Tiroler Standschutzen (Static guard) tunic

[NickG]

Wow nice cap Dennis! Congrats! Definitely an Italian made (Italian wool) M43 with a cut down Tyrolian eagle sleeve raute applied! Wonderful!
The cap, like the wool tunic previously posted also has a matching black liner!! Interesting! I guess typical traits for Ss wool tunics!

This M43 cap would go nice with the following tunic (not mine)...No doubt also with a black (partial) lining. Not black hanging loop!
Not sure where I got this image from...Not very good quality I'm afraid...its a scan...
Its a Meran Battalion Tunic (2nd Bat, 2nd Company).Is this perhaps one of your tunics Craig?
Nick

PS: I just had an Innsbrück Battalion Ss sleeve eagle diamond reserved for me from a fellow WAF member/dealer!
A tip from 2 other WAF members I jumped on immediately! WAF rocks!

[Dennis S]

Nick , Thanks! The hat is just how I picked it up at a show years ago. Probably not of interest to many ,just a few. If I recollect correctly member "Bonneville" had a tunic for sale last year. That's maybe the samee one.

[NickG]

Yes Bonneville WAF member from Italy is also the one who sold me the tan Standschutzen uniform.
I guess he has good contacts in the Northern Italian rag-mills where amazingly this stuff is still turning up!

[NickG]

Update

Its time for an update!
At last a Standschutzen diamond sleeve patch arrived for my uniform, Innsbrück Battalion! (dealer offer tip from a fellow WAF member + a Standschutzen shooting badge obtained via a WAF member! WAF rocks!)
Replacement Ss sleeve raute now (temporarily) pinned on, over remnants of the original "Standschutzen" raute (sleeve diamond)

[NickG]

Similar "Tyroler shooting badge" in wear but by a LW member!
This image was already posted on WAF before (in a different section)
so I'm repeating it here.
Credit goes to member TerryG from the UK, as tagged!

[NickG]

Finally complete!

[NickG]

Here's the entire ensemble !
(my thanks to fellow WAF members and WAF sponsers)
Standschutzen Battalion Innsbruck member

- German Standschutzen summer uniform, uniform made in italian tropical cloth
- Italian tropical pants
- German tropical belt as often worn in Italy/S.Europe
- German break open flap holster in Italian leather
- Heer M42 field cap + German helmet
- gaiters + mountain troop boots
- edelweiss insignia as worn by Innsbruck based Standschutzen men

[NickG]

close up

[NickG]

Alpine Volkssturm

Final image ALPINE VOLKSSTURM
I'm done with this topic. Hope you enjoyed it!
Off to the next mannequin project!
Nick

PS: Why an open neck cotton tunic in the Alps you may wonder?
I was surprized too! But this is an authentic Standschutzen uniform,
but most are found in wool and all surviving period images show
the wool uniforms in wear...

Here's the answer: (from the web)
Summers in the Alps can be highly variable and unpredictable. Days can be cool (17°C - 63F) and rainy, or sunny and even extremely hot, sometimes hitting 34°C- 93F in the summer, highly unpredictable
as expected from an alpine climate! I have seen many images of Italian SS troops in similar Summer uniforms in the Alps fighting communist Partisans.

[Chris D.]

Good work Nick!

[NickG]

Good work Nick!

Thanks!
OK 1 more encore!!!
Tiroler Standschutzen (Alpine Volkssturm)

[PBR]

Hello Nick,

That's amazing!!!
Do you know how to obtain a raute like that one?
I love it!

Best Regards

[NickG]

Hello Nick,

That's amazing!!!
Do you know how to obtain a raute like that one?
I love it!

Best Regards

Thanks for the thumbs up on my restoration project! I have tacked the sleeve diamond on the uniform sleeve, so that you can still view the remains of the original sleeve diamond.
This as proof that it is a Standschutzen uniform. The insiginia is indeed valuable (almost the value of the tunic!) but was probably removed a long time ago (denazified?)
(or by a greedy dealer...who knows?)
My understanding is that the uniform is a recent rag mill find from Italy. I obtained a replacement sleeve diamond from a Dutch dealer (WAF sponsor)
thanks to a tip from another WAF member who knew about this restoration project. I was lucky as these are extremely hard to find,
but I do not believe these are being faked (yet) as its such an obscure "branch". Good luck on your hunt!
Nick

[JoeW]

Standschutzen Raute and Collar Insignia

Hi Nick

Adding this post of my insignia: sleeve Raute and collar tabs from my collection. Also posted over on the Police Forum. The LI/11 tab and Standschutzen Meran were purchased in bulk years ago from a vet with Clark's army who ended up in Meran and "cleaned out a warehouse" with friends. Still missing some Raute.

You are aware that the Standschutzen badge and the Standschutzen Raute are two different organizations? The former civilian marksmanship in Gau Tirol-Vorarlberg and the latter Volkssturm type units.

[NickG]

Wow what a treasure! Great collection Joe. Thanks for sharing. Must have taken a long time to collect all of these!

Yes I fully agree that the Tiroler shooting clubs (started prewar and is civilian in nature) are indeed unrelated to this late war Volkssturm unit,
but in theory a Standschutzen soldier could have earned such a badge and wore it while serving in this "last ditch" home defense unit.
Both insignia have the same Tiroler eagle, so I thought it would make a neat combination.

I have actually added the following medal (also unrelated to this Volkssturm unit) to this "Tiroler" display, pinned on the tunic!
(obtained through another WAF member).
It commemorates WW1 service in Tyrol, so even though unrelated to this Volkssturm unit, still appropriate as it proves past military service, displayed on the tunic along with the ww1 vintage wound badge.




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