dating and cleaning of a greatcoat

[winniler]

Got it for 50 euros (picked up at show so no other expenses) a bit used, I wish to know its real dating and use and if somebody has suggestions for cleaning without damaging it.

Which class of shoulderboard could I pick up?

[iannima]

Nice to see another compatriot on this forum
East German dates are given with a truly absurd system of letter codes. By what I can see I would say that your overcoat ( an officer one) is dated U = 1978. If you search the forum you will find the full list. It does not appear to follow a particular pattern, and it is a bit of a mystery why they established it.
In any case the date of 1978 is consistent with the fact that your overcoat has got 7 buttons (one underneath the lapel) whereas earlier overcoats had 10. It also has a darker collar which means that it would have been used by the Land forces up until 1986, when the collar became of the material and colour as the rest of the overcoat.
I cannot say much on cleaning. It does seem too dirty to me! but I obviously cannot smell it ...
I absolutely LOVE overcoats , if you do a search on "overcoat insulation" you will find further pointless information that I have provided at some stage...
A presto!

[Mike G.]

Hi,

I hope Ralph and I welcomed you to the WAF DDR Sub-forum. If not, we do so now.

Matteo has already identified the Coat for you and you now know Officer shoulder boards would be appropriate for the over coat.

Regarding initial cleaning of the coat.

I would try dry cleaning the overcoat first.

[joseramon]

I think my comment was covered in other threads, but when I went to the dry cleaning with my greatcoat (like yours), The cleaner was warned of the sticky yelow filler, she adviced me not to clean it, only to do a brushing.
JR

[olivyaya]

Hi,
I would try dry cleaning the overcoat first.

Yes dry clean... believe me using a washing machine would lead to a DISTASTER !
50 euros is expensive for such a coat !!!!

[81REDSTAR]

Ah nice overcoat.
I have not washed one in the washing machine myself,but my friend did for both of his NCO and Officer overcoat in the washing machine,both of them come out fine excpet the NCO one has some folds on it and not as straight as before.
Dry clean would be a good option.

[olivyaya]

Maybe the overcoats do not react the wame way as tunics... I once machine washed one and the liner was destroyed !!!!!!!!!!

[torstenbel]

It also has a darker collar which means that it would have been used by the Land forces up until 1986, when the collar became of the material and colour as the rest of the overcoat.:

Hi Matteo, maybe not entirely true ... we still had the dark collar greatcoats issued to us in 1987. Attached is a 'fun' pic I took of my best mate in the army at the train station in Schoenebeck while waiting for the train to take us back to sunny Zittau ... the pic was probably taken in 1988 sometime and as you can see my mate is wearing a dark collar greatcoat that he would have been issued with in 1987. My own greatcoat was most certainly also dark collar. Unfortunately, I cannot find a pic anywhere of me wearing my greatcoat, where the collar can be seen ... Cheers, Torsten.

[iannima]

You are quite right Torsten, I seem to remember that the DV 1986 even says that the wearing out period of the dark collared overcoats would have ended sometime in 1993-5 Of course by that stage...

[grenzflieger]

50 euros! that's a lot! But well you got yourself one of the best coats that are available in this world. Make sure you store it dry! The inside of my Grentruppen greatcoat pulverised.. and it was a dirty job to clean the closet!

[winniler]

50 euros! that's a lot! But well you got yourself one of the best coats that are available in this world. Make sure you store it dry! The inside of my Grentruppen greatcoat pulverised.. and it was a dirty job to clean the closet!

Ok but it was a direct pickup at a show I was already, no further exenses: assuing an ebay transaction, let's say 25 - 30 euroes, i should have add other 10 euros for money sending,plus a similar figure for postage ..

I got a better deal at another show, five euros for a fireman coat, west german, well kept.

But that was another occasion.

Oh, thank you ALL for your warm welcome.