Zollgrenzschutz Photos and Reference Question

[Jason von Z.]

I just acquired an excellent Zollgrenzschutz photo album that has really got me interested in learning more about them. I am completely unfamiliar with any good reference works on the Zollgrenzschutz, and would appreciate if someone might be able to clue me into a good one (German-language books are definitely okay). I have read the paragraph or two that can be found in The German Police, but am really looking for some more depth. I am thankful for any assistance!

I've attached just two images from the album below (plus one other in the Photograph forum), and would be happy to share more if people are interested.
Jason

Survivors of a bombing attack on 11.11.43. I did not know there were females in the Zollgrenzschutz!



Nice shot of the Edelweiss cap badge:

[lbsr]

Great photos.
ZGS & RFV are organisations I am very interested!
Please share more of that album or You could email me photos directly on my e-mail address: lbsr@volny.cz

The only site about ZGS is Marc Goris' site http://www.zollgrenzschutz.de
If You are interested in ranks of ZGS and RFV see my site http://lbsr.radlice.net/dr/zoll/zollbeamte.html
In several last issues of French Militaria Magazine is article about organisation, uniforms and insignias of ZGS.
Hope this help

[Jason von Z.]

Jiri, thank you very much for your reply and for the sources you provided. The websites were very interesting and informative. I have already posted several other photos in the Photograph forum. I have also sent you an email.

Jason

[Si1964]

Jason,

Sorry that I can't help you on the information front, but congratulations on the album and pics posted.

[Jason von Z.]

Si,

Thanks for the comment. If you have not seen them already, I posted several other pics from this album in the Photographs forum.
Jason

[Dan T.]

Hello,

I have an EM red piped SS visor posted in the Tony Barto SS Uniforms and Insignia forum, under "Show Us Your Branch Piped W-SS Visor". While the consensus is that the insignia are not original, the interior of the cap itself is stamped "RFV" and KOLN".

I would appreciate any information or thoughts anyone may have.

Thanks.

- Dan

[SCHUPO]

Dan,

Your cap is in fact a Zollschutz enlisted Schirm******252;tze. It is marked to the RFV (Reichsfinanzverwaltung) and was worn with the red piped green double breasted uniform. It should have different insignia and a different chin strap along with gold side buttons. It appears to be an original cap that has been reworked into a spurious W-SS cap from what I can see from the photographs.

[Dan T.]

Thanks for the information Schupo. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but the body of the cap is made of a twill material.

I would be very interested any further information you or the other guys may have, including photos and info/references on the organization (Zollschutz).

Would it be worthwhile to acquire insignia and chin cord in order to restore it to it's original configuration?

[lbsr]

Schupo,
but from photos in Tony Barto's forum the green color of top of that cap seems be in totally another shade of green color used for double-breateds RFV uniforms. No doubt marking - it is 100% properety of RFV Kőln.


Dan T.,
see my wepages http://www.volny.cz/lbsr/dr/zoll/zollbeamte.html
or Goris' site http://www.zollgrenzschutz.de

Great photo of Zollgrenzschutzbeamten in "old" and "new" uniforms see:
http://http://www.tenzor.cz/lbsr/forum/Z_1.jpg
(From left to right: ZGS-Beamte in new uniform, Czechoslovakian gendarm, ZGS-Beamte in new uniform with old cap (but with new RFV-Eagle), new blouse with old collar patches and ZGS-Beamte in old unniform)

[SCHUPO]

Dan,

Not to hijack Jason's thread here but to partially answer his question as well, I will say that the Zollschutz wore several uniforms during the NS Zeit. The cap that you have is from the earlier dark green Landzoll uniform that was double breasted with red piping and had black collar tabs. The Landzoll then wore a dark green tunic with concealed buttons that one will see in period photos. They then went to the bottle green tunic with a dark green collar that you see in Jason's photos. You will see two styles of tunic in the photographs; one with patch lower pockets and one with slash lower pockets. The Landzoll continued to wear these last uniforms until the end of the war. These folks, including females, seem to be Zollgrenzschutz but the uniform for those on "active service" was the same as any other Landzoll Beamte except the insignia was subdued.

If it were my cap, I would restore it as it is not a W-SS cap. You need a regular leather (Heer style) chinstrap and you can use the black buttons that I presume are now on it. You will need a political style eagle on the top and a standard Reichs cockade on the band to replace the skull.

I hope this helps answer both questions.

Jiri,

Yes, I see the color difference. I think it may be the photo quality as you are correct. The cap top should be dunkelgr******252;n (dark green) to match the uniform color. It looks like the photo may have been lightened off color as the picture of the interior of the cap seems to show a dark green top from the bottom side. I could not get your last link to work but your webpages are excellent and I know the uniform chart you are speaking of.

George