Having completed my collection of select early Bundesheer and Bundesluftwaffe items (mainly hats), I've moved on to early Bundesmarine. Thus far, I've picked up a blue-topped Flag-Officer visor cap (non-removable top); a 1964-dated, mid-grade white-topped cap (removable top); and a very beat up junior officer visor which may turn out to be a Handelsmarine cap instead of Bundesmarine.
Gordon and I have traded e-mails on navy items and I think this last segment of my early Bundeswehr collection will likely prove the most difficult, particularly for the very early blue-topped caps -- which went away in 1968.
My naval collection is pretty small at this point. Just the aforementioned caps and a pair of reefer jackets -- one for a Leutnant zur See and the other for an Oberbootsman. The officer jacket is from the mid-1960s and the other from 1971.
I've found it interesting that the senior officer caps both have the stamped metal kokarde and not the bullion version typically seen on Heer and Luftwaffe offizier mützen. Originally I thought it might be to limit corrosion damage but this clearly makes no sense as the anchor and wreath are bullion and subject to tarnish.
Very delighted to see the BW now has its own section of the forum!
Gordon and I have traded e-mails on navy items and I think this last segment of my early Bundeswehr collection will likely prove the most difficult, particularly for the very early blue-topped caps -- which went away in 1968.
My naval collection is pretty small at this point. Just the aforementioned caps and a pair of reefer jackets -- one for a Leutnant zur See and the other for an Oberbootsman. The officer jacket is from the mid-1960s and the other from 1971.
I've found it interesting that the senior officer caps both have the stamped metal kokarde and not the bullion version typically seen on Heer and Luftwaffe offizier mützen. Originally I thought it might be to limit corrosion damage but this clearly makes no sense as the anchor and wreath are bullion and subject to tarnish.
Very delighted to see the BW now has its own section of the forum!
Comment