Miscellaneous Early Photos

[chiffonnier]

Another early one.

[chiffonnier]

First picture dated 1966.
Is that truck with the sailors in front of it,a Robur LKW ?
All the best,
kees

[Collectinsteve]

Thanks for more pictures and the information about the cuff bands, Uwe. So they were pretty much around from the very beginning. Interesting!

Kees, I am sure you are correct. When I first started collecting BW items it was hard to find a picture of a soldier in Splittertarn. Now I have stopped collecting photos to look at as I think I've pretty much seen it all Of course I still eagerly look at every new photo to see if there is something new to learn. Like the 1955 use of LW cuff bands, there is always something new to learn!

Steve

[allen]

I think the sailors in the pic are Volksmarine, not BW.

[Gordon Craig]

Allen,

I agree. I should have paid closer attention to the picture. The belt buckles, the caps and the cap badges are definitely Volksmarine.

Regards,

Gordon

[Guardian 5]

Hello Gents,

I recently acquired a nice grouping of photos depicting an early Bundeswehr Motorized Infantry Squad (Unimog) equipped with an Israeli manufactured 81mm Mortar (The Israeli firm Soltam was once a subsidiary of the Finnish Tampella Company).

There aren't many clues as to the identification of the unit and I'm hoping you can help me out. Some of the photos are marked "Drogerie 763 Am Film-Eck." When I run this name through "Google", only one store of this name is identified. It is currently located in Nienburg/Weser. Nienburg as it turns out, is home to Clausewitz Barracks, which once was the home of the Third Panzer Brigade's PzGrenBtl 32.

In looking to confirm this identification, I was crestfallen to see that the lads in the photos were drinking a beer from a brewery in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Nienburg is located in Lower Saxony. From what I know of German beer drinkers, locality is everything and guys in Lower Saxony would not be caught dead drinking beer brewed in another Land. Unfortunately, the only two letters I can make out from the brand are "e-n". Thus I am currently unable to identify the unit by their brew of choice. If someone could identify the beer by the shape of the bottle, that would be great.

The final set of clues is found in their leave pictures. I am hoping that someone can recognize the town the boys are in and either confirm or completely rule out Nienburg.

In any event, as you are puzzling through the clues, I hope you'll enjoy viewing the photos. First up, the "mortar maggots" are in their pit with the tube set-up and ready go. The Gefreiter on the left has a P-1 in the standard Bundeswehr leather holster. It would appear as though the men wore the splinter pattern battle dress during basic training and then were issued "oliv" gear upon arriving at their parent unit.

Thanks in advance for your help. Let's get started.

TJ

[Guardian 5]

At some point the snow came down. Note the white tape on the soft cap worn by the NCO candidate who is presumably the section chief.

The Gefreiter at far left with the P-1 holster appears to be wearing the same pattern of winter gloves worn by the Wehrmacht and the NVA.

Apparently this is a "John Wayne" photo with a training round held in the tube for "coolness". I don't think the boys would be casually standing around the muzzle if they were going to hang and drop a live round.

[Guardian 5]

"Schmaltz Brot" break. Nice looks at the issue pocket knifes in the next two photos.

[Guardian 5]

Same view.

[Guardian 5]

Hasty firing position in the snow. Nice view of the "thermos" style protective mask carrier in this shot.

Note the Unimog backed into the wood line.

[Guardian 5]

Here are some basic training photos. Unfortunately, the quality isn't that good.

They appear to be wearing camo tops and green pants.

[Guardian 5]

This is a nice shot. I wish it was clearer. The gent on the right has his protective mask ("schnuffi") deployed.

[Guardian 5]

Bivouac picture. Beer in the field - Zum Wahl!

That might be a terrain map in the foreground or the beginnings of a camp fire...

Note too the Unimogs in the background.

[Guardian 5]

Bivouac part two.

I laughed when I saw this picture. The guy in the middle of the photo has place his e-tool's blade in the 90 degree position to make a little stool for himself. The soldier standing on his left has done the same thing. And here I was thinking that I invented this technique at Fort Benning in 1986...

For the more nimble among us, this is technique can be used to "fulfill intestinal requirements", but a slip-up can spell disaster...

[Guardian 5]

A quick Unimog shot. Does that look like Clausewitz Barracks in the background?