Flächentarn uniforms & equipment variation over the years.

[Sleepwalker]

Hello,

I have a comment

In the 1960s, such leather belts and suspenders were only used by the border police/border troops and the police and were worn with field uniforms.

In the NVA, this was not worn as a field dress by combat troops. For this purpose, weaving equipment was issued very quickly after the NVA was founded and established.

The leather suspender shown was issued until the end of the 1960s together with a backpack similar to that of the Wehrmacht to soldiers in rear units and also the air force. They received no combat baggage for this.

Regards

[Jack59]

Hello, I have a comment

In the 1960s, such leather belts and suspenders were only used by the border police/border troops and the police and were worn with field uniforms.

In the NVA, this was not worn as a field dress by combat troops. For this purpose, weaving equipment was issued very quickly after the NVA was founded and established.

The leather suspender shown was issued until the end of the 1960s together with a backpack similar to that of the Wehrmacht to soldiers in rear units and also the air force. They received no combat baggage for this.

Regards

Hi Sleepwalker, thanks for the clarification, since this is clearly a infantry NCO, I will gladly do the correction with the good equipment.
Following that correction I will present a border guard again. Did they wore the type of leather Y-straps without the backpack straps?
My other question is about the Border guards entrenching tool, the "Feldspaten" was part of their personal equipment but when did they carried it?

Here is the proper Flächentarn equipment worn with the Winter uniform for a NVA NCO in the mid 60s.





















Regards
Jack

[Jack59]

While organising last post impression I took a closer look at my 2 older model of NVA Feldspaten (field shovel).
Lets have a look.





Both have the same length, 54.5 cm.





Now we can see differences.



The riveted shovel weight is 936gr., the welded one is 929gr.











The strait shovels were used until the 70s & were then replaced by the Klappspaten (folding shovel model).

[James C]

Really nice displays and field equipment Jack thanks for sharing ,this is as far as i got with collecting a few pieces of Flächentarn before i moved onto something else but might return to collecting more one day

[Jack59]

Really nice displays and field equipment Jack thanks for sharing ,this is as far as i got with collecting a few pieces of Flächentarn before i moved onto something else but might return to collecting more one day

Thanks James, I like your "burp gun", it completes the set-up nicely.

Regards
Jack

[Jack59]

Inspired by this photo of young Border guards chatting with a few veterans.
I've combined what I could observe from both guards from sometime in the the sixties.



Border Guards on patrol travelled lightly then, no gas mask or entrenching tools with them.
Overtime they will carry gas masks & also cameras.









Yes you're right to ask what is that Russian Marine's SKS ammo pouch doing there?
This guard's unit is in a isolate post somewhere on the border far from the brass, little twist to discipline were tolerated.
Those ammo pouches were used sometime to carry cigarettes, tabaco, lighter & small stuff.



The back pack straps & D-rings were removed from the leather Y-straps for Police & Border guards usage.





Not having NVA binoculars yet I've used some Czech's 1954 ones.

[Reibert]

While organising last post impression I took a closer look at my 2 older model of NVA Feldspaten (field shovel).
Lets have a look.





Both have the same length, 54.5 cm.





Now we can see differences.



The riveted shovel weight is 936gr., the welded one is 929gr.











The strait shovels were used until the 70s & were then replaced by the Klappspaten (folding shovel model).

For comparison:

"Early" NVA spade

[Jack59]

Hi everyone, for this post I'll talk about one of the NVA's
tradition for members with only 6 month of service to do.

Inspired by this NVA Army magazine cover of the January 1969 issue.




This tradition goes back to the early 60s & was carried on in many units.
Within 6 months of being release to civilian life men would wear silver buttons
on their field service jacket instead of the gray plastic ones.


This Border guard NCO shoulder board & silver button is a fine example.


Note the 2 magazine pouch.




Border guards carried minimum equipment & weapons for daily tasks of observation & patrols.
They were nevertheless trained, equipped & armed to man the first line of defence, the border.


Note the external trousers leg pocket.


A similar tradition concerns the belt buckle.
See link for more info: Flächentarn (patterned camouflage) uniform & equipment.