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DDR Zollschutz Uniforms


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Gents,

I thought I would post a series of DDR Zollschutz (Customs) uniforms as they changed a bit over time. The first I will show is a standard Zollbeamte uniform that was worn in the DDR. The tunic is a single breasted grey-green twill with upper and lower pleated patch pockets, false French cuffs, and green piping. The collar tabs are green with aluminum piping and metal Zoll collar devices showing a winged helmet and staff with entwined snakes. The tunic has standard DDR pebbled aluminum buttons, with raised plain rims, throughout. The shoulder boards are the standard aluminum piped Zoll style having aluminum rank pips. There is an earlier tunic of this version with a three button single breasted front closure instead of this four button style. The straight leg trousers were grey-green with green piping on the legs.

 

The second Zollschutz uniform is a rather plain Summer working style of uniform made of grey-green cotton drillich material. Standard Zoll shoulder boards were worn with this uniform but collar tabs were not. These cotton work uniforms are washable and have removable buttons. These Zoll uniforms are typically marked "ZOLL" inside to indicate the issuing authority.

 

There are also photos of three styles of Zoll Officer peaked caps. A standard cap with the larger officer style of wreath and DDR Wappen. This cap has aluminum officer cap cords. A lightweight Summer style of officer peaked cap that would be worn with the cotton drillich style of working uniform. This cap also has the larger officer style of oak leaf wreath and Wappen along with aluminum cap cords. A white top Summer peaked cap with a removable, and washable, top. Notice this is the EM / NCO style of cap with the smaller aluminum oak leaf wreath and green color cap cords.

 

More to come.

DDR Zoll Off tunic.JPG

DDR Zoll Off tunic collar.JPG

DDR Zoll Off tunic shoulder boards.JPG

DDR Zoll Off collar tabs.JPG

DDR Zoll Off summer tunic.JPG

DDR Zoll Off summer tunic back.JPG

DDR Zoll Off summer tunic collar.JPG

DDR Zoll Off summer shoulder boards.JPG

DDR Zoll Off peaked cap.JPG

DDR Zoll Off summer peaked cap.JPG

DDR Zoll white top cap.JPG

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Here are a couple of other DDR Zollschutz uniforms. First, is an enlisted NCO uniform made like the four button front officer example. However, this one has black piped collar tabs and shoulder boards. For some reason these lower ranks are harder to find than the officer examples. Second, is a female Customs uniform with skirt. These are also hard to find and this is an un-issued example as can be seen by the paper tags attached to the cuff and skirt.

 

There is also a photo of the Zollschutz side cap (Schiffchen) showing the unique grey-green color and the green piping.

 

 

DDR Female Zoll uniform.JPG

DDR Female Customs uniform back.JPG

DDR Female Zoll collar.JPG

DDR Female Zoll paper tag.JPG

DDR Female Zoll shoulderboards.JPG

DDR Zoll EM uniform.JPG

DDR Zoll EM tunic collar.JPG

DDR Zoll EM collar tabs.JPG

DDR Zoll EM shoulder boards.JPG

DDR Zoll EM uniform markings.JPG

DDR Zoll side cap.JPG

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I would love to see your Zoll uniforms Paul.

 

As to your very good question, The black piped collar tabs and shoulder boards were for ranks from Unterassistent to Oberassistent. Mine with one silver pip on the shoulder board is Unterassistent rank. Your green piped insignia were for ranks from Untersekretar to Obersekretar.

 

The rank of the female uniform above is for Hauptsekretar. I am not certain if this uniform was supposed to have collar tabs or not. Some do and some don't but since it is unissued perhaps they were not yet affixed. I an not convinced either way.

 

There is precious little information available on the DDR Zollschutz.

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Here is the early three button front uniform that I mentioned above. This one also has black piped shoulder boards and collar tabs for the Zollschutz Unter- to Ober-assistent ranks. Interestingly, the metal devices have been removed from the collar tabs as well as the pip from the shoulder boards. This uniform is dated to the second quarter of 1960 so it is early and comes just around the time of an insignia change. The Zoll metal device in the collar tabs consisted of just the winged helmet on a staff with entwined snakes and no laurel wreath early on. You can see where this early insignia was attached to the collar tabs by the fading on the cloth. They are hand sewn on in the typical East German fashion. I am also not certain there was ever a pip on the shoulder boards and I am not certain this is not correct for the year 1960. Notice the markings in the interior of the tunic.

 

Also, notice the Zoll breeches worn with this uniform. They are green piped along the edge of the breeches and have one flapped rear pocket in the WWII style. These breeches are worn with a wide belt, probably for Summer wear without the tunic, and have substantial belt loops. This probably indicates wearing a pistol on the breeches belt as was common with the Volkspolizei at the time.

 

 

DDR Zoll 60 unif breeches.JPG

DDR Zoll 60 unif front.JPG

DDR Zoll 60 unif back.JPG

DDR Zoll 60 unif insignia.JPG

DDR Zoll 60 unif collar tab.JPG

DDR Zoll 60 unif collar back.JPG

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I forgot the markings.

 

Notice the issuing authority is not the "ZOLL" but is marked as "AZKW" instead. At this time (1960) the East German Zollverwaltung was undergoing changes. After 1950 the agency became the Amt zur Kontrolle des Warenverkehrs (AKW) then the AZKW from 28 Aug 1952 until 1962 according to Dieter Marschall in "Handguns of the Armed Organizations of the Soviet Occupation Zone and German Democratic Republic". After DDR sovereignty was claimed on 20 September 1955 the Zollschutz was armed with pistols. From 1957 and again in 1961 the Zollschutz answered to the Ministry of the Interior (MdI) for police authority.

 

Again, there is precious little original information on this agency except for a year 2000 report by Dr. M. Suwalski that is cited by Marschall.

DDR Zoll 60 unif markings.JPG

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Here is an example of the Strichtarn (Rain Pattern) camouflage uniform issued by the Customs Service. These are made in the same manner as the Army (NVA) and Police (MdI) marked Strichtarn camo patttern uniforms except these are stamped "ZOLL" on the inside. Unlike other identical camouflage uniform patterns, these have no provisions for insignia including shoulder boards. No external insignia was worn on these Zollschutz camo uniforms.

 

 

DDR Zoll camo.JPG

DDR Zoll camo back.JPG

DDR Zoll camo close.JPG

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  • 2 years later...
Proud Kraut

Very rare headgear of an interesting unit. The 6. Grenzbrigade Kueste was part of the Grenztruppen der DDR but under operational control of the Volksmarine. Mission was to secure the DDR costal border. Thanks for sharing!

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