para tunic 1970

[olivyaya]

Here is a seldom seen tunic. A 1970 dated officer para one, with new 1969 type collar tabs. I have so far never seen one with the white collar piping. Is it a typical parade one from that period ? Your comments welcome !
The tabs really look orange onto the pic ; the orange is much more "washed out" in real !

[olivyaya]

Has anyone else got a tunic like this one ?

[Mike G.]

Olivier,

I'm certain given that the Tunic has the white piping on the collar and is dated 1970, if it were parade order of dress, it would have the cuff bars. I'm presuming this one does not, and therefore I would suspect someone may have added the airborne insignia post unification. I have a similar officer airborne tunic that is complete, but the tunic is dated post 85 and therefore correctly does not have the cuff bars.

[PaulR]

I have one of these tunics as well. I would be more than happy to email you a photo to post here if someone would pm me their email address!

V.r
Paul

[olivyaya]

Olivier,

I'm certain given that the Tunic has the white piping on the collar and is dated 1970, if it were parade order of dress, it would have the cuff bars. I'm presuming this one does not, and therefore I would suspect someone may have added the airborne insignia post unification. I have a similar officer airborne tunic that is complete, but the tunic is dated post 85 and therefore correctly does not have the cuff bars.

Mike, you are right... there are marks of removed cuff bars on the cuffs !

[olivyaya]

Mike, one thought ...
Apart from Police tunics I have never seen officer open collar tunics without the collar piping... Some Wachrgt ones do not have it but they are the troop/NCO version made of officer gabardine ... that is strange even in late 70s and early 80s when cuff bars were stiff in use I thought there was just one type of open collar tunics : the one with the white collar piping... which of course was in use for both for duty and parade... this of course does not apply to dark colar tunics that had the difference (despite the downgraded parade tunics) ...

[Garulfo]

Olivier, a open collar tunic without piping is posted on the french forum.

[olivyaya]

Olivier, a open collar tunic without piping is posted on the french forum.

FX, which tunic ?

[Garulfo]

officer grenztruppen tunic dated 1968.

[olivyaya]

officer grenztruppen tunic dated 1968.

Yes you are right FX !! I had forgotten this one... well I have never seen any other like this one ...

[olivyaya]

I am copying the picture here for the other members. The pic and tunic are from one of our members "waffenbruder"

[Garulfo]

By the way, piped dark collar tunic were used for service, why not piped open collar tunic ?

[olivyaya]

By the way, piped dark collar tunic were used for service, why not piped open collar tunic ?

Yep FX this is what I meant before when I talked of "downgraded" dark collar parade tunics !

[Mike G.]

Okay, now I'm really confused.

Open Collar:

The NVA Air Force always used open collar.

The Fallschirmjager switched to open collar in 1969.

The NVA Ground Forces switched to open collar 1975.

So I'm confused with respect to the 1968 dated open collar Grenztruppen Tunic.

What gives?

Is it possible this is a "Doctored" Air Force tunic?

[olivyaya]

Your summary is correct !
When we discussed this tunic on our forum, we came to the conclusion there was great chance it was an airforce tunic with the "wrong insignia". The green piping is that of the GT, not of the rear services !!
I have an open collar GT tunic dated 1969 (Z) with the GT green piping on the colar + sleeves and without the cuff title... which prooves this type of open collar tunics existed for the GT in late 60s?...
I am also much confused !

Okay, now I'm really confused.

Open Collar:

The NVA Air Force always used open collar.

The Fallschirmjager switched to open collar in 1969.

The NVA Ground Forces switched to open collar 1975.

So I'm confused with respect to the 1968 dated open collar Grenztruppen Tunic.

What gives?

Is it possible this is a "Doctored" Air Force tunic?