MfS shoulder boards

[grenzflieger]

Hello gentlemen,

I've bought a set of MfS shoulder boards. They look like a normal set of Stabsgefreiter shoulder boards but the tress isn't silver but red. So there are two red tress bars on the shoulder boards. What kind of rank would it be?

Thanks for your help!

PS: I would have loved to make a photo but a burgular stole my phone, camera and passport. Which would never happened to me in the GDR according to the crimerates that were presented by the gouvernment.

[Ralph P]

Sorry to read that your camera phone was stolen...I think we can wait until you get a picture that will better assist with your question...

But I have also posted a picture to assist with your question...

[uscob]

Sorry to read that your camera phone was stolen...I think we can wait until you get a picture that will better assist with your question...

But I have also posted a picture to assist with your question...

Hmmm,
never saw them with 2 red Bars. With one it's a Unteroffiziersschüler.
Years ago I got them (500 Pair) directly from MfS in a Box marked as Postenführer.
So I'm not quite sure who's right.
Nico

[grenzflieger]

Thanks Ralph, I think my picture can wait because you have got exactly the same set of shoulder boards in your collection. It's the second pair of shoulder boards on the left in the second row. I have never seen these before? Do you know what rank it is?

I guess it must be a set <1983 because after 1983 the bars were made of metal (if I'm correct?). I have seen the same set with two red metal bars in the collection of a dutch collector.

[Mike G.]

The shoulder boards with the red bars (braided thread bars were replaced with metal bars sometime after 1971) are Wachregiment Soldaten in the Wachregiment Unteroffiziersschueler (Non-commissioned Officer Military Academy).

Perhaps Ralph or another member (Torsten for example) can explain what one bar and two bars denoted in the school environment.

[uscob]

The shoulder boards with the red bars (braided thread bars were replaced with metal bars sometime after 1971) are Wachregiment Soldaten in the Wachregiment Unteroffiziersschueler (Non-commissioned Officer Military Academy).

Perhaps Ralph or another member (Torsten for example) can explain what one bar and two bars denoted in the school environment.

Just have my "Ordnung Nr.9/81" of the MfS resisting of the Order No.9/81 by Armeegeneral Mielke and didn't found anything about 2 Red Bars, only 1 for an Unteroffiziersschüler, so what the hell is this.
Nico

[Mike G.]

Nico,

It is documented in the Klaus Walther Uniform Book Volume II.
Unfortunately, he does not go into detail about what the bars represent or signify. Did they have something to do with Class Leader or something like that?

[Mike G.]

Okay,

I found it. The bars represent "Gruppenfuehrer". I still however am not clear on why there can be two, and not just one. From the different service branch shoulder board examples I've viewed, two "Red" colored bars on the shoulder board seems to be unique to MfS.

The Grenztruppen also utilized one and two bars for UnterOffiziersschule, but the bars were of different colors.

Perhaps the use of the second red bar had something to do with Zugdienst/Zughelfer (Course Instructor Aid). ???

[uscob]

Really confusing, see the GT Section Plate 45 No.1182 very colourfull. There the small red ribbon is a "Stellvertretender Gruppenführer".
Nico

[grenzflieger]

Thanks for your investigation Michael I wonder if this Gruppenführer was only attached to an unteroffizierschüle or that it was also used as a rank outside the school like the GT postenführer.