Bob's Collection

Intro...

My collecting interests have gone from the pretty specific--the Panzertruppe-- to an even more narrow focus: Panzer reconnaissance or Panzeraufklärer.

Within that area, I am interested primarily in uniforms, headgear and insignia.

I hope you enjoy browsing through the items, please click on thumbnails to get the "full monty" on any particular item.

The War Room	Leutnant Kaestel, Panzeraufklärer
Copper-Brown-Piped Wrap for Armored Reconnaissance	Panzeraufklaerer Gefreiter (Aufklärungs-Regiment 6 and Aufklärungs-Abteilung 8)
Custom leather Wrap to KC Recipient, Oberleutnant Horst Hain	Panzer Blue HBT work outfit
Panzeraufklärer in tropical uniform	Panzeraufklärer Officer's Overseas Cap
Panzer Officer's Overseas Cap	Reed Green 2d-Pattern HBT Panzer Wrap
SS-Panzerschuetze	Ausgehuniform for Panzer-Lehr-Versuchs-Abteiliung
Miscellaneous Recon-Related Artifacts	Windhund Officer M43
Tropical Straps with Copper-Brown Piping and CB-Piped Cap	Enlisted Black M43
Aufklärungs-Abteilung (mot) 7 Shoulder Strap

US Tanker Items

Pre-war US Tanker helmet
Now with some images of it being worn! (Courtesy of Dirk Caltrider)

Leutnant
Rolf Kaestel
Panzeraufklärer
Panzerufklärungs-Abteilung 7,
4. Panzer-Division

Lots and lots of "stuff" associated with this named lot. Until I have a chance to do a decent write-up, please enjoy the images.

Click on the thumbnails to get the full Monty!

Panzeraufklärer Gefreiter
Aufklärungs-Regiment 6 and
Aufklärungs-Abteilung (mot) 8

A 1st-pattern wrap that is unit marked to both of the formations above. This Gefreiter wears a B35-dated wrap, which has had the original pink piping removed. The shoulder straps are sewn down, the tunic shortened and a snap placed at the top foofthe button front to keep the upper portion of the front panelof the Panzerjacke closed. The jacket shows a number of period repairs.

Click on the images to get the full Monty.

Oberleutnant Horst Hain, Knight's Cross Recipient and Acting Commander of Panzeraufklaerungs-Abteilung 23 of the 23. Panzer-Division

This stunning custom-made uniform was only part of the original grouping that surface on the collector's market some years ago. it included all of hain's award documents and awards, as well as some other uniform articles, insignia and photo albums. Alas, the rest is probably beyond my financial reach, but i was able to acquire this unique panzer tunic recently.

Photos and Hain's service record are inbound, and I'll have images of those, including him wearing this very wrap shortly.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on this dream of every Panzeraufklaerer collector (is there more than one!?).

Click on the thumbnails to get the full Monty!


Early, wool-piped rose-pink collar tabs
Hook & eye arrangement comparable to traditional wool wrap

Personnel records are inbound, so I can make sure I have the right awards. The numbered PAB is a copy.	Mimic button hole on the outer lapel
Loops for the German Cross in Gold	Two sets of buttons
Navy eagle machine sewn to black cloth sewn to jacket	British-mandated 23PD insignia worn in captivity



Interior only partially lined	Hain in his custom piece
Conversing with an unidentified colleague	Wearing a stanrd wrap. Apparently, quite the clothes horse!
Another image in the custom wrap	Other soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion. Apparently, the tailor was offering a special.
Examples of the british-mandated shoulder "patch" insignia worn by members of the 23. PD in captivity. The white-piped one was intended for the black uniform,.

Blue HBT Tanker Work Outfit

Relatively unknown and frequently mistaken for a Luftwaffe item is the blue HBT tanker work outfit. In addition to showing images of this rare uniform, I have also included period pictures showing the ensemble in use. It was more widely used than is generally known.

Click on the images to get the full Monty!

	Comparison shots to help pick out the outfit in period pictures
Normandy 1944 21 PD	North Africa - Tiger sPA 501
Normandy - 1944 sPA 503	Kursk - sPA 503
Kursk - 1943 sPA 503	Italy sPA 504 or sPA 508?



BA Image - with shoulder straps!

Panzeraufklärer
Tropical Uniform

This grouping has a set of mint, unissued tropical shorts, a French colonial shirt converted for German tropical use and a M41 field billed cap with golden-yellow soutache.

Since the goldgelb Waffenfarbe is so rarely encountered for a uniform item directly attributable to having been used in Africa, it is also possible that these items were fashioned for formations employed in Italy, where the use of tropical uniforms was widesrpread. The 24. Panzer-Division, which used goldgelb for all of its combat formations, was stationed in Italy for reconstitution for some time in 1943 and numerous photos exist of its soldiers wearing tropical garb.

Click on the thumbnails for the full Monty!

Panzeraufklärer Officer's Overseas Cap

I have paired this up with Oberleutnant Kraenkel's uniform, for obvious reasons, but it was acquired separately. This is a private-purchase cap.

Click on the thumbnails to get the full Monty!

Armored Reconnaissance Wrap with Copper-Brown Piping

The short-lived copper-brown piping has proven to be both confusing and extremely rare for collectors. i was recently offered this wrap by a long-time collector (in exchange for some other goodies, of course!). It is the onlywrap I have ever seen that passed muster for me with regard to the use of coper-brown insignia

The wrap started life with pink-piped insignia. BHoth the tabs and the shoulder straps were reworked, replacing teh pink with copper brown. There is a "shadow" on the right sleeve from a cuff title, with the only logical band being an "Afrika" commermorative campaign title.

I believe this was the home-front jacket worn by a reconnaissance soldier, who had been assigned to Africa, which wass the only theater of war where copper brown was actuaslly used fto some extent and for more than a very brief period.

Hey! It's my collection, so I can imagine any scenario I want to...;-)

That said, I really like the wrap, even though it cost me some other treasured items out of the collection. It's not every day that a copper-brown wrap comes along, though. Anyone have a matching black cap? :-)

Click on the images to get the full Monty.

The War Room

To quote from the President in Dr. Strangelove: "Gentlemen, they'll be no fighting in the War Room!"

As always, the War Room is constantly evolving, so these images are somewhat dated. They give a general idea of the inner workings of the Panzer sanctum, however!

The wall of half-pints.	Somebody's got to do a little cleaning up around here!
The Soviet tanker eyes his counterparts suspiciously.	Man, I hate these alerts! I didn't even have time to put on my pistol belt!
I say, dear chum! When is it to be time for tea?	The Germans get all the best-looking uniforms!
Damn, what do you make of all them new fangled uniforms there, Johnny?	The Cavalry to the rescue. All real, of course! (NOT!)
Japanese tanker with summer and winter coveralls and tanker helmet.	Due to a stranglehold of the Allies in both the East and the West, the war room has been forced to consolidate into smaller headquarters. Here are the new "economy" quarters...

US Tanker Items

These consist of a 1st-pattern US tanker jacket with tech/5 stripes and 3AD patches, a 2nd-pattern US tanker jacket with 3AD patches and late-war/early occupation "Spearhead" flash and, finally, a mint, unissued pre-war US tanker's helmet, one of only about five known to exist. (Much rarer than a Panzer beret and, frankly, probably even uglier!)

2nd-Pattern HBT Panzer Wrap

This well worn example has had insignia restored, making it into a jacket for a Panzeraufklaerer. I believe virtually everything has been replaced on the jacket, given its overall condition, including the pressed-paper buttons. That said, I quite like the jacket as a representative example of a frequently worn piece of field wear for Panzer crews.

	One of any number of field repairs.
Added "skull" tab

Ausgehuniform for an Unteroffizier in the Panzer-Lehr-Versuchs-Abteilung

I know where this one is, too!

Panzer Officer's Overseas Cap

I had paired this up with Leutnant Kaestel's uniform, for obvious reasons, but it was acquired separately. This is a private-purchase cap.

Click on the thumbnails to get the full Monty!

Miscellaneous Recon-Related Artifacts

An assortment of badges, straps, boards and other items related to armored reconnaissance and/or armored forces.

Period postcard	Red Cross MIA Photo

PzAA 16 of 16PD











Was a recon officer before transferring to the division staff



	Windhund variant?

Waffen-SS
Panzeraufklärer...
Uh...Panzermann...Uh...Panzeraufklärer

Horst keeps being transferred back and forth between the Panzer-Regiment and the Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung!

Waffen-SS Panzeraufklärer with all original insignia (except shoulder straps, which were added). No cuff title; never had any. Anamoly: Horizontal back seam, indicative of a problem at the factory (goes across entire back; perhaps an end-of-fabric-bolt issue?)

Click on the images to get the full Monty.

Enlisted Black Panzer M43 Upgraded for Officer Wear (116PD-Windhund)

Featured in the first book, this was picked up at the 2011 SOS. Many thanks to the seller who provided me with a dream piece of Panzer headgear.

Enlisted Tropical Straps with Copper-Brown Piping

These straps are nicely sun bleached and represent an NCO candidate in a motorcycle or reconnaissance element. I had the sibling to this--a pair of Unteroffizier straps--but I had to sell them due to the perennial money shortfall.

Here are the straps coupled with a CB-piped tropical cap, which I got from the Long Island man!

Enlisted Black Panzer M43

A recent acquisition I believe to be good. Comments and observations welcome!

Aufklärungs-Abteilung (mot) 7 Shoulder Strap

First one I have ever had intended for wear on the black Oanzer wrap. Found the first hour of the 2011 MAX Show; one of the biggest finds I have ever had there.

Click on the images to get the full Monty.