supplied. I had a few of the Wolf-Brown plastic variety in my collection dating back to 1970s, all of them Navy pieces and I recently acquired in the past year in quantity their traditional metal service ribbon bars with the pin and open catch.

Illustrated here is an example of the front side of a Wolf-Brown service ribbon bar, the back side is labeled as "Wolf-Brown Co. patent pending", as you can see the ribbon bar is made of clear plastic and the ribbon and sheen show clearly through the plastic covering. Some of the acetate or celluloid coverings tended on discolor to a yellow haze and crack over time.

Insert #1 - Wolf-Brown plastic covered ribbon bars, front view, Army and Army Air Force 3/8th inch style, World War II and later.

Insert #2 - Wolf-Brown single 3/8th inch ribbon bar plastic covered front view. This was the "Army style".

Insert #3 - Wolf-Brown 3/8th inch style platic service ribbon bar, back side showing the maker's label and the annoucement that a U.S. Patent Office application was pending this probably being an early example during World War II or shortly thereafter.

Illustrated next is the frontal view of a two ribbon service bar purported to be made by Wolf-Brown. From this photograph obvious wear and poor alignment of the two ribbons is apparent.

Insert #4 - Wolf-Brown one-half inch style, two ribbon bar front showing plastic covering worn during World War II and after by the Navy and Marine Corps.

Insert #5 - Wolf-Brown one-half inch style, two ribbon bar back showing the mounting bar with two attaching pins without the patented (Ballou) clutches. The metal used that is shown may be made chrome plated brass or more likely aluminum from the apprent scratches and shiny silver color.

Because of the ridged plastic the ribbons where they meet produce a very slight gap which does not distract from their overall appearance. Uncovered ribbons can be seated closer together not producing this gap and to some may have more visual appeal. Personally, I favor the uncovered ribbons, to me they display and look more to my liking and more like the ribbons I have seen of veteran's uniforms over the years.

The last photograph is the back side of this same two-ribbon set. It shows a modern slide bar with two mounting pins (sometime called railheads) to which clutches would be snapped on and the appropriate cut outs for the attachments. There is also two round holes punched in the metal (probably brass) between the cut outs. I am not sure if they are there for stitching the ribbons together with thread as they do not align with where attachments would be added. I have never seen the ribbons actually sewn together there, but the regulation full size medal as the miniature dress size are stitched in the earlier broach style mounts. The never regulation after Vietnam called for draping the ribbon over the mount but not sewing it to the mount. That is a reliable method of determining the general age of a medal or when it was made. Pre-Vietnam (including World War II and Korea) used the broach style mounts, Post-Vietnam used the simple drape mount. During the first World War and the years before 1939 the medals used I believe a bronze mount with pin and catch, it was different from the later broach style. I have seen these early medals either sewn at the edge, most often they were not. I am not an expert in this area so those are just my recollections over the years.

Insert #5 - Wolf-Brown, Inc., Los Angeles, CA product card packaging used probably after World War II showing the rank insignia for a Lieutenant Colonel and a Major, looks like the Army and Air Force regulation size.

During the 1960s my father and I met with Mr. George W. Studley at his home in Avon, New York to see his business that was advertised for sale in the Rochester Times-Union and Democrat and Chronicle newspapers. Mr. Studley operated his business in a small out building on his property that he had setup to do his work mounting ribbons and medals for veterans and groups like the VFW, Disabled Veterans and American Legion and where he kept his inventory of ribbons, mounting bars and shoulder patches that he had made to supply his veteran clientele. He showed us a small table mounted machine (press brake) that crimped the ribbons to the bar. Early service ribbon were often crimped to their mounting bar. It was hand operated.

One other point I wish to make before I close the discussion in part 5 is a type of service ribbon bar that was  of a one-piece configuration or design. It was simple in that it just had what I believe was a brass bar with the cutout for attachments and a pin and I think safety catch. The ribbon material was affixed to the bar by sewing together the two loose ends of the ribbon in the 1-⅜ inch direction. Because it apparently was hand sewn it took more time to produce it.  And the end user couldn't simply add more ribbons or rearrange them as they could with the later World War II and post-war styles. I had only one example of this type of service ribbon bar in my collection, and from the appearance and when I acquired it I suspect it to be a pre-WW II style, but dating after World War I. It was very nicely made and I wished I had kept it because it was so unusual, at least to me.

When I visited Long Beach, CA many years ago in the 1980s I frequently stopped by a uniform clothing store that did custom fit alterations and made uniforms to order for the various military branches but they specialized in Navy and Coast Guard. The store near the warf on Pine Street in the main business section of Long Beach was known as the Quartermaster, they published a catalog of the items they sold and I noticed they were a dealer for Wolf-Brown as well as other major suppliers. While they did supply some of the older shoulder patches from World War II for collectors, most of the metal and cloth insignia was current to that date and was regulation size and the high quality of items purchased by officers. I don't recall having any Wolf-Brown insignia examples in my collection, but I believe them to be of commercial grade quality meeting government standards and regulations.

Updated and corrected: 4/21/201 @ 12:17AM

Part 6 to follow.

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