Zoll tunic, a work in process

[NickG]

Interesting that the last few pics show the visors with a normal WH officers chin chord and not the green/silver braid.

Al

And Nick, great job on restoring the tunic from whatever it was made into

Thanks for the thumbs up on my restoration preject Al! If you look closely you actually do see a (light green?) "speckling pattern" on these officer's chin cords...

Thanks for sharing these customs images Karl-Heinz! Great shot German-Swiss border! You see a Wehrmacht Sergeant, not a zoll beambte. I've seen border guard pictures before on the French-Spanish border (wehrmacht troops) as well as the Norwegian-Swedish border (Ordungspolizei troops). Its interesting that outside Reich country borders were (sometimes) handled by non Zoll personnel it appears. Nick

[Bill H.]

Here's a better image! A "ZOLL" CUFF TITLE WORN ON A FEMALE CAP!!

Amazing. 35 years of collecting and I still see things I've never seen before.

Honestly guys, if somebody asked if a hat like this was right, would any of you said yes? Before these fotos I'd have had to say no.

Thanks Nick for posting these.

Cheers, Bill Huber

[Bill H.]

Yes I love the web... but don't let my wife find out!!!(me finding stuff constantly!). Anyway as requested here's the death card of a Zollbetriebsassistent KIA in Russia, February 1944.
Nick

Hi Nick,

She married you for better or worse and that includes mental problems like spending good money on old clothes and bits of paper that cost way too much.

Its what I guessed. You can see under his photo it says "in eternal memory of the Gefreiter" (Zur ewigen Erinnerung and den Gefr.) That tells me he was in the regular army plus the fact it uses the phraseology "im kampf gefallen" means he was killed in action. He also won the Iron Cross 2nd class and particpated in the Sudetenland operation in 1938.

Tossing another guess out there, I'd say he got the Sudeten medal as a Zoll official since those were awarded in 1938/39. And checking the location of Fuerth im Wald, its a couple of kilometers from the Czech border in Bavaria. By the time he was killed in 1944 he was only a Gefreiter which tells me he probably got drafted in 1942 or 43. After 3 years of army experience and winning the Iron Cross I think most guys would have been promoted to Obergefreiter so I think he was only in the Army for a year or so.

Neat little bits of history, these death notices!

Cheers, Bill Huber

[NickG]

Good info! Makes perfect sense your interpretation of this Zoll death card! I did read on another forum that Zoll personnel sometimes did see limited "action"... getting involved in fire fights with partisans, a common occurance on the eastern front, even in "quiet areas" ... but I agree most were drafted in the Army eventually to fill man power shortages!

[NickG]

Finished!

Here's the finished end-result (only lacking RFV cyphers on the boards)

[NickG]

another view

again. SOrry about the foot!!!

[NickG]

another view

close up collar tabs!

[NickG]

final image

last one!

[NickG]

check out this combination!!!

Here's a cool combination of zoll insignia + waffen SS sleeve eagle after the SS took over this organization! (in 1944 after Hitler's assassination attempt)
The image is tagged by 2 different owners!! so if either one wants it pulled I can certainly do so. They are both getting the credit!!!Note: "zollgrenzschutz" is a waf member. I just could not resist sharing this rare image!! Just in case a uniform turns up with this combination leave it alone, now that you know!!! We are all here to learn!!!
Nick
PS:
More pictures of this unique insignia combination can be viewed here!!!

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...08#post2126808

[Al P]

Even with squinting I cannot see any green/silver on the chinstrap of the guy in the last post.

Al

Interesting pictures.

[NickG]

chin cords

Chin cords on zoll is very confusing...I've seen regular leather chin straps for NCO's, black cord straps for NCOs (like 1st picture), solid green striped on silver for NCO's as well as officers??? and plain silver for officers...

Maybe it had to do with their function or department? Like border guard as opposed to Finance Ministry administrative job? Any ideas?

Anyway the green I think that I am seeing in this image Al, is indicated with yellow arrows = light green "speckling"... (light speckling like you see on fire department <feuerschutz> officer's caps, but their colors of course pink on silver).

Here green spots on silver... not solid silver (at least I think that's what I am seeing here) or not? Would solid green stripes on silver make more sense for this officer? or is it indeed just solid silver, and if so, why? Anybody? Nick

[SCHUPO]

Nick,

Zollschutz cap cords differed with the pay grade. Lowest pay grade was leather. As pay grades increased there was more aluminum and less green mixed into the cap cords.

[Diane]

Landzoll cap cords . . . .

The use of colored cap cords by the Landzoll is confusing.

Regulations state that when wearing the field service uniform all ranks were to use the black leather chinstrap regardless of rank!

The colored cap cords were meant for wear while in garrison, office or for formal functions.

This rule was, from photographic evidence, widely ignored.



Diane





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[Al P]

Thanks Diane. I had heard that before as well but since most of the pictures we see are not 'on duty' shots, many contain the green/silver cords.

Nick, I can see the green in pics 24 (obvious), and in 28 (as you pointed out), and I am not sure about post 26-27.

In post 29 I do not see any green at all but pictures can be deceiving. Also for pic 29, where is this guys cuff title?

And of course post 39 we see the use of a black cord and not a leather strap. Does anyone have a good explanation for that?

Great stuff everyone.

Al

[NickG]

Al, re post 26 and 27, its too unclear in these images to see if we're dealing with regular (plain) silver cords or some kind of two tone...(in German its called "flecking" I believe) but if I understand this thread correctly the following possibilities: for field use its either black leather straps for the lower ranks and silver cord for the higher and if its formal or office wear, its cord material, either black (like the vary 1st image) or some kind of colored variatons based on pay scale, but in reality this was not often adhered to... This picture shows cap cords that I've seen on higher pay grade ranks (equivalent to officer) but her shown with a NCO-like rank...(Zollmeister I believe).
It is indeed a complicated topic, customs visor chin strap/cord possibilities! Nick