what does "DDR" mean on a German uniform?

[busboy]

A friend of mine's grandfather recently gave him an old WW2 coat that he "liberated" in Germany.

It is a wool overcoat, and a dim green in color. On the left sleeve, there is a small green armband a few inches above the wrist. The Armband has "border troop" in german, followed by "dur DDR."

As the most knowlaged WW2 junkie in my area, my buddie asked me about it and all I could figure was it might be some kind of volkstrum or customs guard. Anyone here know what it means?

------------------

busboy

CO, 99th Dragons

A Warbirds Squadron

'We will heat you up'

"It is well that war is so terrible, else we would grow too fond of it."

-Robert E. Lee

[Guest Germanboy]

It means it is not WW II but post-war communist Germany Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) Grenztruppen means Border Guard. They were the ones shooting people who wanted to flee from the communist state.

Apparently their uniform and helmet was based on late-war designs.

They also goose-stepped (aka 'The funny walk')

------------------

Andreas

<a href="http://www.geocities.com/greg_mudry/sturm.html">Der Kessel</a >

Home of „Die Sturmgruppe“; Scenario Design Group for Combat Mission.

[This message has been edited by Germanboy (edited 11-21-2000).]

[Stoffel]

This sounds like an after the war East German Borderguard coat.

This could explain the DDR,Deutsche Democratische Republik.

[Chupacabra]

Sure it's a WW2 era coat? Sounds like an East German article - Deutsche Demokratische Republik.

------------------

Grand Poobah of the fresh fire of Heh.

[PawBroon]

You hopeless Grogs.

Any query on Nvidia site would yield this result:

DDR stands for Double Data Rate.

Excuse them...

------------------

And NO Bauhaus I didn't say SELF EXPLORATORY.