Forestry of the Third Reich
German Forestry Uniforms
In this section i will post the different uniforms i have in my collection.
All information i have will be posted with the photo.
Overcoat from an Oberforstmeister in private service
A overcoat from an oberforstmeister in private service, 1942 dress regulation.
Fine gray-green wool cloth in a slightly lighter color with a dark green collar and edging made of silver-colored cord. The coat is about 20 cm shorter than the usual service coat - so it has about the old Paletot length.
Very rare to find at this rank. According to the previous owner, the coat belonged to private oberforstmeister Otto Meyer.
Owner: Otto Meyer
Manufacturer: unknown
Dress regulation: 1942
Tunic from an Förster in state service
A beautiful 'text book' example of a 1934 dress regulation A-tunic with Prussian buttons.
It is really a great example of this style, "Pure" 1934 A-Tunics are rare as many were retailored in 1938 and all buttons removed or,
if they remained untouched up to May 45, they were denazified after the war.
Owner: unknown
Manufacturer: Michovius, Cottbus
Dress regulation: 1934
Type: A-Rock
Tunic from an Oberförster in Heeresforst (Heer Forestry)
One of the rarest forestry uniforms there is: Heeresforst (Heer Forestry)!
It's a A-rock from the 1938 dress regulation, rank Oberförster. Made by my favorite manufacturer, Michovius from Cottbus. The bottom of the shoulderboards and rank tabs are in black (color of heer and Luftwaffe forestry) The dying of the tabs have faded some over the years, that's why they look very dark brown due to the lens of a camera. When you have the uniform on hand, the tabs are black.
Owner: unknown
Manufacturer: Michovius, Cottbus
Dress regulation: 1938
Type: A-Rock
Tunic from an Hilfsförster/forstwart in Luftwaffe Forestry
A new year of collecting and i'm off topic a good start! This ultra rare Luftwaffe forestry nco tunic, rank hilfsförster/forstwart. Forestry had a luftwaffe/heer division, they maintained the woods and controlled hunting for example: an airfield. If you look at the tabs, you will see that they are not faded like the Heer uniform above. The fabric behind the eagle looks black, but is actually very dark green (dunkelgrün).
Owner: unknown
Manufacturer: unknown
Dress regulation: 1942
Type: A-Rock
Tunic from an Forstmeister in private service
A superior uniform made from high quality materials from a forstmeister in private service. And yes, he was a big guy! :-)
I bought the set along with his visor and fedora (with shield from the family he worked for), you can see them in the headgear section.
Fedora:
The manufacturer Mayser is a very well known name (they still exist today - but now produce in Slovakia) - standing for excellent, fine quality hats. They mainly produced for civilian market and were quite expensive for the normal man.So the Forstmeister, who bought this hat, spent a lot of money. But it is a very elegant hat of highest quality. From the traces of wear this hat was surely a "walking-out" piece.
I have found two small holes near the sides of the badge, the distance between them look that there was an eagle attached in earlier times. So this guy changed his "master" during his service time. This would also match the tunic, as it is a rare 34 regulation piece. But private foresters were not allowed to wear the state or community forestry uniform until 1938.So, this guy must have served in state/ community service prior to 38 and used his old 34 pattern tunic in his new job. Perhaps he got better payment in private service...
A Privat- Forstmeister was the "chief-forester" of an estate between approx 3500 and 7500 ha, and "commanded" several (3-6 Revierfoerster and/or lower ranking personnal) foresters plus the woodworkers. A highly responsible position. The visor, too, is a great piece with a really shiny visor (they often have lost their shine throughout the years and appear dull) and the rarest of all forestry insignia after 1938!
One of the best makers/retailers in forestry uniforms (who need the mass-production of EREL) at this time. The tunic maker Albert Bopp still signed his work/label with "Hoflieferant" (by (royal) appointment) at this early time, later the "by appointment" was not used anymore.
The wearer must have been a very intelligent/ progressive man: he used the slip on variant for the shoulderboards for this tunic.
I have found use for this variant (against regulation - but which forester cared for regulations !) as early as 34 reg. and even with B-Tunics!
So absolute nothing to stumble about. All correct with the freedom the foresters had and made use of.
Owner: unknown
Manufacturer: Albert Bopp
Dress regulation: 1942
Type: A-Rock
