North Korean Army Formal Dress Shoulder Board Sergeant

Here is an extremely rare North Korean enlisted man’s shoulder boards captured in the Korean War.

This appears to be for a 1st Lieutenant but the stars are missing.

The Korean Peoples Army (KPA) was uniform, equipped and trained by the Soviet Union after the USSR took control of the Northern half of Korea at the 38th Parallel at the end of WW2.

As such, KPA enlisted shoulder board insignia followed the Soviet 1943 pattern.

This board was made from various, low quality, wool & cotton materials. It was assembled using a sewing machine and possibly hand stitching.

There are no markings.

It measures about 5 1/4 by 2 1/3.

This board came from a collection in California where servicemen shipped out to Korea from.  Many Korean War Vets elected to remain in California having found the climate, beaches and bathing beauties more appealing than winters in the midwest and northeast.

We believe that either a Marine or Soldier liberated these from a KPA supply room.  This is consistent with the fact that about 90% of North Korea fell into UN hands in 1951.  This type of item was free for the unrestricted taking much like was the case for militaria found in occupied Japan & Germany.

After the Chinese People’s Volunteers entered the war, China became the KPA’s supplier.

After the Korean War, enlisted rank insignia was worn on the collar but was still based on the 1943 Soviet patterns. The 1943 pattern was changed in the Soviet Union in 1955.