UBB.threads Forums Uniform & Accessories Police Uniforms Forum DDR Grenzschut and GDR Border Guard.

I am starting this thread to display my collection of East German Board Guard uniforms. I welcome any comments and additions!

I would love to also see some West German Border Guard uniforms as well!

Regards
Paul


PS, can this thread be pinned next to the German Post War Police

Officers

enlisted lightweight summer tunics

Here is my Border Guard Pilot uniform

Enlisted Border Guard, Aviation branch

I was informed that the Harbor Police were controlled by the Border Guard... hense the green piping.

Cuff title

I look forward to seeing your comments and additions! Thanks again for looking.

Can this thread please be pinned under the Post WW2 German Police tunics?

Regards
Paul

Paul,

The early Grenzpolizei wore the same blue uniform as the Volkspolizei with the main difference being a green shield with a large "G" patch on the left sleeve. There seems to have been a transitional period where the collar tabs were the same but the enlisted and NCO shoulder boards differed and were more the military style shown on your uniforms. Of course the NCO ranks also corresponded more to the military model than to the police rank structure.

I think you are confusing the chain of command of the Hafenpolizei to that of the K�stenwache. The Hafenpolizei answered to the MdI through the police chain of command. There were elements of the Coastal Wach that were subordinate to the Grenzers but they wore the Marine style uniform. These uniforms are distinguishable by the collared sailor shirts and "Donald Duck" hats worn by the Navy. Their K�ste insignia is in fact green piped. Here is an example of the fresh water Grenzer uniform in the form of a herringbone twill deck jacket.

View of the green piped NCO shoulder boards for the Grenzbrigade K�ste on this Drillichjacke. Notice the Navy style gold tresse and specialty insignia. I will see if I can find a period photo of these folks.

George

quote:

uniforms are distinguishable by the collared sailor shirts and "Donald Duck" hats worn by the Navy. Their K�ste insignia is in fact green piped. Here is an example of the fresh water Grenzer uniform in the form of a herringbone twill deck jacket.

Thanks for the clarification! That is a wonderful admin Petty Officer tunic! I have never seen an HBT East German tunic!

Nice!

Paul,

It took me a while to find it, but here is a photo of the Grenzbrigade K�ste uniform. Notice they are wearing the naval style uniform with Donald Duck hats with Grenzbrigade K�ste cap tallies.

George

Now that is a nice photo!! What book it is in?

Regards
Paul

Paul,

This photo is from page 70, "Im Dienste Des Volkes" published in 1969 by the Political Administration of the Ministry of the Interior. It is essentially a coffee table book on the history of the Volkspolizei in relationship to the party and state.

Here is another intersting garment worn by both Grenzers and VP and often seen in photos of troops standing the Berlin wall. This is a rain cape. This one is generically marked "DDR" so it is not possible to tell which group wore it.

George

That is the first example I have ever seen of such a weather cape!! Nice!

Paul

Here my LtC. tunic ,inked inside to "MfS" and dated per inside letter "B" 1972 ;came with green piped pants per the letter "P" from 1986 and inked to NVA . What did "MfS" stand for??

Close-up of collar tab and shoulder board.

Here a converted overcoat to a waist length tunic with a sweater type waist band for a Major ; dated per inked letter "Y" to 1988.I just love the dark wool collar and this heavy lined tunic would have been great for winter time ! Cap has letter "P" for 1986. Posted by Bernd.

Close-up side view.

Back-view shows the sweater woven type waist band .

Now a NCO tunic that still got the great looking silver thread woven collar tabs : per inked letter "I" dated to 1982. This Tumic also sports a DDR sleeve shield .

Close-up.

Here again a tunic with the woven wool sweater typ waistband ; this time lower EM rank and dated per letter "Y" to 1988. I also got a 2nd one dated to 1986.

And again a close-up.

And the backside showing the sweater type waistband .

Now a very long in lenght EM tunic that I got at the Belleville,IL, Gun Show 2 month ago. It is dated per inked letter "N" to 1989.

The backside still sports the tailor's paper ! Hope you liked this DDR-stuff ;--there are many variations to be collected! Bernd.

Doug,

You have some really nicely displayed tunics!!!

I do have a question... the Shortened Overcoat and the M44 style shorted tunic... it is true that these were never worn and that they were made to sell to us collectors?

Regards
Paul

Paul,

I think you are correct that the cut down uniforms were not official uniforms worn during the time of the DDR but were altered later by militaria dealers. Sturm seems to be the main dealer who did this by cutting them off just above the pockets and adding the elastic waistband. The "Ike Jacket" alterations were very well done but were not original to the period.

Bernd,

I agree with Paul that these "Ike Jackets" were altered post-DDR by Sturm and often have their added labels in the neck. Your "MfS" marked Grenzer tunic is intersting. The Ministry for State Security (STASI) did not control the Grenzschutz to my knowledge. Typically Stasi tunics have brick red or white piping or no piping. Interesting!

Here is an example of the full length dark collar Grenzschutz greatcoat that has not been cut down.

George

George: The collar and cuff piping on the "MfS " marked tunic is the correct green color and the collar tabs and the cuffband are sewn down . Soo, everything seems to be correct ! I still got to get me one complete overcoat with the nice dark wool collar . I got one NVA without the cuffband .Bernd .

Here the sets of my shoulder boards for the DDR Navy Grenzbrigade Kueste.Posted by Bernd.

Here my sets of shoulderboards for the DDR Navy Grenzbrigade Kueste. Posted by Bernd

Soory it was posted twice . Here lower rank with one time tresse cross strip and other one with 2 metal plates across.

George please tell me what DDR service these sets of shoulder boards belonged to .Thanks , Bernd,

...and close-up .

Close-up of the trade/skill insigmias.

Bernd,

I was wrong about the MfS having control of some of the Grenzschutz units. It seems that they did, so your MfS marked tunic is an interesting variation that seems to have come from Ministry for State Security (stasi) stores. A very neat variation!

Your shoulder boards are Warrant Officer boards for the Grenzbrigade K�ste it seems. The board ranks are F�hnrich (1 pip), Ober-f�hnrich (2 pips), Stabs- (3) and Stabsober- (4). I don't think these guys wore the shoulder patch. Your Grenzer Warrant Officer uniform with the shoulder patch is the patch that designates Warrant Officers as well. Later ones had pips on the patch as well as the shoulders but I am not too good on military or Grenzer ranks.

George

Bernd,

Nice insignia!!! Those boards are beyone rare!!!

Here are some of mine... please forgive the crappy photos. The are older as I have my DDR insignia in storage at this time.

I believe that the shoulder boards posted earlier are for various ranks of Chief Warrant Officer. Some of the boards below have the "F" cypher. I thought that they were for the f�hnrich. Officer Candidate boards wore the same shoulder boards with the "S". Each stripe was for the year in school

Here is the next photo of a musician board set.

DDR Navy Grenzbrigade Kueste(amongst) insignia

Here now my DDR-NAVY items ,2 shoulderboards show the "S" CYPHER. Posted by Bernd.

Close-up of the "S" cypher boards, one with 3 and one with 4 cross stripes for the schoolyears.

Doug,

You have a very nice collection!!! I love this stuff!

I do have a general question on the School boards. I have a set with 5 bars.... what would this be for? I thought that the academy's were only four years in duration?

Regards
Paul

Very interesting thread!
ORPO - as always You have gret items!
DOUGH, Your 1988 SHORTENED JACKET has BAD shoulderboards - that ones are for VOPO, not for Grenztruppen.
PAULR, Your Grenz musician has bad insignias on shoulderboard - they must be silverd(?) or aluminium.
It seems to me now militaria dealers trying make their articles more interesting (shortened "Ike" jackets, applying badges on shoujlderboards etc.).Pitty.

BTW, PaulR, how many Grenzuniforms have You?

BTWBTW: For rank tables of GT, GBK, SchuPo, TraPo & BePo see:
http://www.tenzor.cz/lbsr/forum/GT.jpg
http://www.tenzor.cz/lbsr/forum/GBK.jpg
http://www.tenzor.cz/lbsr/forum/SChuPo.jpg
http://www.tenzor.cz/lbsr/forum/TraPo.jpg
http://www.tenzor.cz/lbsr/forum/BePo.jpg

Jiri Libal sr.,

Thank you for your comments and expertice. I would have never guessed that the musician BG boards were post-wall assembled. It does make sense!

Also, thank you for posting the charts.

I have exactly 20 Border Guard uniforms, out of a total of 140 uniforms. My goal was to let most of these go in the distant future. I started collecting these uniforms when people were literally tossing them in the garbage.

In the process of rescuing them, I really developed an affection for them!

As far as jazzing up common items for sale... it kinda makes me wonder about the ornate WW2 tunics...

Regards
Paul