odd BW feldmutze

[allen]

Bitte koenen Sie helfen?

I have a very odd BW field cap that rotted out in the carport when I moved, it got lost in the shuffle and I found it under some stuff in completely ruined condition (this is what happens when you have too many goodies...). It's not moleskin, nor is it BW olivgrau - it's a very light twill in a sort of bottle green, more like WW2 reed green or that funky green that US Army Aggressor forces uniforms of the fifties were made out of. And it has a much more "Afrika Korps" shape to it. And no. it's not the Austrian one. It's Bundeswehr - had the buttons in front.

Has anybody seen any of these? It was probably my single favorite BW piece and I'd love to have another.

[Klaus1989]

Without photos, not sure, but sounds like possibly BGS field cap for green field uniform in 1960s-mid 1970s, worn for work duties and border patrols. Maybe photo would help, even if rotten...

These are made in same cut and style as their camo caps (and moleskin Bw caps) but cotton and shade of green as you describe. Did not think they are twill though. Strangely the green uniforms and caps are much rarer than BGS camo ones (camo only for combat training and manuevers). I look for one myself.

Some photos in wear (colour is greener than appears in photos). The enlisted men are wearing them (Wachtmeister giving orders in first photo is wearing service cap instead):

http://www.beim-alten-bgs.de/Beim_al..._-_uebung.html

regards
Klaus

[allen]

feldmutze

That's it!

I started thinking maybe it's BGS after I posted but the only Grenzshutz caps I had seen were the wool ones. The cap is the color of the background on that website.

That site is awesome, by the way, the most BGS (non GSG 9) pics I've ever seen. Back in the eighties when I was really interested in collecting BGS stuff I got the idea that the BRD wanted to keep the BGS a secret, rather like a secret army. Nicht var?

Vielen dank, Klaus.

By the way, Sportsman's Guide has the later type green BGS field uniforms now and again, if you can stand their utterly indifferent sizing efforts...

[Klaus1989]

I do not know about secret part in 1980s, but in early year of BGS before Bundeswehr, they were way to build army and training unofficial and had paramilitary status to 1994. After 1976 they did not look so military and more like police but still military training. Many first Bw personnel in 1955 were from BGS.

BGS uniforms on sportsmans guide are from 1980s and later (I have seen Bundespolizei still wear them) and beyond my collecting area.

regards
Klaus

[Guardian 5]

Allen - AWESOME site!

Klaus - thanks for the assist.

I didn't even know of the existence of the green pre-camo fatigues until this thread appeared and I've been collecting BGS for years - WOW!

I'll be mining that site for the rest of the week; the Frau isn't going to be to happy about that....Just last week I was lamenting the absence of photographic evidence concerning the deportment of the P2 flare pistol in BGS service and this site is loaded with pictures of said pistol plus a whole lot more besides.

Thanks again - TJ

[allen]

Cool BGS stuff

Yep. that site makes me wanna start collecting BGS again. Gott und Himmel...I have too much crap already.

[Klaus1989]

TJ,
really the uniforms are not "pre-camo" because they were issued along with sumpftarn uniform. They are identical cut to second and third model sumpftarn jackets, so they were issued starting early 1960s I suspect. According to veteran quoted on website, they were forbidden to wear sumpftarn on border (sign of aggression), so I figure sumpftarn=military exercises and training, green=border patrol and training.

I have only seen one of the jackets on ebay.de but no Paypal or ship outside Germany. Nevers seen cap.

regards
Klaus

[allen]

BGS gear

Klaus, didn't the BGS destroy their old gear rather than sell it to the surplus market? Or ruin it before they sold it? I remember the first BGS item I got in the eighties was a pullover tarnjacke that had slashes under the arms that someone had sewn up. The top pockets couldn't be used.

[Klaus1989]

allen,
most times, BGS only remove patches carefully and leave thread outline. However sometime they became lazy I guess and cut pieces of fabric, pockets, sleeves, etc. to do it faster. They did not want want insignia on their uniforms when they dispose of them. They destroyed many of their steel helmets though.

regards
Klaus