The Shortest member of the NVA

[jkeegen]

This matrose (or maate--I can't see his rank badge but he's wearing the "auf zeit" chevron) may be the shortest member of the VM but he is obviously a good sailor, based on his wearing a Bestenabzeichen, a Klassifizierungsabzeichen, and a Schutzenschnur.

[Viktor]

Genossen,
He is a Big Man.

Someone has to fill the quota of sk 44 clothing, it was his Historic Mission.

[jkeegen]

[Mike G.]

We call this ...... "The Napoleon Complex"

[olivyaya]

We call this ...... "The Napoleon Complex"

Quite right... the shorter, the more agressive... I work with one...

[Kartofelpreußer]

I'm sure it doesn't help that he's probably the guy they send to do all the dirty jobs in the nastiest nooks and crannies of the ship... "Genosse, there is a clog at the intake of bilge pump #3. The protection of the workers' and peasants' power is relying on you to crawl down there and snake it out!"

[rchmontreal]

You get the impression, from viewing later period photographs of Volksmarine sailors, that the tellermutze was available only in size 55. This style of wearing it small and forward, becomes more prominent from the 1970's on up. It appears they are trying to balance a little cap on their forhead.

I guess uniform wearing styles do change over time. You'll notice Soviet sailors and soldiers wearing tighter and tighter uniforms over the same time period. Also their belts start to droop at the waist in the front, which almost seems sloppy. Maybe it was a way of showing seniority or end of service.

Pics of Volksmarine sailors of the 1960's show their caps being worn in the more traditional method, with no reinforcement wire on the top, allowing the sides to droop.

[Drugo]

Gentlmen,
was the white cover used on matrosenmützen the same used on VM schirmmützen (and perhaps other military branches such as Volkspolizei), and was it one-size-fits-all or not?

Thanks,
Filip