Polizei/BGS Einsatzanzug

[Gordon Craig]

Mark,

Very nice stuff. Thanks for posting the pictures.

Regards,

Gordon

[Collectinsteve]

Cool... I like having a confirmed GSG-9 uniform Mine shows no sign of the clasp badge over the right breast pocket, therefore I'm going to leave it as it is.

The rest of the BGS used the green colored uniform just like Staat Polizei. There were two styles, the earlier of which matched the GSG-9 type.

Interestingly, the short sleeved shirts are pretty easy to get a hold of. I see them on eBay all the time without badges.

Steve

[Collectinsteve]

Current Polizei Einsatzanzug. Similar to the previous green type in that the jacket is oversized to be worn over body armor if desired.

Sorry for the crappy pictures... the reflection from the badging confused my camera! Staat armshield obscured by me, name tag left off. I don't want anybody getting into trouble

[Collectinsteve]

Some more items to add to the ones posted so far:

Berlin Einsatzhemd:




I think the following jacket is Niedersachsen, though it closely resembles mid 1960s Berlin Polizei. At least it is pre 1976 and has signs of a shield type badge. No markings on the inside and the interior is not the same as the Berlin example. Color is consistent with Niedersachsen Einsatzanzug and other things that I have in my collection, so I'm sticking with that identification unless someone corrects me.







Steve

[Klaus1989]

This set recently arrived. 1975 dated BGS Einsatzanzug, apparently with all original badging. Does anybody know if this is GSG-9 specific? It appears to be identical to the green Einsatzanzug that was used by BGS and Polizei forces until early 1980s.



Steve

Hate to disappoint, but this uniform was used by all BGS and is properly the Mehrzweckanzug ("multipurpose uniform"). Can see photos of MZA from mid 1970s in wear, at first with Knobelbecher in regular units. Introduced 1973 for GSG 9 and adopted later by rest of BGS. 1976/77 begin to be replaced with moosgrün version, but GSG 9 keep old schwarzgrün version (later with sleeve pocket zipper).

btw first 2 uniforms in thread are NRW, but I assume this was only mistake.

Regards
Klaus

[Collectinsteve]

I always get NRW and R-P confused! More recently I double check because I almost always have it backwards

OK, so the uniform was used more than just by GSG-9. That makes sense to me. I thought it was the case, but wasn't sure. Fortunately I bought my uniform without GSG-9 expectations. Which means I didn't overpay

Steve

[Collectinsteve]

Some more Polizei Einsatzanzug:

1. Early 1970s uniform, I don't know where from. Hesse?









2. Early 1970s Hamburg uniform:






Note the two different style trousers, but similar style jacket. The unknown type is a copy of the mid 1960s BGS type, the Hamburg trousers are a copy of the 1950s BGS Sumpftarn type (which was also made in BGS Blaugrau).

Generally speaking there are two styles of Polizei Einsatzanzug. One is based on the BGS Sumpftarn uniform (1958-1962), the other based on the mid 1960s BGS solid color Einsatzanzug. The exception to this rule is S-H which used their own jacket style which, as far as I can tell, is unique to S-H. I made another thread detailing both the Sumpftarn and solid color versions.

Oh, and here's a strange one. Look at what happened to the visor on a S-H helmet. It was stored in an environment that was humid and cold (down to freezing) without any sunlight. Took about 2 years for this to happen. It's the sort of thing I would expect from hot and dry!



Steve

[Gene T]

It was stored in an environment that was humid and cold (down to freezing) without any sunlight. Took about 2 years for this to happen. It's the sort of thing I would expect from hot and dry!

Crazing is usually the result of expansion. Heat can cause that, but freezing can do that too, if the object is saturated with water, given the unique physical property of ice.

My guess is that either the surface coating had become partially delaminated along the edges or the vent holes, allowing moisture to work its way in, via repeated freeze-thaw cycles, or (much less likely) the plastic material itself is somewhat porous to begin with. If you had recorded a time-lapse video of this helmet, I think you would see the crazing begin near the edges and those vent holes and gradually radiate out to cover the entire visor. The edges and holes remain clear of crazing because stress does not build up in these areas, as the ice crystals are free to expand outward.

The only practical cure for your aggravation is to send your most precious toys to us here in California for free safekeeping, because we have no excessive heat, no freezing weather, and NO WATER!!!!


Gene T

[Collectinsteve]

While that's certainly possible, I don't think it is directly what happened to mine since it should not have got below freezing more than a little bit here and there. I don't think it would be enough to make such a dramatic change in the plastic. However, the plastic is probably 20-30 years old and perhaps it wasn't formulated in a way that could stand up for the test of time. Not quite as bad as the "Gummi" Polizei stuff, but along similar lines that was severely affected by the process you described. In other words... age + formulation + sub optimal storage conditions = blech!

Steve

[Buschist1984]

Hello Steve,

I recently joined the board and was reading your very old post from many years ago, that you were holding a BGS/GSG9 Einsatzuniform in your hands. Lucky you :-) this stuff has lasted through very heavy treatment...and will continue to do in the future...once more, lucky you, in the case you are wearing it

Well, I was part of the Bundesgrenzschutz from 1984 until 1990 and no, until 1973 and 1986 the "normal" BGS troops have had the same dark/black-green uniform and have changed into a frog -green one, the years after 1986, while GSG9 continued to have this blackgreen uniform.

Currently, I'm trying to find the trouser of my old blackgreen uniform that fits my actual size (EU 102) The one I still have left from my years in the BGS don't fit any longer (EU 98).

Do you have any idea or know someone who might sell the trousers?

Cheers
Buschist

[Collectinsteve]

Hello Buschist,

Thanks for the positive comments about my collection. The BGS uniform you mention is definitely a difficult one to obtain. The service shirt (long and short sleeve) are much easier to find than the Einsatz type. Similar story for the trousers. The Einsatz types are very difficult to find and I do not know of any source for them. I think I bought mine on eBay.

It is also nice to have a more specific idea of when this uniform became GSG-9 only. It is later than I thought.

Steve

[Buschist1984]

Pic from 1985

well, never mind...I'll keep on searchin...just to have a proove...here we are in 1985 on one of the US army military training areas...all in dark green, all ****ed after some hard days...just the sergeants fit and all in the new frog-green uniform BGS May 1985.jpg