4./Pz Btl 203 Beret....................

[oradour]

Gents a shoebox full of goodies was delivered fro Germany this morning, with a variety of items within....all belonging to former Panzershutze Christian Schachel 4./Pz Btl 203 (number 4 company of Panzer Battalion 203) 1st Panzer Division, it appears from his record of service/shooting book(Turret mounted MG 3, MP 5, G3,& P1 ) that he served between 1992 and 1994 (a conscript) and that he rose to Unteroffizier rank. The box contained all sorts of paperwork, badges,and a tube of British Army face paint ! and other miscellaneous items, including his black Panzer beret, which I show here.....notice the application of the skull & crossed bones tradition badge and small Leopard 2 badge, although not regulation, it appears non regulation attachment of small badges was tolerated by some company Der Speiss ! Notice the bent barrel of the tank, he was a gunner, that again was unofficially done to indicate his first hit with a 120mm projectile ! He also appears to have replaced the beret ties with pink tape !
At the time of Schachel's service Pz Btl 203 was garrisoned at Blutcher Kaserne, Hemer in Westfalia.
It is now at the Rommel Kaserne in Augustdorf....see the attached you tube video Augustdorfer Soldatentag 2012 - PzBtl 203 - Panzerbataillon 203 - Panzer vs. Auto, Tank - YouTube and for more information on Pz Btl 203 see here Google Translate

Prost ! Steve.

[Adrian Stevenson]

I like the addition of the skull insignia.

Nice little group.

Cheers, Ade.

[gel65]

Very cool the small modifications make this very cool.

[CBH]

Very nice beret .

[stuka f]

Great find!
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[Friedrich-Berthold]

Very nice items.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The Apotheker Totenkopf is very non regulation, by the way, but not untypical of how this wild maintenance of tradition and customs operates. How sad that so few tanks remain in the Bw.