General Photos Topic For 1950 to Today's Austrian Bh, Please Add Yours Here.

[patches]

This very early one, really a kind of constabulary, formed by the British, who evidently gave them rifles, every thng else is stuff of their former army, the Deutsches Heer, with tunics with removed Heer insigina, breast eagle etc, and newer design?? Tunic Collar insignia . The Flag is interesting, a Pre Anschluss one brought out of storage???

 

 

And this one from the 50s, like their former comrades in West Germany, they are outfitted with U.S. Gear and Weapons, and by the looks of it even GI Wool Overcoats from WWII, with the traditional KuK type Overcoat Collar patches and a new type of rank? (See White Stripe on the cuff of the B.A.R,Man) but looks like perhaps the GI OD Bakelight Eagle buttons may be replaced with an Austrian pattern, hard to tell. Though their main uniforms under the overcoat no doubt being of a new Austrian design, with as we see open collar with shirt and neck tie.

[SARGE]

Excellent pictures. I notice that the first photo shows the very early uniforms as you point out and I see they went back to the pre-war practice of wearing paper oak leaves attached to the left side of their steel helmets for the Gendarmerie. The flag pole topper also has the sprig of paper oak leaves on it. The collar patches appear to be the pre-war style but it is hard to tell and the flag bearer has a special one.

 

Here is an example of the British Enfield SMLE rifle they were issued early on.

 

 

[Proud Kraut]

Very nice pictures!

[patches]

Thanks for the photos of the rifles Sarge, good stuff.

 

Noticing now that the second one with the America Helmets, they seem to be wearing nets, maybe surplus GI nets of the British type?

[patches]

A Twofer for Tonight, photos scanned from the Germam SOLDATENKALENDER Books.

 

1957 Infantry Unit. love the Oak Leaves inserted into the air grommet of their helmets, note too the use of the M1 rifles at this date.

[patches]

And Tank Crewmen in 1958, their "Panzer" is our own M24 Chaffee Tank, note the wear of our M43 Field Jackets with the new Army Collar badges sewn to the collars. The two in the foreground wear Black Collar Badges for Armor/Armored Infantry, while the other two wear a light colored badge, possably Yellow for Reconnaissance, and they are part of the crew of the Chaffee.

[SARGE]

This tank crew is not composed of spring chickens.  I suspect these are probably WWII Panzer veterans who know their way around a new army tank.  

 

Here is a picture from the cover of "LIFE" Magazine of a postwar Austrian Gendarm who is armed with a US M1 carbine performing traffic control duties.  

 

 

[patches]

On 5/1/2021 at 6:56 PM, patches said:

And Tank Crewmen in 1958, their "Panzer" is our own M24 Chaffee Tank, note the wear of our M43 Field Jackets with the new Army Collar badges sewn to the collars. The two in the foreground wear Black Collar Badges for Armor/Armored Infantry, while the other two wear a light colored badge, possably Yellow for Reconnaissance, and they are part of the crew of the Chaffee.

@SARGE Hmm Veterans of the 2nd and or 9th Panzer Divisions, both of those were Austrian .

[patches]

Found another from the 60s.

[patches]

Anda one more, this we would think is from the 50s

[patches]

Was cruising around a bit to see if the old KuK  Schützenauszeichnung cord is being worn in todays BH, but not seeing it, too bad, it would of ben cool if they did.

[patches]

Pretty niffty right, E-Tool Covers in the same Camouflage as the Uniform, the Pea Dot, both Cover and Tool of the U.S. Type, from the late 50s into  60s-70s. Period photo below showing it in use.

 

[patches]

A Soldat, 1960s. We guess that Ammo Belt is filled with Blanks for a MG 42.

[patches]

Various Pea Dot Canteen Covers with Canteens

[RRA227]

Great post.  Rich A. in Pa.

[patches]

Another shot with all canteens removed.

[patches]

The Austrian M1 Helmet with Cover