Q00755 DDR GENERALMAJOR UNIFORM GROUPING.

BACKGROUND: With the end of World War 2, the USSR and the Western Allies divided Germany into four occupation zones which later became West Germany, an ally of the West, and Communist East Germany, an ally of the Soviet Union. With the Soviets help, East Germany formed police groups covering ground, water, air and other areas of concern circumventing restrictions placed on them by cease-fire agreements. By the 1950's, the police organizations had expanded into small armies. In 1956, East Germany shed all pretense by merging the different police forces into a true military force consisting of an air force, navy infantry and other branches thus creating the National Volkes Army (NVA). Generals ranks of, Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall, were distinguished by distinctive insignia and uniform fittings including the "Larisch" pattern collar tabs, gilt chin cords on the visor cap and gilt uniform buttons as opposed to silver accouterments worn by company and field grade officers holding ranks of Leutnant to Oberst. Of Note: The "Larisch" pattern collar tabs were based on uniform ornamentation of the 26^TH Prussian Infantry Regiment,

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Grouping consists of visor cap, service tunic, straight leg trousers, and belt. A very nice, high quality, field-grey, visor cap with a red badge cloth center-band. The crown edge is piped in red cord. The internal wire stiffener is intact and formed to give a high tip to front center of crown. In the front center of the center-band is a, gold plated, one piece, metal oak-leave wreath with an East German coat of arms, mounted on a red felt background. The coat of arms shows a hammer (symbolizing the workers), and a compass (symbolizing the intellectuals) inside ears of grain (symbolizing the farmers). A twisted golden yellow wire chin cord is attached by two small gilt washed pebbled alloy buttons. A black plastic visor with raised lip to forward edge is still clean and bright. The visor cap has the raised inscription "S3117/3II" to it’s underside. The interior of cap is fully lined in grey woven cloth with a stitched in clear plastic sweat diamond. Impressed into the diamond are "NVA", "57", "1856" and "D". The wide grey leather sweatband sewn to the inside is still fully intact and supple. What appears to be the original shipping paper is still tucked inside the cap. This cap is in excellent shape appearing to be in unused condition. The field-grey tunic features a four button front closure. The tunic has four pleated patch front pockets with scalloped button down flaps. The right hand breast has a Soviet Guard's Badge, in brass and enamel, with screw back attachment. The badge is 1 7/8" by 1 3/8" (46.5 mm x 35 mm) and the reverse of the badge shows a star-shaped maker mark (Pobeda Factory in Moscow), which possibly places the badge around the 1970's. The left breast has a three place ribbon bar, the right side and middle bars possibly being the Police Honor Medal and the Bronze Service Medal of the NVA while the left one appears to be a Silver Service Medal of the NVA. The sleeves have deep fold back French cuffs that are piped in red and fully stitched at the upper edge. The reverse of the tunic has dual tapered seams and a central vertical seam. The button on shoulder boards consist of two interwoven golden yellow wire cords with a third central, interwoven silver Russian braid on a red wool waffenfarbe base, each with a single five-pointed silver star denoting the rank of General-Major. The tunic has a lay down collar, piped in red, with small fold back lapels with the distinctive Generalmajor to Generaloberst ranks collar tabs consisting of a red wool base with Arabesque style "Larisch" pattern ornamentation in gilt alloy to each. The Larisch pattern ornamentation consists of two, dual pointed, vertical prongs with a decorative, horizontal, arrow head shaped ornamentation at the forward edge and down-swept flared tail shaped decoration near the reverse edge. The collar tabs are neatly hand stitched to the tunic. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in a grey synthetic silk with the same material used in the sleeves. The lining has a horizontal slash pocket to each breast with single button closures. The tunic is in overall very good condition with all of its stitching intact, some faint brownish staining to the left shoulder, while the interior has some light sweat staining to the armpits and a few tiny snags or holes in the lining. The buttons are all the fire gilted, pebbled, alloy metal type and all retain the majority of their fire gilted finish and appear to have their original stitching. The tunic is roughly size 46" chest. The straight leg trousers feature a vertical, four button French fly with a double button and flap enclosure situated on the waistband. The trousers have two reverse pleats and two, vertically angled, slash pockets to the front. The reverse of the trousers have two, small, vertical tapering darts and a horizontal slash pocket to the right seat with a single button closure under a scalloped flap. To either side of the interior of the waist band are elasticized straps, which are threaded through the inside of the waist band and run to the back, with, double button hole, adjustable, sewn on leather ends and two buttons. The elasticized straps which are threaded through the inside of the waist band and run to the back. The outer leg side seams each feature narrow, vertical red wool piping flanked on either side by roughly, 1 1/2" wide red adornment stripes all machine stitched in place. The internal pocket bags are all constructed in a brushed light-grey cotton/rayon blend fabric. The trousers are in overall very good condition with minor age and usage toning. The buttons are all plastic and one appears to have been replaced. The trousers are roughly size 40" waist. A roughly 2" wide, 53" long, bright gold brocade belt which features two roughly, 1/4" wide, evenly spaced, vertical ribbed, grey, parallel, horizontal stripes. The belt has two sliding, vertical, "keepers", with one positioned on either side of buckle, in the same brocade as the belt with two roughly, 1/8" wide, vertical grey stripes. Both ends of belt are folded over to the reverse and secured in place by one of the sliding "keepers". One end retains the buckle catch and the other the belt buckle. The reverse of the belt has a protective field-grey wool backing. The roughly 2 3/16" diameter, die stamped, gilt alloy, circular belt buckle features an embossed East German coat of arms. The reverse of the buckle is a mirror image of the obverse and has a soldered on crimped catch and retaining hook. Both the belt and buckle are in overall very good condition with the belt still being quite clean and bright and a light age tarnish to the buckle.

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