Picked up this German beret. Anyone tell me about it
Hello
Panzer and Gerbirgsjaeger badges
cordially
Didier
Yes Didier is quite correct but I don't believe the edelweiss badge belongs together with the Panzertruppen badge. Tanks and mountains don't really go together but I stand to be correctedby bichon
This badge represents pure armoured units rather than armoured infantry, recce etc which have different badges and different coloured berets. You can also find these badges without the German flag at the bottom, these are earlier versions though I can't recall when the flag was introduced. I think it was sometime in the late '70s. The black (it's not navy blue) beret is correct for Panzer and panzer recce troops and this one being dated 1990 is right for that badge. The other beret colours are; maroon (airborne / SF/ air corps / long range recce) forrest green (Jaeger / light infantry, infantry and Wacht (guard) Battalion), royal blue (medical), red (the rear services ), Navy blue Multinational Corps, Officer Cadets an Luftwaffe Security troops and I think there was a white one for the Musikcorps but I am not sure that is still the case.
I hope this helps
Regards
Mark
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
Oh, they do sometimes...:
Gebirgspanzerbataillon 8 wieder im Dienst!
Well well, like I said I stand to be corrected! I just can't imagine a Leopard II runing up the Zugspitz!
What would the role of such a unit be? I could understand maybe light armour but that is no APC in the background.
Also, some of the troops on parade do seem to have an additional device next to the beret badge.
Please expand, I am eager to know more.
Regards
Mark
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
They are wearing the same badges as seen on the beret that started this thread: An armor branch badge and a mountain troops' Edelweiß.
An Edelweiß badge was/is worn by personnel of units that form part of the mountain troops, even if these individual units are not equipped and trained for mountain warfare as such.
(For example, my hometown was the HQ of the former Panzerbrigade 24. This armored brigade was subordinate to the former 1. Gebirgsdivision and thus formed part of the mountain troops, which is why its personnel wore the mountain troops' uniform with ski blouses and mountain caps and Edelweiß sleeve- and cap badges. Those uniforms were a common sight back in the days...)
The unit whose re-formation is the subject of the article to which I linked is wearing the Edelweiß as a traditions badge as it continues the traditions of an earlier unit with the same designation that was also a divisional unit of the 1. Gebirgsdivision.
Aah! Alles klar, Jetzt habe ich verstanden, es ist eben ein errinnerungsabzeichen.
(That's clear, now I understand it is a tradition badge) In all my time working alongside my BW colleagues (14 yrs) I never saw such a thingMaybe because I was always in North Germany (mostly the plain area) where there are no mountains!
Thanks for the info.
Regards
Mark
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares more about than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature with no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
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