joergd

The last one for today!

The flying fox at the end of the climbers competition. In order to speed the competitors up the instructors where sitting on the rope in order of fighten it more.

Another one.

Here Some more pictures.

You will note that the pics show mainly people in civil Outfit. The training for the units was done in the field uniform without Jump boots and the instructors have been wearing sport cloths.

Each Unbit has been trained over one Week every year in climbing groups of up to 7 people. At the end of each week each Climbing group had to participate in a climbing competition consisting abseiling, distance march, climbing, first aid, shooting, and a large flying-fox.

Hi Kevin,

this pic in the cave was taken always on a day out in the Village of Ruebeland in Harz mountain area where 2 caves are located in the same village. The pic i've posted was taken in 1987 my firsts climbing training camp. The two seen on this pic were two sergeants from the 3rd service year. I'll post some more in the next day's. I've been climbing trainer in the FJB for 3 years.

Cheers,

Joerg

Hi Gent's,

yes we have been trained extensively in Mountain Warfare. The training was conducted every year over a period of 3 months in the mountain area of "Harz" and previously in the "Zittauer Gebirge" close to the Czech Republic. We also conducted various manoeuvres in Thuringia in cooperation with some scout units.

Thank you for answering my many questions. I have one of the older style orange berets. I really love them as well. They really compliment a uniform display.

So just to clarify, your doctor wore the regular Fallschirmjager orange insignia? I would have loved to seen his uniform! Do you remember his rank(Hauptmann or etc)?

Dear Paul,

as far as I remember - yes! He's rank was Hauptmann.

I'll see if I can organize a picture from him in Uniform!

Regards,

Joerg

Thank you and Merry Christmas.

Was it a difficult option to stay in the military for a lifelong career, if you wanted to? What decorations did you acquire during your time in the service? Were you allowed to keep your uniform when you were discharged? Some of the favorite components of my collection are my Fallschirmjager uniforms and the orange beret. Was there a difference between the EM and Officer orange berets?

Did the fallschirmjagers have medical personnel assigned to the units? Did they wear the orange waffenfarbe or the dark green rear services waffenfarbe?

Sorry for the many questions. I have never met a DDR Fallschirmjager before.

Hello Paul,

To answer your questions from my knowledge:

Theoretically it was not difficult but of course the most suitable and best soldiers have been preferred! I receive most of the possible decorations starting with the the jump badge, the qualification badge (don't ask me in what i've done this but i think it was for LMG = Light Machine Gun), the Schuetzenschnur (don't know how you call it in English), Sport badge and in an separate occasion i received the "Best Soldier" (or something like that) badge from the North Korean army! (I'll post a picture when I'm back in Greece). Sorry that i don't know the names of all these badges in English.

No, officially we where not allowed to keep our Uniforms, but most of us have been clever enough to "organize" their own during the time of service. At the end most of us have had a complete uniform at home then we left the Army.

The Berets where actually the same! The difference was the metal cockade. In the 80's the berets have been adjustable at the back - we actually did not like this version at all and everybody tried to get one from the older years. Getting one of them has often cost a fortune!

Yes we did have a Doctor in our unit who (if I remember) has worn the same uniform as all the other officers.

Kind regards,

Joerg

Scott,

please check here....maybe you find something! There are some Paratroopers items (if its not proper labeled in English please check all items with "Fallschirmjäger".

Merry Christmas!

Joerg

Sorry here the link:

http://www.militaria321.com/suchergebnisse.cfm?q=nva&adv=0&searchcat=0&startat=26&groupsize=25

My son just received a DDR EM para beret in grey, he is quite happy but this seems to have spurred his desire to get an orange em and officer beret. Anyone have any suggestions of where he may look to find these? Thanks, Scott.

Scott,

please check here....maybe you find something! There are some Paratroopers items (if its not proper labeled in English please check all items with "Fallschirmjäger".

Merry Christmas!

Joerg

Joerg,

Do you still have your uniform? How many years did you serve in the paratroops? What was your final ranking upon getting out of the Army?

Dear Paul,

I served the usual 3 years in our unit! All Paratroopers served these 3 years! Only the newly formed "Heavy Company" a Artillery support unit which was Airborne mainly by Helicopters served 18months!

We finished our full 3 years as the last unit before the Wall cam down. All other units after us where not able to finish their full service period!

My final rank was "Stabsgefreiter" this as the usual rank for a Paratrooper in his 3rd year of Service. Only if you re-directed into a Sergeant "direction" you where able to receive the rank of an "Unteroffizier" etc.

Merry Christmas!

Joerg

One other area on para collecting that is not purely military are collecting the sport parachute badges of the Flug und Fallschirmsportverband der DDR (FFSV) which in English would be something like the Federation for Aerial and Parachute Sports. These sports parachute badges are often mistakenly described as freefall parachute badges. Below is my collection of these badges which is close to completion.

The badges in the top row were issued from 1982-1990 with the exception of the bronze level badge with white between the parachute lines, this was only issued 1980-81. The badges in the second row were issued 1957-1979. The bottom row are earlier versions of that badge without provision for numbered hangers. I've never actually seen hangers for these badges so my assumption are that they are quite rare.

Nothing really to do with the official badges of our Paratroopers but here is the first version of our Reservists Club badge we have formed in 1992.

Cheers,

Joerg

One other area on para collecting that is not purely military are collecting the sport parachute badges of the Flug und Fallschirmsportverband der DDR (FFSV) which in English would be something like the Federation for Aerial and Parachute Sports. These sports parachute badges are often mistakenly described as freefall parachute badges. Below is my collection of these badges which is close to completion.

The badges in the top row were issued from 1982-1990 with the exception of the bronze level badge with white between the parachute lines, this was only issued 1980-81. The badges in the second row were issued 1957-1979. The bottom row are earlier versions of that badge without provision for numbered hangers. I've never actually seen hangers for these badges so my assumption are that they are quite rare.

Nothing really to do with the official badges of our Paratroopers but here is the first version of our Reservists Club we have formed in 1992. This version was scraped when we changed our club's name.

Cheers,

Joerg

QUOTE (Claudius @ Jul 7 2009, 19:40 ) Here are two officer paratrooper berets; field grey and orange. If the orange was just for parades, was the field grey for everyday wear? Why not wear the orange every day? Is this a common segregation among paratroopers of all nations?

Grey was for wear with the field uniform and Orange with the dress uniform. I can't speak for other countries, but US Airborne forces only wear one color beret, Maroon.

Hi Guys,

here a Pic of our Unit in Parade Uniform. The Parade Uniform contained the orange Barett, the normal presentation Jacket, a so called "Steghose" (sorry i don't know the word in English!) and the Jump-Shoes!

As you see the each of us is wearing only a few of the badges as it's in our first year of service!

Cheers,

Joerg

Scott,

Ehrentitle is right! Our uniforms came from the supply ready (almost) made! The collars have been usually on already. The shoulder boards where removable and have been added only when everybody received his uniform and according to his rank! The only thing we had to add (hand sewing) was later on the silver arrow on the arm which indicates that youre serving for 3 years!

Please see attached a picture from our swearing-in in November 1986 (Winter Uniform!). This was just two or three weeks after our convocation (hope this is the right word). Our "Basic training" was finished 3 months later!

A para trooperschool did not exists in our unit and our pre-army training was carried out -as Ehrentitle already mentioned- in the GST organisation. I did mine over a period of two years where I was mainly trainied in Para-jumping, shooting, truck driving, endurance training etc.

Kind regards,

Joerg

Hi Scott,

it's quiet cheap - provided that it's a real one! I've seen a couple of phantasy versions which have been sold as "real" NVA Paratrooper uniforms. However please post some pics and i can give you my input!

Cheers,

Joerg

Hello all, as I have stated on other threads in this section, I have a 14 year old son who is interested in collecting DDR items. He found a para uniform (EM Dress) with collar tabs and boards, and an extra set of officer FJ tabs for $75.00 USD. I let him do the purchase but I have misgivings as my knowledge of DDR items is limited to when the wall came down and $75.00 USD would have just about completed your collection:D . Can anyone let me know if he was in the ballpark here, and where these things are in value? I would appreciate it and any other advice you may have for him. He would surely listen to other collectors before he listens to dad... Thanks, Scott.

I will have him post pics when he gets it.

I had a friend bring me the book from Germany this week and it is excellent. I'm still in the Chapter about the 1950's, but basically the FRD was responsible for maintaining parachutes and aircraft survival equipment for the Air Force as well as conducting parachute, rescue and safety equipment training for pilots and aircrew. It's like a combination of the US Parachute Rigger, Jumpmaster and Airborne School black hat. I believe there were small detachments of the FRD at every LSK airfield.

As far as I know yes. We also had them at our jump base in Burg near the city of Magdeburg. Have fun with your book!

Regards,

Joerg

Joerg - Thanks for the background on the Dienstlaufbahnabzeichen. I've looked for information on Fallschirm- and Rettungsdienst on the internet and there is not much. From what I've found they were responsible for maintaining parachutes and survival equipment for Air Force flight personnel as well as conducting parachute training. I'm waiting on a book from Germany on the FRD, its an autobiography, "Kameradschaft am Fallschirm. Mein Weg zum Leiter des Fallschirm- und Rettungsdienstes der LSK/LV der Nationalen Volksarmee" by Horst Schöll. Kevin

Kevin,

I was told the Book is good.

Joerg

Joerg - Thanks for your comments on the GST Badge. Do you mind if I ask another question on the Fallschirm Dienstlaufbahnabzeichen that was worn on the lower left arm of the dress uniform until 1986? Some believe the type shown below was only worn by the Air Force Fallschirmdienst, while the 40. Fallschirmjägerbataillon wore a slightly different one with a "gull wing" at the bottom of the parachute. Others believe the the one shown below was for non-parachute qualified members of the 40th. Do you know who wore this Dienstlaufbahnabzeichen? Kevin

Kevin,

I've got the informations from a former comrade who really should know as he was a former leading member of the Fallschirmdienst.

This batches have only been used in the Fallschirm- and Rettungsdienst of the LSK/LV (FRD) of the NVA

The left side one for Officers and "Faehnriche" (Don't know the description in English)

The right side one for Soldiers and Sergeants (this one was a temporary version which was very unliked)

Kind regards,

Joerg

Joerg - Thanks for your comments on the GST Badge. Do you mind if I ask another question on the Fallschirm Dienstlaufbahnabzeichen that was worn on the lower left arm of the dress uniform until 1986? Some believe the type shown below was only worn by the Air Force Fallschirmdienst, while the 40. Fallschirmjägerbataillon wore a slightly different one with a "gull wing" at the bottom of the parachute. Others believe the the one shown below was for non-parachute qualified members of the 40th. Do you know who wore this Dienstlaufbahnabzeichen? Kevin

Hi Kevin,

when I came into the FJB in 1986 all arm batches have been taken off only the badge for the longer serving (Uffz.) remained. In the FJB actually the version with the wings have been used, i thing similar to the one we've worn on the Barrett.

But I'll double check for you!

Regards,

Joerg

I agree! In the group photos, which one is you? Is that portrait of you as well?

Hi Guys,

The GST Badge was worn privately and was oficcially not part of any "Lametta". Most of the guys got from somewhere badges or medals, wven from the Russians or Poland a put them on the uniform.

Myself I've worn a badge from the Polish Paratrooper and I've officilally received a badge from the Nord Korean Army...something like "Best Soldier" of their Army.

You see me on the picture with both uniforms (i'm the one in field gear) and on the first group pic down left in the corner.

The portrait pic is not me, it's one from the NVA-Fallschirmjaegerforum. The pic was taken in the beginning of the 80's (I thing) and was re-coloured this year!

Regards,

Joerg

Another one in winter field gear.

Joerg

This is a picture in full summer field gear!

Joerg

Here a pic of both of m old uniforms (Field and Presentation). Sorry 20years after they don't really fit anymore!!

Good evening,

It's a while ago when I was here on your site. Let me try again to add some pictures.

As requested in a earlier post here is a pic from a "Ausgangsuniform" of a FJB Member in the Rank of "Stabsgefreiter" - at least in the second or third year of service!

Regards,

Joerg