DDR Collection

[reneblacky]

Ah well it's boring for most of you guys but any way here's some shots of the buckles It's nice to have a couple of issued ones!

[James C]

Flipping hell James Thanks Buddy we now know The Royal Mail is the winner of the race

Great stuff rene' glad it arrived ok mate

[James C]

Hi rene' im back in wales now ,your package arrived 3 days ago mate so your right ,i reckon there was a good tail wind out of the uk for the air mail ,well im chuffed to bits with the early nets you provided and ive finally reunited my early m56 with one of them ,your a gent and a pleasure trading with you

[reneblacky]

Glad you got them Mate and that you're happy, took me awhile to find them

[James C]

i know initially i asked you where you found one for your m56 but never expected you would be the one providing it too mate ,thanks again

[reneblacky]

i know initially i asked you where you found one for your m56 but never expected you would be the one providing it too mate ,thanks again

Hey James no problem If (that's an If) I can do it I will Mate

[Watchdog]

Hi Rene' here is utv belt and bottle from my collection ,the bottle is well made and would appear coated in flexi foam what are your thoughts on it ,i cant see any dates on these two and i suppose as utv was experimental or the proposed post 1990 gear that might be the reason as its unissued ,the webbing belt has a clasp very similar to the pattern 58 brit webbing

Very interesting items. I left Germany in 1998 by which time far more DDR kit was on the surplus market than ever we had seen in use but I never saw any of this pattern.
The belt is such an obvious copy of the British '37/'58 style. The prongs on the belt ends fit into the pockets stitched into the inside face of the belt. The S95 work belt (pictured) adjusts the same way as did the early PLCE belts. Just shows how a good design will hang around over time!



The strapping on the water bottle is typical communist bloc style light webbing encapsulated in a vinyl type material. Much cheaper to produce than heavier webbing or leather but it doesn't last as well in service. It is very reminiscent of early '70s cheap camping kit. The DDR used a wide range of plastics and faux leather in ways that western nations regarded as "low end" but I do wonder if, for military use it might not have been such a bad idea from a logistic viewpoint.

I am fascinated to see such items as might have become mainstream had history not intervened For example the M44 german steel helmet not taken fully up by the Wehrmacht but which morphed into the M56 of the DDR.

For me this thread can run and run

Regards

Mark

[James C]

Many thanks mark for mentioning your time in germany and also for the info regarding the kit and the belt fittings i was wondering what the sliders actual were used for ,i was told this utv gear was the proposed webbing for the 1990's onwards but also i hear it called experimental too ,either way i find the load bearing straps the hardest part to find these days perhaps non existant in the uk ,my set was from ebay germany ,your right though some of the DDR kit did have a tinge of cheap and cheerfull about it ,a bit like the xmas presents i used to get off one of my auntie's as a child Rene' has wet my appetite again for DDR militaria so i doubt this webbing will not be my last nva purchase this year
cheers james

[Watchdog]

Many thanks mark for mentioning your time in germany and also for the info regarding the kit and the belt fittings i was wondering what the sliders actual were used for
cheers james

Happy to input where I can mate, in many ways I count myself fortunate to have had a fairly close look at the "enemy" both on the IGB and in Berlin. The sliders are just the same as on any belt of this type and often referred to as keepers on civilian / police utility belts. Their purpose is simply to "slide" up to the buclke end on each side and hold in place whatever type of clasp/buckle/fastener is being used. I don't know if DDR kit will ever be as valuable as TR stuff because of the collector hobby having grown so much since WWII that it will never just be trashed as scrap the way TR stuff was but it is certainly of historical relevance and emminently collectable. My own Cold War bring backs are germinating well as the basis of a collection sub-set

Regards

Mark

[James C]

Great stuff mark ,id be real interested and im sure i speak for a few other members too who collect cold war relic's to maybe one day viewing what you have collected
thanks, james