[HerrScheisse]

The DDR certainly liked their science - you would not get so much highly detailed scientific reporting in a Western daily unless it were a specialist magazine on such subjects. At it is good that this newpaper was stuck in the hat as it gives a clue to the vintage of our uniforms.

Just beside the Ostbahnhof in Berlin, you can see the offices of "Neues Deutschland".

[HerrScheisse]

I just received some new DDR and these Zivilverteidigung medals were thrown in as an extra. The bronze was awarded for ten years service whilst the silver was for twenty years service. You got gold for thirty years.
Note the extra ribbon for the silver medal is not the correct one (should have white stripe).

I'll post the rest up the coming days as I do not like to photo them at night under artificial light (as I did with these two).

[Little Alex]

HerrScheisse, as far as I know these are worn by civilian reservists of the Zivilverteidigung (ZV). I guess they were a kind of analogue to the Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse (KdA), but arguably manned by less fervent types of people: the ZV existed to help people in case of nuclear war and so forth and the KdA existed to suppress uprisings. They both wore the same fatigues, but the ZV were NVA-stamped and the KdA were MdI-stamped.

There was also a full-time Zivilverteidigung arm of the NVA. They had their own Waffenfarbe - purple - and their own medals. In the same way as the Grenztruppen, their medals were identical to those of the NVA, but stamped Zivilverteidiguing instead of Nationale Volksarmee (I think these are quite rare). They also had their own cuffband: I posted a photo of my ZV tunic some time back.

I think I have a full KdA outfit with all the trimmings somewhere. I'll see if I can fish it out.

My recent acquisitions include a genuine paratrooper officer's orange beret and an air force gala jacket, which should arrive any day.

I'll put up a few photos soon!

[HerrScheisse]

Thanks for the extra information my good man! I will be interested to see your new items.

And now for something a little different, the insignia of the DDR Forestry Service.

[HerrScheisse]

The Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik (GST) was a military organisation whose melmbers occupied themselves with activities such as motors, aircraft and radio installations. They also held shooting events to militarise the youth.

Below three GST shooting pins, in bronze, silver and gold.

[HerrScheisse]

[Little Alex]

This is my beret. It seems to tick all the boxes as regards being an original. It's an officer dress version from 1989:



My Kampfgruppen uniform -

Left sleeve with the Kampfgruppen symbol: an arm holding a rifle with a red flag attached

Medals for 5, 10, 15 and 20 years service

Ribbon bar, pre mid-1970s

Tie for parade wear

Shooting medals in bronze, silver and gold



Close-up of the shooting medals:



Zivilverteidigung items...

The "Bester" badge... I believe this is worn by NVA-Zivilverteidigung and reservists, but I'm not absolutely sure.

Beside that are the Verdienstmedaillen in bronze and silver. These are "second level" medals, but are for some reason far more common than the Treue Dienste medals, which doesn't really make sense.



As I thought, HerrScheisse, your ZV Treue Pflichterfüllung medals are for civilian reservists.

The little ribbon bar doesn't seem to fulfill the regulations, so I'm not sure what to make of it... it could be a detached top row...

[HerrScheisse]

Here is the white variant of the Stasi Hochschule badge.

[HerrScheisse]

Here are six bronze medals that were awarded as a set to members of the Wachregiment FD.





The rear of each medal is the same with the Chekist motto: A Chekist has a cool head, a warm heart and clean hands (conscience).



FD Wachregiment. Perhaps someone can identify the building in this medal for me, and its location in Berlin?



Dynamo is the sport club of the MfS. The text states: Prepared to defend the homeland.



20 Years Ministry of State Security.



Cross organisation of the Free German Youth of the MfS.



Cross party organisation of the MfS.



Brother in class. Brother in arms. Undefeatable.

[HerrScheisse]

Alex do you have any more info on these Bester badges? What was the purpose and shy were they awarded?

[HerrScheisse]

It's Karl Marx in a holographic style stickpin!

Turn it one direction - where are you gone Karl?



Turn it back - oh there you are

[MedalFuhrer]

l like that pin. It's classy looking compared to most of the other DDR brightly coloured stuff.

[HerrScheisse]

In the same colour as the 35th anniversary badge, and a variant of the blue and red 40th badges I posted earlier. To think they had all these badges ready and just missed it by a whisker.

[HerrScheisse]

I managed to get a whole bunch of Stasi items recently. Here is an award plaque in perfect condition and boxed:

[HerrScheisse]

Here is an award to the Stasi from the district offices of Karl-Marx-Stadt with the arms of the Stasi shield and sword.

It is made of porcelain and the rear shows the SED logo and the text "presented by the party leadership".