Name Tapes on Moleskin uniforms

[PASSAUER8884]

Does anyone know when name tapes started to appear on the Moleskin uniform? I had them pegged as a late 80's thing, but I have seen a 1978 dated jacket that clearly had one on it, this particular jacket was in almost unissued shape so I doubt it had ten years of service under its belt before one was applied.

[Collectinsteve]

Good question!

I don't think the Bundeswehr started using name tapes, consistently, until the mid 1980s. But this is only a guess. As far as I can tell there were some times, for some reasons, when name tapes were used before this time. Maybe for NATO postings or something similar. The British had a similar practice. This is the opposite for the US military which has had name tapes on all uniforms since the 1950s, and no name tapes as the exception.

This is only my observations as I have never seen any sort of authoritative explanation. Hopefully someone here has a better answer than what I gave

Steve

[PASSAUER8884]

Thanks Steve!, just another detail that I was wondering about.

[speedytop]

Hi,

I can find the name tapes in the regulations from 1982.

At that time only as private acquisition.

In the 1989 regulations it is official.

I do not know the regulations before 1982.

Uwe

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

Kunswadl says in his book that name tags were first worn in Wehrbereichen II and VI in October of 1979 and in all of the other Wehrbereiche in July of 1980. They could be worn on Kampfbekleidung, Arbeitsanzug and the Pullovern. They were to be olive coloured with black script for all ground forces, blue with white script for the air force and marineblue with white script for the navy.

Regards,

Gordon

[PASSAUER8884]

Great info, well that would make sense for a later 70's jacket then.

Thanks all!!!

[Combat Trucker]

Gentlemen,

They were to be olive coloured with black script for all ground forces, blue with white script for the air force and marineblue with white script for the navy.

Regards,

Gordon

These sound similiar to the older tapes used by the US Navy, Air Force, and Army.

[RamJet]

When I joined the Luftwaffe in 1979, we already used the black on green name tags on our olive uniforms in the basic training and when I arrived in a flying wing afterwards, they also were already in use by the guys there. So I think they must started their appearance at least in the second half of the 70s.

The white on blue name tags on flying clothing existed even longer. Flight crews first used US style name tags (larger letters) until in the 80s also on this kind of clothing the standard size tags were usually worn.

[Collectinsteve]

Excellent information!

OK, so it appears correct to say that until the late 1980s the use was inconsistent because the name tapes were private purchase. This makes sense to me based on the many uniforms and pictures I've seen that have no name tapes on them. It also makes sense that some units, such as RamJet's, would be using name tapes earlier and/or more consistently.

Steve

[RamJet]

Let's say so:

The use was mot mandatory in the first years, as You can't order draftees to buy parts of their uniform, but the tags were in widespread use, especially with career or committed (is this the right word for someone who serves some years voluntarily?) personnel.