For the Bundeswehr lover in all of us...

[Guardian 5]

Reaching for the beret.

A rumor making the rounds in Iraq these days is that U.S. Airborne troops dye their berets maroon with the blood of Iraqi children. Such is the reputation of the airborne....

[Guardian 5]

I love those old style brown boots.

[Guardian 5]

A final look for this go-around...Eine Starke Truppe!

Take care - TJ

[Uncle Kurt]

Hi,
Your Parachute looks good.
However, the laces of the boots must be included in the shaft boots are wrapped.

[Albert]

...
However, the laces of the boots must be included in the shaft boots are wrapped.

Nope, this is exactly how we wore them: laces tied around the shafts and the knots tucked in. Never seen anyone tiying them around the legs thus cutting off their blood supply...

[Guardian 5]

Gentlemen - Thank you for your comments. I am seeking to make the most accurate impression possible. This is just the kind of input I'm looking for.

Danke - TJ

[Viktor]

Genosse,
The Green backing to your Fj Beret Badge, is that a Norm for their Dress Regulations?, I like your Amoeba Helmet Cover, it is my favourite but little used BW Camouflage..

[Uncle Kurt]

Hi Albert,
Not the leg!
Large loop, all by dragging, and the two large loops into the side pocket.

Albert wo warst Du?

Victor,
The green substance under the Barettabzeichen is green parachute silk.
It was tolerated but was not allowed.
Only if you wore one times the reserve parachute had Withdrawn

[Uncle Kurt]

Sorry ich habe das mit einem Übersetzer gemacht.

Die Schlaufen werden in dem Schaft des Stiefels gesteckt.
Das war Standart in Nagold.

Vieleicht war das in einem anderen Standort anders?

[Guardian 5]

[QUOTE=Uncle Kurt;2905378]Hi Albert,
Not the leg!
Large loop, all by dragging, and the two large loops into the side pocket.

Albert wo warst Du?

Victor,
The green substance under the Barettabzeichen is green parachute silk.
It was tolerated but was not allowed.
Only if you wore one times the reserve parachute had Withdrawn[/QUOTE

Herr Onkel - Great info about the green backing; I thought it was a unit (company/battalion) designator. I've only seen this with the Fallschirmjaegers, Field Artillery, and Mountain Troops (felt cut out behind the edelweiss).

Danke - TJ

[Uncle Kurt]

Guardian 5,

Bitte

[Guardian 5]

Gents - I came across this example of a BW M71 on a South African vendor's website (http://www.warstore.co.za/ALLBG.asp?ItemID=2).

The vendor claims it was issued to SA Recce troops in the early 1980s. This is probably true for all I know, but I also know that the M71 was employed by the Belgian Airborne and that the camo cover on this helmet is the Belgian "jig saw" pattern.

In any event, I thought this news of the BW M71 serving in South Africa would be of interest to my fellow Bundeswehr lovers.

TJ

PS: When did the designation M71 come into effect? From what I can read, Baer refers to this helmet simply as the "Stahlhelm Modell Luftlandetruppe" and reports that it was adapted in 1961-1962. Was the chin-cup added in 1971 bringing about the new designation or is that a SA/Belgian feature? Thanks - TJ

[Guardian 5]

Interior view.

On the exterior view above, also note the American camoflauge band and inner tube style rim guard.

[Klaus1989]

PS: When did the designation M71 come into effect? From what I can read, Baer refers to this helmet simply as the "Stahlhelm Modell Luftlandetruppe" and reports that it was adapted in 1961-1962. Was the chin-cup added in 1971 bringing about the new designation or is that a SA/Belgian feature? Thanks - TJ

I do not think that it was ever called "M71". It was adopted in 1961 shortly before the so-called M62 (Stahlhelm 1A1 with 2nd model liner). Official designation was "Stahlhelm 1A1 Luftlandetruppen". Never seen BW one with such chin cup.

I have guesses that it is from confusion with either Belgian designation or misapplied because some other helmets that sometimes called paratrooper helmets (but are not) like Swiss M71 have that designation and it is confused. Just a guess...

regards
Klaus

[Guardian 5]

Klaus - I'd say confusion with the Swiss nomenclature is a valid hypothesis. You'll get alot of hits when you google "West German M71" with many of the links leading to Stahlhelm fur LL Truppe on e-bay.

TJ