Article about: Forumites, I am new here, and only recently found your forum while doing a search for information on RKKA M35 and M43 gymnastroikas. I used to be a uniform and weapon collector years ago, bu
Forumites,
I am new here, and only recently found your forum while doing a search for information on RKKA M35 and M43 gymnastroikas. I used to be a uniform and weapon collector years ago, but no longer. However, I do love hanging about at the shows and the online community because I still like learning, etc.
I came back to doing living history/reenacting after an absence of a few years, primarily because I somehow infected my son with a bug for the GPW and all things Soviet.
Anyway, I have a great many questions regarding gyms, particularly the M43 model. Most of what I have found out here on my side of the pond tends to come to second hand, and I know no RKKA uniform collectors personally to ask anything. So, if any of you would care to be pestered with questions off-forum (I do not want to clog the bandwidth) please give me a shout and I will wear you out! Thanks for your time and sharing of knowledge here, I've learned a great deal in just a few days.
Thank you Dimas, and others from yesterday, for the warm welcome. OK, here are some quick and easy ones that y'all might can answer for me:
- In the "popular press" here in the U.S. regarding Soviet uniforms of the GPW, one often sees the reference to wool gyms and sharovari being issued for winter, and the cotton sets for summer. (If memory serves, I recall reading it was May-Sept. for the cotton issue.) Is this true, or is this statement some kind of "collector/reenactorism" anecdote of some sort?
- M43 tunics with no pockets. I seem to recall reading on one of the threads the other day that these were the norm before Oct. of '44. (Sorry, I can't remember which thread contained this, or the author.) Is this based on observation of photos, or is this coming from some kind of order?
That's enough for now, I don't want to wear y'all out. I feel somewhat bad about this since I have little to no knowledge to add to the group in this area.
This tunic was introduced on 15th January (Prikaz No.25) and from the first pockets were only for officers. On 5th August 1944 enlisted female personnel were authorised to have pockets and on 6th September 1944 all enlisted personnel were permitted the type with pockets.
But practically I seen both. The flapped pockets gimnasterkas made dated 1943, and gimnasterka without pockets dated 1947 year. As from pictures most part of gimnasterkas has a pockets. Also a lot of factory redone M35, and M35/41 ( simplified version)
I would also agree with Dimas. Anyone re-enacting any period is best to go from dated original photos. Regulations and reality are often two different things.
Indeed, I can vouch from doing research and living history for other periods that reality and regulation can often be at odds. Some things never change do they?
I am very interested in the factory re-worked/redone M35 and M35/41 (simplified version), could one of you direct me to some images of such so that I'm on the same sheet of music as all of you?
Thanks for your time and effort to educate a greenhorn.
Info on M35 and M43 Gymnastroikas
I used to be a uniform and weapon collector years ago, but no longer. However, I do love hanging about at the shows and the online community because I still like learning, etc.
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