Uniform on ebay

JerseyGary · Post by **JerseyGary** » 08 Sep 2006 19:57

First of all, this is my very first post and Chris, your website is one of the most informitive I've ever come across.

I just came across this tunic on ebay and thought people may be interested in looking. I can't say if it's authentic but perhaps someone here can...

http://cgi.ebay.com/GERMAN-AFRICA-COLON ... dZViewItem

Chris Dale · Post by **Chris Dale** » 09 Sep 2006 03:04

Hi Gary,
Thanks very much, I'm glad you like the website. Hopefully it'll continue to grow and get better.
That's a very curious jacket on ebay there. I've never seen anything even remotely similar related to the colonies before, so no, I don't think it is colonial. But you never know, I've been proven wrong before!
Cheers
Chris

lettow4beck · Post by **lettow4beck** » 10 Sep 2006 05:28

Gary,

Interesting item for sale. While the blue piping on the jacket would make on think it is from DSWA, I've never seen this kind of feldgrau used there before. Also the shoulder straps and Litzen look wrong for DSWA. The buttons are Imperial however. I'm thinking it may be from the Ost-Asiatische Besatzungs Brigade that served in China. Possibly medical personnel.

Chris Dale · Post by **Chris Dale** » 11 Sep 2006 16:15

Mmm... East Asian Occupation Brigade? I don't think so myself. Again that shade of feild grey doesn't look right, not does the cut of the tunic and the East Asian Occupation Brigade did not wear Litzen.
If I had to make a guess I'd say it was a post 1918 police jacket (not colonial) with imperial buttons added later....
Cheers
Chris

Chris Dale · Post by **Chris Dale** » 12 Sep 2006 03:37

Here's the tunic from ebay to see. Does anybody else have opinions on this one?
Cheers
Chris

cj · Post by cj » 12 Sep 2006 06:15

that shade of feild grey doesn't look right

I recall reading somewhere, a book on the Boxer rebellion no doubt, that the East Asia Brigade's field grey uniforms varied widely in their shades considering they were produced quickly, could that be the case for coloring of this jacket, where ever it comes from? I'll go back and try and find that book later maybe it will say more

Chris Dale · Post by **Chris Dale** » 12 Sep 2006 19:11

Hi CJ,
That's very interesting about the different shades of field grey for the OA Brigade. They were of course one of the first German units to wear field grey at all, so it would stand to reason that variations occurred in the initial batches.
Back to this tunic though, the OA Brigade wore tunics with concealed buttons, red piping (for all arms of service- shoulder straps were in different colours for different arms of service) and no Litzen. This tunic does not conform to any of those rules.
Cheers
Chris

cj · Post by cj » 14 Sep 2006 06:01

It looks way to fresh to be that old, it has to be newer than WW1

Sean RR · Post by **Sean RR** » 21 Sep 2006 04:34

It's a dutch officer's uniform from the 1930s with collar litzen added.
Can't quite remember what the blue piping represents but it is likely the Engineer Corps.
Hope this helps

Chris Dale · Post by **Chris Dale** » 22 Sep 2006 00:48

Hi Sean,

Welcome to the forum, your first post has been a most informative one. I think you're probably right. It does appear very similar to a Dutch army tunic. Blue was the piping colour of the infantry in the Dutch army of the 1930's.

There's a discussion going on here http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=108099 about captured Dutch (and other nationalities) uniforms being used by the Germans in WW2. Although the buttons with their imperial crowns, have clearly been added later could it be that this uniform with Litzen was used by the German army or Police force during WW2?

Cheers
Chris

soldat_m56 · Post by **soldat_m56** » 08 Nov 2006 02:47

Check out German eBay (ebay.de). I found a couple (alleged) DOA Tropenhelme for sale the other day on there. If they weren't authentic, they were decent repros. Unfortunately one doesn't ship to the US. The other is white, but looks suspiciously British.

http://cgi.ebay.de/Helm-Ostafrikakorps- ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.de/PREUSSISCHEN-TROPENH ... dZViewItem

lettow4beck · Post by **lettow4beck** » 08 Nov 2006 03:27

The one helmet could be from a German colony in Africa, then again it could be from a later period. This style helmet was also worn during WWII, and was common among civilians as well. The other is a disgraceful attempt to paun off a modern remake for the real thing. As you pointed out, it is not even a German style of tropical hemlet, is in too good a condition, and the imperial eagle on it is not the type worn in the colonies. The person trying to sell that should be banned from Ebay.