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BW Panzer Beret


SARGE
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Gents,

 

I thought I would show a Bundeswehr (BW) Panzer Beret tanker helmet. Styled after the WWII German Heer black Panzer beret, the postwar helmet is similarly made with a soft cloth top and a padded band with BW insignia sewn to the cloth topper.

 

One can see the lineage between this protective helmet and its predecessor.

 

 

BW tank helm 2.JPG

BW tank helm insig.JPG

BW tank helm.JPG

BW tank helm interior.JPG

BW tank helm label.JPG

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Nice looking panzer beret, Sarge. I’ve got one of those also and have always wondered just how effective they were as “bump” protection within an AFV. I suppose anything is better than nothing, but these berets just don’t seem real “solid” for head protection.

Terry

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Hi Terry,

 

I agree with you that the beret was worn mostly for the style. Heer armored guys mostly abandoned them as the war progressed and went to the soft caps like the M-43 and the Schiffchen (overseas style in US parlance). Polizei armored crews did the same except they originally used a modification of the existing leather motorcycle crash helmet which gave them much better head bump protection.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

Nice looking panzer beret, Sarge. I’ve got one of those also and have always wondered just how effective they were as “bump” protection within an AFV. I suppose anything is better than nothing, but these berets just don’t seem real “solid” for head protection.

Terry

 

 

 

The Bundeswehr guys had a low opinion of them, and much like their WW2 counterparts they did not last long in service. I asked one relative of mine who was a Panzer crewman in the early 60s about these and his comment was "made wearing headsets awkward, they where hot and made you look like a mushroom wearing one"

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Those used to be for sale everywhere in the 80s, hardly see them any more. I think I still have one, but I haven't seen it in years (must be in storage). Thanks for the jog to the ol' memory.

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I spent seven years in Germany (tank/cav) with multiple partnership panzer battalions over those years. Never saw anything like this! All their guys wore a plain black beret with the wreathed panzer badge in either metal or bullion. I suspect this is from much earlier and was discontinued some time pre-80s. (And the recon work the same black with a different badge, mech guys wore green berets.)

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I spent seven years in Germany (tank/cav) with multiple partnership panzer battalions over those years. Never saw anything like this! All their guys wore a plain black beret with the wreathed panzer badge in either metal or bullion. I suspect this is from much earlier and was discontinued some time pre-80s. (And the recon work the same black with a different badge, mech guys wore green berets.)

 

Yes, this one is dated January of 1963 (1/63), these were scarce by the 80s and extinct by the 90s. I dug mine out and it is also dated January of 1963, but one size smaller (57 as opposed to 58).

post-185417-0-42135300-1543972795_thumb.jpg

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The Panzerschutzmuetze (correct term) was replaced by the black beret in 1970/1971. Until then the Panzerschutzmuetze and a similar olive colored beret without padded band were in use.

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Another scan of a 1960's postcard showing the padded Panzerschutzmuetze in use. Thanks Sarge, for sharing your PSM!

 

barett c.jpg

 

 

 

 

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You are welcome Proud Kraut. Very neat pictures to show them in wear. These are kind of a unique form of specialized head gear.

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