Color-tinted KVP Portrait c. 1952

[Guardian 5]

Genossen,

Please see below for a color-tinted portrait of a KVP soldat labeled "Prenslau 30.11.52". Before giving my remarks on the portrait, I would like to declare my preference for the term "Garrisoned People's Police" vice "Barracked People's Police" and hope you will join me in making this the English translation of choice.

This example was the first I've come across and I have to think it was somewhat of an extravagance for a young East German soldier in the 1950s. Note the jaunty tilt of his side cap, a style that brings to my mind pictures of wartime RAF flight crews before the scramble.

Unfortunately, for me, the tinting of the cockade evokes a pom-pom, or the silly hats Rhinelanders wear during Fasching.

As we'll see below, this brand of silliness was not restricted to the Warsaw Pact...

[Guardian 5]

Fast forward 30 years to June, 1982.

Yours truly, 19 year old Private T.J. Cullinane, is undergoing advanced individual training as a medical records clerk at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Fans of the T.V. show "M.A.S.H." may recall that Corporal Radar O'Reilly held this same military occupation specialty...

Note the similarities between myself and the KVP soldier above. The artist, a kindly Mexican gentleman, has enhanced my peach fuzz mustache. The garb I'm wearing, studio props, are totally unauthorized. I think it was supposed to be the uniform worn by the post color guard. Strictly speaking, only soldiers assigned to airborne units rated a maroon beret, and it would be another three years before I earned my jump wings. By the way, at the time, I didn't rate a National Service Medal ribbon or an expert badge.

Suffice it to say, both myself and our German friend risked being ragged mercilessly by our compatriots for the liberties taken with the uniform (I certainly was!), but for the girls back home, it would have been a completely different story.

I guess we really weren't that different after all.

[rebeldevil89]

Amazing how similar the portraits are. Thank you for sharing both of these. I too had a (what we called) "tanker 'stache" when I was in, and remember many a comment (negative) on it from the CO. That RAF tilt though... it looks like it's about to fall off his head haha.

As always it just goes to show that soldiers are the same, it's the politics of their native land that differ them.

[Guardian 5]

As luck would have it, I was able to purchase another picture of our friend in the Garrisoned People's Police.

From what I can gather, and I seek your help here, the soldier was named Dieter Schmidt (I'll show the rear of the picture in a moment). This photo is dated "18.3.54".

Schmidt has since been promoted to Gefreiter. He is more relaxed and has lost the affectation of his first portrait. Our friend seems more comfortable in his own skin. The cheesy mustache is gone. He looks like a fun guy to have a beer with.

Well, there you have it folks. I'll post the rear of the card below so you hand-writing experts can confirm the soldier's name.

Does anyone know what KVP infantry units were stationed in Prenzlau in the early 1950s?

[Guardian 5]

Genossen,

The rear of the second picture. Any help on the signature would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

TJ

[Guardian 5]

Amazing how similar the portraits are. Thank you for sharing both of these. I too had a (what we called) "tanker 'stache" when I was in, and remember many a comment (negative) on it from the CO. That RAF tilt though... it looks like it's about to fall off his head haha.

As always it just goes to show that soldiers are the same, it's the politics of their native land that differ them.

[friede]

it did not meens Dieter Schmidt

first : zur freundlichen Erinnerung - to friendly remembering ?

von (before he wrote "fon")
deine... deinem or deinen - looks like "Dieter" but is´nt

the last word could be an H elmut ? Helmut in the older german skript, the "u" was shown with a stroked it - or dash. so that it no lokks like an "n"

[Rev462]

The 2nd photo looks much more typical. The cheesy mustache and VERY cocked overseas hat in the 1st photo are unusual, at least from what I've seen.

It looks like the overseas hat has the enamel bulls eye cockade, but it's in the wrong spot! It should be down on the front "flap".

Thanks Friede for deciphering the hand writing. I would translate it as something like:

"In friendly remembrance,

from your H(elmut)?"

Sounds like it was given to a family member or sweetheart.

[friede]

thanks for coorrecting the english translation

[Klaus1989]

it look like name could be possibly spelled "Helmuth"? It look almost like Sütterlin style handwriting "h" after t.

[friede]

yes, right, that could be

[Guardian 5]

friede und Klaus,

Thanks for the detective work in deciphering the hand writing. I knew I was off somehow.

It's nice to know the soldier's name, whether it be Helmut or Helmuth. I must confess that he is starting to grow on me.

Rev462, great catch on the cockade placement! See below for the picture of another member of the Garrisoned People's Police wearing his side cap with cockade in the appropriate manner.

Helmut, I'll call him that for now, was apparently assigned to KVP-Bereitschaft Prenzlau. This unit would later form the basis of MSR 11 of the NVA's short-lived
6th MSD. With the second photo coming from a Leipzig photo studio, I wonder if that was Helmut's hometown.

The center of Prenzlau itself was apparently flattened during the war and rebuilt in the DDR Plattenbau style. In searching around the net, there appears to be a lot of restoration going on, to include preservation of the town's medieval era walls.

In any event, thanks to all for piping in. Further thoughts and observations are always welcome.

Many thanks,
TJ