Show us your NVA items!

**Poromies** · 07-19-2012, 06:11 PM

I totally forgot I had this! Its a SCHMS gas mask with the NVA rubber bag of horror. Great gas mask but caused my room to smell like horrible death for the first week I got this!

A thing to notice, is that the bag is almost the same as the UTV gas mask bag introduced before DDR collapsed. The difference is that the UTV bag has a camouflage pattern printed, british type belt attachment and a normal belt attachment, and the flap has a pattern 58 style "fast" opener.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 07-19-2012 06:11 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**lithgow** · 07-19-2012, 09:59 PM

A few items-field cap and side cap, NCO cap badge (made out of heavier tin foil than the conscript pattern

)-I have a DDR AKM rifle sling somewhere-will pull it out later if possible-a relatively high quality item by East German standards. My favourite portrayal of the NVA: 'Top Secret' 1984.

**Poromies** · 07-22-2012, 11:43 AM

I have never seen any of the earlier NVA camouflage uniforms, anyone?

**Mark K** · 07-22-2012, 03:23 PM

The first official pattern that was produced in East Germany is the the M58 Flachtarnenmuster pattern which was produced between 1956 and 1967 and issued to units in the East German Army (NVA) and Ministry of Interior (MDI). Also known as Kartoffelmuster (potato camouflage) or Blumentarn (flower camouflage), the pattern generally consists of blue-green, olive green & brown ragged blotches on a field grey background. Several mild color variations have been documented, some of which may appear darker due to their having been coated in anti-gas chemicals (which also gave the fabric a waxy texture). Several types of jacket, trousers, field equipment, shelter half and hood/helmet cover were produced in this pattern.

There was also a earlier camouflage uniform produced specifically for the DDR wich was based on the WW2 Soviet two-color MKK (maskirovochnyi kamuflirovannyi kostium)all the information on this pattern of camouflage suggests that it may have been produced in the USSR.
The lightweight fabric and distinctively Soviet style were discarded in later East German designs. Known colloquially as M49 sowjetische tarnbekleidung or Russisches tarnmuster (Russian camouflage), the East German version was a tricolor pattern with large brown and russet amoebic blotches on a khaki background, and saw issue until approximately 1957. In addition to the two-piece pullover uniform, this pattern was also printed on a shelter half/poncho.
The image below is Blumetarn being worn in the field I have on occasion seen the hoody style of jackets come up for sale here in North America but they always seem to sale for stupid high prices .There is a full collar variation of this camo produced in a field bluse but they are very hard to come by all variations that I have seen with the full collar date between 1961-1963

Regards Mark K

**oradour** · 07-22-2012, 10:40 PM

Great information Mark

.....keep your DDR stuff coming it is a fascinating subject, that gets little or no coverage here on War Relics !
Prost ! Steve.

**Poromies** · 07-22-2012, 10:47 PM

That was a blast of information, thanks Mark! A fun little thing, every country has their people who wear those "Thank you 1939-1945" shirts more or less, well I just found a t-shirt that has the DDR coat of arms and the text "Thank you 1949-1990" underneath.