GRA

1997

As requested by Tom: Samples of Bundeswehr uniforms booklet of slightly later print, 1993 and 1997 respectively. The older still has drawings, and the newer is upgraded with photos. The flecktarn camo has appeared in the 1993 issue, otherwise it is probably almost identical to the 1970's issue. As the Bundeswehr went through massive changes in the mid-90's, a lot of the unit patches have disappeared, units have been renamed etc. Link to unit patches: http://gmic.co.uk/in...r-unit-patches/ /Jonas 1993

Company patches 2 3./PzBtl183 StKp/PiBrig80 (both with velcro backing)

Company patches 1 3./PzGrenBtl72 7./PzGrenBtl72,UL - NCO school 4./PzGrenBtl421

Brigades 2 1 Heimatschutzbrigade37 / Jägerbrigade37 / Panzergrenadierbrigade37 ”Freistaat Sachsen” 2 Heimatschutzbrigade38 / Panzergrenadierbrigade38 ”Sachsen-Anhalt” 3 Heimatschutzbrigade40 / Panzergrenadierbrigade40 4 Heimatschutzbrigade41 / Panzergrenadierbrigade41 ”Vorpommern” 5 Heimatschutzbrigade42 / Panzerbrigade42 ”Brandenburg” 6 Deutsch-Französische Brigade

Brigades 1 1 Panzergrenadierbrigade5 ”Kurhessen” 2 Panzerbrigade8 ”Lüneburg” 3 Panzerbrigade12 ”Oberpfalz” 4 Panzergrenadierbrigade19 ”Münsterland” 5 Heimatschutzbrigade51

6.Panzergrenadierdivision 1 6.Panzergrenadierdivision / Wehrbereichskommando I 2 Panzergrenadierbrigade16 ”Herzogtum Lauenburg” (1st brigade) 3 Panzerbrigade18 ”Holstein” (3rd brigade, old manufacture) 4 Panzerbrigade18 ”Holstein” (3rd brigade, new manufacture)

Divisions 1 1.Panzerdivision 2 5.Panzerdivision / Wehrbereichskommando IV/5.Panzerdivision 3 6.Panzergrenadierdivision / Wehrbereichskommando I 4 10.Panzerdivision 5 11.Panzergrenadierdivision 6 12.Panzerdivision / Panzerbrigade34 7 13.Panzergrenadierdivision (old version) / Wehrbereichskommando VII/13.Panzergrenadierdivision 8 14.Panzergrenadierdivision / WehrbereichskommandoVIII/14.Panzergrenadierdivision ”Hanse” 9 1.Luftlandedivision / Kommando Spezialkräfte

Some of my Bundeswehr unit patches, all dating from the 1990's to the very early 2000's. Please feel free to add to the thread! /Jonas Corps etc 1 Zentrale Militärische Bundeswehrdienststellen 2 WehrbereichskommandoII 3 WehrbereichskommandoVIII 4 Korps u. Territorialkommando Ost 5 Territorialkommando Schleswig-Holstein 6 I.Korps 7 Deutsch-Nederländisches Korps (German part) 8 Eurokorps

Hello Tom! I have a couple of those too, the earliest dating from the mid-90's and the latest from ~2000. The difference being drawings in the earlier and photos in the later. In the earlier version there's still arm patches of the divisions and some (even by then) disbanded Heimatschutzbrigade, while the later version only shows the remaining brigades of the divisions of the 90's (and the new 13th and 14th divisions). I'll see if I can dig them out from my "Cold War stash"! /Jonas

...Günther, as older brother Otto was GOC 206. Division. /Jonas

Having had another look at the picture; the badge on the chest of the right man, isn't that a badge that territorials who volunteered for overseas service in case of war wore? I might be wrong (and please correct me if I am), but I somehow connect this badge with territorials/volunteers, not regulars. /Jonas

Hello Brian! Another long shot, but... For the man on the right: The Queen's Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry? As far as I know, Glasgow and Lanarkshire are just around the corner from each other, so there is a geographic possibility as well. The regiment was known as The Queen's Own Royal Glasgow and Lower Ward of Lanarkshire Yeomanry until 1914 (according to Patrick Mileham's "The Yeomanry Regiments"). /Jonas

No Tom, I'm sure it was deliberately done, I got the impression that it was something to be somewhat proud of (and besides, if your badge would break, you'd just replace it, I guess). /Jonas

Hello Tom! I've seen beret badges for the black Panzertruppe beret with the muzzle of the gun barrel cut off (as in nothing protruding outside of the wreath), do you know why? I'm not sure if even all tankers, or units, do it. Is it some kind of "passed the test" thing, or what? /Jonas

Paul, to my knowledge they still use the same patches, and they also have a blue beret with a snake badge. As far as I know, this is a doctor-dentist-nurse distinction, combat medics wear the same uniforms as the unit they serve in. /Jonas

Hello Matt! I think it is Medaljen för Förtjänster om Sveriges Landstorm i silver: http://www.all-medals.com/ribbon_info.asp?build=&showgroups=A-Z/0/se&visitor={F8C7BFF7-6D26-4689-951F-FB958F34BE9D}&listmode=0&login=&medal={703B8DAE-DE6B-41C3-B01E-A54C5E7D0021} It was awarded for services to the Swedish Territorial Volunteers, as there were (and still exists) a medal instituted in 1922 from the same organisation, this may have been a short-lived medal (1912-1922), but I'm not sure. There should be silver stamps on it, find those and the year it was awarded can be narrowed down. /Jonas

The next uniform model - m/52 - came with gold-coloured insignia, but I'm fairly certain these m/39 badges survived for some time (the uniform model as such survived being re-made into later models with newer insignia). I have a cavalry branch insignia loitering around somewhere myself. This m/39 pattern (as well as the m/52 pattern) were slightly larger, slimmer and more "old-fashioned" - muskets for the infantry for example - than the later m/60 pattern, which were more bulky in shape. The number "1" on the epaulets would in this case have been worn by the Svea engineer regiment, numbers survived until the m/60 uniform for the infantry, the cavalry and the artillery (some individual units would have used other badges even before), and well into the 90's for the rest. /Jonas

Engineers branch, and it is worn with the sword pointing upwards. /Jonas

Hello avsaribar! I don't know what exactly was in it, but it was issued during the reign of king Gustaf V (1907-1950). /Jonas

I think they still do, if you mean the 1:32 scale series. It seems, however, that the range is more narrow now, I guess the kids of today needs something like Call of Duty or Battlefield to get their steam up... /Jonas

I remember those with a square metal base-plate well, wasn't it Britain's who made them? I think there was everything from Napoleonic to WW2 and then some in between. Foreign legionnaires in light blue coats, anyone? Highlanders in kilt for those so inclined, or why not a American Civil War Gatling gun with crew? /Jonas

From post #16: Birth Name: Olof J A Svard Mother's Maiden Surname:Callan Date of Registration:Apr-May-Jun 1950 Registration district:Hammersmith Inferred County: Greater London, Middlesex Volume Number: 5c Page Number: 970 Callan is certainly not a Swedish name, but what strikes me is that he uses Swedish spelling in his surname - Svärd - not anglicised into Svard (dropping non-English alphabet letter) or Sword (translated). Wouldn't it be slightly complicated living the whole life in the UK spelling one's surname "Svärd"? /Jonas

Swedish: "German fighting retreat on the Western front. Separable (probably dismounted, but litterary translated as separable) German guns transported away." /Jonas

Hello all! Olof Svärd is about as Swedish as it gets. He surely has to have had a Swedish father or being born in Sweden (I assume with dual citizenship since he were allowed to join the police). There ought to be some paperwork on this fellow somewhere in the archives! /Jonas