Show me your DDR

HerrScheisse

You can get the belt for approx. 25 euro made of spun aluminum.

Little Alex

Fuinseog wrote: »

a pity you did not get the ceremonial belt and hanger that accompany the dagger. it was originally presented in a grey and white cardboard box with purple velvet lining.
300 euro will get you one issued to a general. I think I posted a link here before.

I have actually somehow ended up with three of those parade belts, but only one hanger (the newer, single-hole model). Interestingly, two of the belts have reinforcement where the dagger hangs from and one does not.

My box is red and does not have any fancy lining. The year of manufacture is 1985. I'll take a photo of it later.

Where can you get a general's dagger, Fuinseog? eGun? eBay don't allow them to be sold, although they're no sharper than a letter opener, which they do allow. You can't even buy a chef's knife on eBay. :rolleyes:

Little Alex

This is the box that the dagger came in. It was made in 1985 by VEB Maschinen und Elektrogerätebau Mühlhausen, which was actually a manufacturer of goods such as coffee machines and deep fat fryers, but somehow also ended up making swords and daggers for the army. This type of bizarre moonlighting was not all that uncommon among DDR factories and I read an article about this ages ago, but can no longer remember what the reason behind it was!

It also came with the partially rolled- up belt. It can't be rolled up fully because of the stiff reinforcement stitched into it, but the one beside it, which lacks the reinforcement, can be.



It also came with a kind of quick refrerence guide to the various different uniform regulations, including the gala uniform. However, there were different regulations for the army as opposed to the police (my earlier post shows a transport police gala uniform). In the army there were two variants of the gala uniform, depending on the occasion. As far as I know this did not exist for the police.



This is a parade aguilette or lanyard, or whatever it's called! It was made by VEB Obererzgebirgische Posamenten- und Effektenwerke (OPEW). This company actually still exists and still makes lanyards and other tassly things.



The one in the box is made from DDR nylon (Dederon), whereas the one draped over it is made of spun aluminium. The look pretty similar, but the aluminium one is somewhat more matte in appearance. The lip test also shows which one is which! :pac:



These are interesting parade uniform cuff bars. They are of the Volkspolizei, but they did not actually have a parade uniform as such. I think, though, that there was a branch of the police called the Bereitschaftspolizei who wore these cuff bars; they were more or less the riot police as far as I can make out.

HerrScheisse

A question on the cuff bars - why do wome uniforms have them and others not? Or are they specific for a service arm or period of time?

HerrScheisse

I picked up this bunch of DDR this morning...some I know what it is, other items not. I never seen the three plaques on the bottom before - anyone any idea? Or comments on the other items?

HerrScheisse

Here are closes ups of the plaques in bronze, silver and gold:

HerrScheisse

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HerrScheisse

I found a variant of the NVA Service medal hallmarked 900.

I post below comparison with the standard silver medal. You can see the 900 underneth where the stems of the laurels cross.

Little Alex

Nice collection, Genosse HerrScheisse!

HerrScheisse wrote: »

A question on the cuff bars - why do wome uniforms have them and others not? Or are they specific for a service arm or period of time?

The cuff bars were worn to the parade and walking out uniforms by the NVA army and the Grenztruppen. I think the air force had them too.

They were phased out in 1982.

HerrScheisse

Thanks Alex - all picked up as one gruffly haggled batch.

Any idea on the plaques? Much searching online revealed similar plaques, an "Ehrengeschenk" I presume, but I did not find this particular variant, nor any other similar item in three classes. The mind boggles some more...

Little Alex

I'm afraid I know nothing about these plaques, HerrScheisse.

Fuinseog

they look like Ehrengeschenke or honour awards. they might be able to help you here:

http://nva.bizhat.com/tradmail.htm

its a website for former NVA soldiers (just in German, but I am sure if you asked they would help)

HerrScheisse

Thanks for the link Fuinseog!

Fuinseog

HerrScheisse wrote: »

also available in grey for the combat uniform.

Fuinseog

HerrScheisse wrote: »

Thanks for the link Fuinseog!

there appear to be one or two comments in English. Not everyone asking questions there is a NVA veteran either.

HerrScheisse

Do you need to be a member to post or can you just append a comment?

Do you know if you can post pictures (I did not see any)?

Fuinseog

you have to send them an email as part of the bureaucratic procedure.

click on

Zum eintragen hier klicken !!

at the top of the page

and their email address will appear and you can attach files to your email.