W-FD speiss tunic

[iannima]

...and i was strangely drawn to it.

I can relate to that feeling about so many things I have bought

[AR-11]

Ralph,
You brought up a very good point. Not all military organs of the DDR had a Der Spiess, and the ones that did, didn't necessarily all wear the Warrant Officer Cuff Bands. A good example is the Grenztruppen. They had the position, but the warrant cuff bands were not warn.

Gents,
from my own experience let me say this: all armed organs of the GDR accommodated in barracks had a "Spiess". BUT: the name of this utility position was: "Hauptfeldwebel". (At least with the NVA, WR-F.E.D. and the Grenztruppen. Not sure I´am with the BePo. Even the Kampfgruppen had one!). "Spieß" is a name from old German armies which was not taken over in the NVA.
About the tunics and the Litzen I´am not sure.

AR-11, Dirk

[Gene T]

Hi Dirk,

Did you also use the (formerly?) interchangeable term "Hauptwachtmeister"? Or did the NVA refer to this position as "Hauptfeldwebel" exclusively?

Regards,
Gene T

[willie777]

Hi Dirk,

Did you also use the (formerly?) interchangeable term "Hauptwachtmeister"? Or did the NVA refer to this position as "Hauptfeldwebel" exclusively?

Regards,
Gene T

In the DDR, Hauptwachmeister is a police rank (I think). It is Hauptfeldwebel if the speiss is a Sergeant, or Hauptfaehnrich if the speiss is a Warrant Officer.

[AR-11]

Hi Dirk,

Did you also use the (formerly?) interchangeable term "Hauptwachtmeister"? Or did the NVA refer to this position as "Hauptfeldwebel" exclusively?
Regards, Gene T

Gene,
Hauptwachtmeister (like all the "Wachtmeister"-ranks) was usually a police rank.

Hauptwachtmeister was not according to Hauptfeldwebel...

But in the Artillery till the early 80ies (or end of the 70ies) the Feldwebel-NCO´s was also called "Wachtmeister" (Unter-, Ober-, Hauptwachtmeister) in the gunner´s crews.

"Hauptfeldwebel" was never a rank in the NVA, always a position in a company/battery (only there).

AR-11, Dirk

[AR-11]

In the DDR, Hauptwachmeister is a police rank (I think). It is Hauptfeldwebel if the speiss is a Sergeant, or Hauptfaehnrich if the speiss is a Warrant Officer.

Sorry Willie, no.
The position "Hauptfeldwebel" was always called "Hauptfeldwebel". No matter if there was a Sergeant on it or a Faehnrich.
Hauptfeldwebel was a position. Nobody was reporting: "Genosse Hauptfeldwebel..." as nobody ever reported: "Genosse Batteriechef...". One had to report: "Genosse Oberfeldwebel..." or "Genosse Hauptmann..."

I hope I could make it a little clearer??

AR-11, Dirk

[usmedalman]

No Winkel

Sorry if it is not appropriate to resurrect an older threat, but the Hauptfeldwebel position is very interesting to me. I noticed that this tunic has shoulderboards for an Oberfeldwebel but it does not have either the "auf Zeit" or "berufsunteroffizier" Winkel. Would not a soldier of this rank have to be a Breufsunteroffizier simply by virtue of the long time it would take to gain the high NCO rank?