Erel manufactured transport officers cap.

[spandau]

Hello

I was kindly recommended to view this forum by Ben VK and as this is my first ever post I thought I'd start with showing a cap Ive recently restored to it's former glory.

When I bought it the cap had no wreath but a strange black hole in the middle of the cap band........ after two years of patient waiting the impossible turned up....a bullion wreath with a vented national cockade!

I hope this doesn't re-ignite a debate about changing/adding insignia on caps but I am a believer in restoring items back to there original regulation look when they have been obviously "re-adjusted" or are missing insignia.

Here come the pics.... regards Tony

[BenVK]

Hi Tony, thanks for joining us here!

I'm assuming that because the cap has a "black hole" that it's a vented eReL Sonderklasse and it's absolutely correct to restore it with the proper vented cockade. Nothing wrong with that, in fact it shows a keen interest in the subject that should be applauded!

Cheers mate, can we see more of the cap please?

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Who can possibly object to replacing a missing piece of insignia on such a cap, then?

Very handsome cap and one seldom finds Fahrtruppen caps, to boot.

[jimpy]

Hi Tony.

Welcome to the group.

Just like to say that the wait was well worth the effort, you've done the schirmutze proud with the addition of the missing insignia. You certainly WONT get any complaints or gripes from me about it.

Regards etc

Ian D
AKA: Jimpy

[locloc08]

I join the others in welcoming my namesake to the forum. A very nice cap. I've always liked caps from this service, though I prefer the non-officer examples myself for whatever stupid reason. Please enjoy your stay!.. Best, (also) Tony.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I join the others in welcoming my namesake to the forum. A very nice cap. I've always liked caps from this service, though I prefer the non-officer examples myself for whatever stupid reason. Please enjoy your stay!.. Best, (also) Tony.

I had a very nice Fahtruppen Extramuetze from a Bayreuth maker with this subtle Waffenfarbe which I bought in the early 1990s and sold in the past decade. All too droll. It is a rather rare branch of the German army to find, but less so today, or at least in the heyday of the cold war Bundeswehr.

Happy hats to all. I had a Lubstein Heeresbeamter cap in perfect shape with the bestickt Kranz u Kokarde atop the magic ventilation hole. The cap was organic and untouched, but also unventilated in favor of a showy bullion badge. It was a wonderful cap, too, but I sold it also....

I think I have images of these for sale somewhere.....all scattered bits of the whole, and I hope the present owners are as caring as the objects deserve in their maintenance from foetid ness, sun light, critters, filth, and the forces of destruction of textiles.

Not all are mine in this image, but several. Now that I look at them, I miss them. Isn't it always this way? I guess the Fahrtruppen and Beamter went elsewhere. Oh well.


Congratulations on the nice hat and do not let anyone talk you out of fixing it. As if other collectors have not repaired these things for years since 1945.

[locloc08]

I think there's a kind of unheralded dignity in these non-modish branches that I like. I recently got to view a really nice cap for a Heeresbeamter of non-officer rank, also in perfect shape, which one definitely doesn't see every day. It even had the magical Lubstein vented cockade.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I think there's a kind of unheralded dignity in these non-modish branches that I like. I recently got to view a really nice cap for a Heeresbeamter of non-officer rank, also in perfect shape, which one definitely doesn't see every day. It even had the magical Lubstein vented cockade.

An army has a stomach, as well as other appendages and organs that do not all shine and glint in the sun like an edged weapon. For those of us who have lived our lives with soldiers, this truth is uppermost. Every person has their own taste, and none should be a slave to collector group think. I associate myself with your assertion of "unheralded dignity," to be sure. I miss the caps I sold. They always look better in pictures. Of course, I miss all the caps I have owned since the 1960s and then sold. But sold them I have for whatever reason. May your collection wax and grow to please your wishes and hopes.

[DrCMH]

Welcome to a fine forum with many courteous and knowledgeable members, several of whom have already posted their welcome messages here. Your restoration is wonderful and a demonstration of your interest and respect of these pieces from a significant part of world history.

Best regards,

CMH

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Tony, welcome to the forum!

Nothing wrong with adding the cockade and it looks fine.

I too think this is an undervalued branch of service.

Cheers, Ade.