Quick note about Female cockades.

For the most part, the vast majority of female headwear used officer style wreaths (embroidered or metal). An exception to this is the white Feldmütze used by Female Verkehrspolizei that has an embroidered Staatswappen.

DDR wreaths and cockades.

To the left is a selection of DDR wreaths and cockades representative of the ones found on the hats and caps in this website, including dates of use. More will be added as they are acquired.

References used on this page: Uniformeffekten der bewaffneten Organe der DDR Band II, and Gowen Militaria.

Third Reich wreaths.

Above is a small selection of Third Reich cap wreaths. I will always find the similarities intriguing.

Cap Wreaths and Cockades.

1. Reproduction Silver embroidered wreath with black, red and gold bulls eye. Date of use 1956 to 1961.

2&2a. Silver embroidered wreath with metal Staatsemblem.Volksmarine used a gold wreath with gold Staatsemblem. Dates of use 1961 to 1965.

3,4&7. Nickel wreath with detachable staatsemblem. Silver for Landstreitkrafte etc, gold for Volksmarine.  Dates of use 1966-(after 1973)?

5&8. Nickel single piece cockade, silver for Landstreitkrafte etc, gold for Volksmarine. Dates of use ?(after   1973)-1990.

6. Nickel single piece cockade that has had its middle removed and replaced with West German style bulls eye. Dates of use July to October 1990.

1-1a. Aluminium cap wreath with bare center with holes for the attachment of Bulls eye/Staatsemblem. Basic wreath design used from 1956-1990. The wreath used from 1956-1961 (1963) was approximately 5mm thick. The 1961-1990 wreath was about 2mm.

2 aluminium cap wreath with bulls eye cockade. Dates of use from 1956 up to 1963.

3 aluminium cap wreath with magnetic staatsemblem. Date of use 1961- ? mid 1970's.

4 aluminium single piece cap wreath and staatsemblem.Dates of use ? mid 1970's -1990.

5 aluminium cap wreath with West German style bull's eye.Dates of use July to October 1990.

6&7 Gesellschaft fur Sport und Technik cap wreath with detatchable GST Symbol. Dates of use ?

Luftstreitkrafte-Air Force cockades.
 
Generals gold metal wreath and wings cockade with attachable staatsemblem first used in 1978. Latter a single piece design was introduced. Used up to 1990.

Generals gold propeller device used from 1978 to 1990.

Officers metal wreath and wings cockade with attachable staatsemblem first used in 1966. Latter a single piece design was introduced. Used up to 1990.

Officers silver propeller device used from 1966 to 1990.

EM/NCO metal small wreath and wings single piece cockade used from 1961 to 1990.

EM/NCO silver propeller device used from 1956 to 1990.

Freiwillige Feuerwehr and Deutsche Post der DDR cockades.
1. Single piece silver colored aluminium wreath with yellow, red, black bulls eye. Used for Freiwillige Feuerwehr and Deutsche Post der DDR. Dates of use 1954- 1961. Small insert photo show two holes thet were drilled into the bulls eye to hold the Staatsemblem after 1962. 

2. Early type single piece silver colored aluminium wreath with Staatsemblem. Used for Freiwillige Feuerwehr and Deutsche Post der DDR.

3. Early type single piece gold colored aluminium wreath with Staatsemblem. Used for Freiwillige Feuerwehr and Deutsche Post der DDR.

4. Last type single piece gold colored aluminium wreath with Staatsemblem. Used for Deutsche Post der DDR.

Bottom photo show the difference in detail between the early and later type.

DDR Deutsche Reichsbahn and 1990 transitional cockades.
Text to be added.
1. Nickel-plated (magnetic) metal cockade in black, red and yellow. Dates of use 1956-1961 (as late as 1963).

2. Nickel-plated (magnetic) metal cockade. Dates of use 1961-1984 or after.

3. Aluminium Staatsemblem. Dates of use 1984?- 1990.

4. Brass (non-magnetic) Staatsemblem. Used for Generals and Volksmarine headwear. Dates of use 1961- 1984 or after.

5. Gold colored alloy. Dates of use 1984?-1990.

6. Gold colored metal West German style bulls eye. Dates of use July to October 1990.

7. Machine embroidered Staatsemblem. Dates of use 1961-1990.

8. Machine embroidered W. German style bulls eye. Used by the DDR Deutsche Reichsbahn, please note the slight difference between it and #9 

9. Machine embroidered W. German style bulls eye. Dates of use July to October 1990.