Unknown tunic help... Zoll / customs?

[NickG]

Trying this again!!!
This tunic was also posted by Dennis in the Wehrmacht and political section for review with few and mixed comments...
The tunic was obtained in unissued mint condition in the 1980's, exchanged hands and was incorrectly restored to SS/SD...
BUT what truly is it?
Note how high the chest pockets are located...it close close ar the collar but has no neck closure hooks....

[NickG]

rear view...center seam and 4inch tail split...Its not a "rock cut"....

[NickG]

collar detail

[NickG]

zig zag collar reenforcing

[NickG]

liner

inside look...PJ sleeve lining and note first aid pocket

[NickG]

Pocket detail...buttons are solid backed Assman marked pebbled buttons

[NickG]

reenforced...with belt support straps inside

[NickG]

Now here's the image of the tunic again... I am thinking older model (Weimar era?) Zoll-customs era, or otherwise pehaps early post war Bundes Zoll but I was not able to find any pictures of something similar post war era...not even DDR era...
It does lack the green piping that you would expect along the front edge (and along the French cuffs which this piece does not have...) for a war time Zoll uniform but fied uniforms sometimes lacked that...

Dennis sent the tunic to me for inspection and I'm baffled...It is in a course "enlisted" grade (pre war?)high quality wool... but is it pre war?? No stamps or tailor tags or anything...
Again note unusual high chest pockets...looking at the back is not "rock cut"... so it can' be that early... if its even pre-war...Is it? or?

Noet that the uniform is FIELD GREY in color...not this blue-ish image color. Its not Bahnschutz for sure!!! What is it? Anybody? Diane?

[NickG]

period image

Now here's a period image of a similar tunic in wear by zoll beamte (customs officials) in Prague in1940
(image was posted in the photo section by WAF member Nicoo from Buenas Aires...so credit goes to him...)
Note similarities...
-high chest pockets
-slanted skirt pockets...4 buttons visible only...
-pressed open collar

Its an early 1940 photo... so older (pre-war) uniforms in wear still?
Note: none of these customs officials are even wearing war-time Zoll cuff titles...
Sure looks the same...
Thoughts?
Perhaps member Diane can ID this piece with certainty?
On behalf of the owner Dennis,
thanks
Nick
PS: Another WAF member "Luftwaffe Blue" had posted this earlier:

A few years ago i was shown a near exact tunic by a lady in Potsdam, the tunic was moth eaten badly, she said the tunic belonged to her husband who died some years before, he was a customs official during the war and they lived in a place called Zeschdorf, Zeschdorf is certainly near to the Polish border so maybe she was correct, hope it helps Sean

[lbsr]

NickG,
there were only 2 dress regs for custom officials in TR period.
1)1934 - custom green tunic, Heer-like collar patches, gold pebbed buttons, shoulder boards with metalic Adler
2)1937 - feld gray uniform with custom green colar, green piping, shoulder board as 1934, but with RFV in place of egle - we all know this uniform...

So, it could not be old (pre-war) uniform!!!

The Prague 1940 photo is interesting, pitty is is not better quality...

[Peter A Larson]

This may help, as this was sent to me in an earlier thread. I have a tunic like the far right. I believe this tunic you show is on the left. 2 variations in between. I can not remember who sent this picture to me, so I hope they do not mind me reposting it.

[lbsr]

me.
1st from left - new uniform after 1937 regs
2nd - Czechoslovakian gendarm (father of one of my friends, Czech police collector)
3rd - sommer uniform after 1934 regs with cap eagle after 1937 reg
4th - uniform after 1934 regs
This photo was taken in late summer/autumn 1938 somewhere on Czechoslovakian-German borders.
All ZGS men have shoulder boards after 1937 reg (with capitals 'RFV')

[NickG]

double post

[NickG]

yes that's correct ID on these uniforms...I remember now, early Weimar era WOOLEN zoll uniforms are distinctly darker green in color and old style customs shoulderboards were gold with an imperial eagle, so during the transition a mix of both was worn (old uniforms+new RFV insignia, same goes for cap).

So that means this unidentified uniform is not Weimar era Zoll after all, I agree! So its either early TR zoll or its something entirely different...Post war?)

Here's an example of such an early 1934 pattern zoll uniform (from a magazine article) but set up as a transitional piece, so
with added TR era zoll cuff title (incorrectly added on the cuff edge instead of right above the French cuff) and new 1937 zoll RFV shoulderstraps ...
Collar litzen are still the 1934 pattern zoll type... (very similar to Heer)

Any other thoughts on uniform that started this thread?
Thanks so far!
Nick