Feldmutze Alter Art fur Mannschaft

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I've never thought of it that way FB.

I spend a lot of time in central and eastern Europe and am familiar with the climate there.

[BenVK]

Forgive me but my vision of you is you driving along the autobahn in a Mercedes SLK of 1970's vintage with a bottle of fine brandy in the gloove box!

[JPhilip]

eReL made fine caps but they were the Audi of the era, HPC and Kaps etc were the Porsche and Mercedes.

Hello Ben,
There was no Audi during the Third Reich era.
Before the nazis took power in Germany, Audi was associated with three other manufacturers to form a new entity called "Auto Union". The four circles were created at this time to symbolize the four associated producers
In 1964, Audi was born again and they kept the four circles as emblem.
Erel could be the BMW of the era, dont you think ?....
I love german cars...
Thanks

[BenVK]

A figure of speech my friend and a comparison not based in reality.

Damn, you have to be so careful what you say these days.

[d'alquen]

Very interesting Holter's document for Reinhard. The cost of outfitting an officer was an important factor in Third Reich economics, driven to a large part by the desire not to make the whole enterprise untenable for the participants, hence the Kleiderkasse system.
In 1938, Himmler was in correspondence with Hitler justifying the system and quoting the total cost for an SS or Polizei officer to equip himself.
Here is the addendum.
d'aalquen

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Dear Colleague, thanks. Marvelous documents to go along with the Holters receipt. The splendor in regalia we so admire and which we seek to reconstruct somehow had its price. How silly that some of us have paid the prices here many, many time over in the attempt to catch some of this faded glory. But the splendor of court in the old regime was itself always a great expense, and Hitler surely did not stint on this account and others that constituted the dazzling veneer of power in the III. Reich.

Thanks for these wonderful documents.

We should remind our readers, too, that the SS officer got a clothing allowance in connection with the Kleiderkasse to defray the cost of this rather extravagant kit. One also sees that the RFSS budgeted RM 90 for a single black tunic, and Holters charged somewhat more along with all insignia and whatnot, but not an ungodly amount. Nor is an allowance here for the black peaked cap, either. It is amusing to see the numbers of items that belonged to the erste and zweite Garnitur for an SS officer in the SSVT, TV and Polizei.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Forgive me but my vision of you is you driving along the autobahn in a Mercedes SLK of 1970's vintage with a bottle of fine brandy in the gloove box!

Thanks for the romantic notion. I do drive a lot in Germany and Austria, but my Dienstherr only pays for Opels, Skodas, and sometimes a VW if I am lucky. Quite often I rent French cars, which I did last time without ever knowing how to turn on the radio. I think it was a Renault. It was a good car, with lost of pep. The SLK is elsewhere (very elsewhere from the A9), in fact, without brandy in the glove box. I have had the SLK for eleven years, but seldom put the top down. In fact, I just got a speeding ticket here with it, as the local gendarmes are filling the coffers of state in a predatory way. The car I recently bought is well suited for the role of taxi driver, to which I aspire once I retire be it in Wien or Berlin. The new car also has a three pointed star. The hats make a better investment, but you cannot get around in them in a practical way.

In fact, I used to have a VW Type 181 Kuebelwagen which I sold to buy a black uniform. I loved the Kuebelwagen, even if it was a death trap. Recently, I sold black tunics and caps to buy a Mercedes, a mark of my waning interest in foetid woolens.

[ian]

FB my year in vien was the most memorable of my life ,and i have a chance to go back ,i worked for steyr -daimler -puch and i loved it wien to me is the most lovely city i lived in the 11th district right by the donoue /danube /
that was at 2 haidequer st a1-1111 wien the steyr factory,, i realy loved it there in wien , i would give anything to be back there
cheers ian
i was working on the panour 1 and 11 and the ulan and the asgod vehicles im sure you know of them

[N.C. Wyeth]

Hey Ben - here is an old friend you might recall . . . I wonder where it is today? I have not heard about the cap for many years now . . . have you? For me, at least not since it made a journey to Australia three or four years ago. Isn't it funny how these things turn up over-and-over again throughout the years . . . I wonder how long it will be before we see it again?

I too am looking forward to an Austrian homecoming soon, and can hardly wait. Fortunately, I do not believe I'll be wearing an autocap such as the style previously shown - I will be travelling mostly by bicycle, and I truly doubt it could be considered appropriate attire for such a form of travel in the present time . . .

[BenVK]

Although I do regret selling that KZ cap because it was rather special, I honestly didn't feel that comfortable owning it. If only it had not been piped that colour. Prehaps I was being overly sensitive, after all, prehaps the job of the original owner was merely pushing a pen around and filling in forms. However it just didn't sit right with me. Silly I know.

Anyway, all the talk of cars has had me searching all week for some photos.

Here was my pride and joy around 15 years ago. I rebuilt this TR6 from the ground up and the very first day I took it out for a spin, a dotty old lady crashed right in the side of it on a roundabout. It was rebuilt again and then sold. I believe it's in Australia now.