Quick note about Female and Paratrooper Berets.

The construction of the berets differ considerably. The Paratroopers beret is constructed with three layers of material, the outer gray or orange layer, a middle layer that helps to maintain the berets shape and the lining. The black faux leather band is wide, ridged and the inner edge is folded under the stitching (a "double-fold hem" is what I'm told the sowing term is). Two ventilation eyelet are on each side. There is a plastic diamond sweat shield with the size and date.

Female Berets are, well... more feminine. There are only two layers of material, the outer gray layer and the lining. As a result the beret is thinner and more floppy. The black faux leather band is less thick than the pera berets and is sown as a single-fold hem, leaving the raw edge of the faux leather exposed on the inside of the beret.  No eyelets are present. There is no plastic sweat shield, the size and date are stamped on in white ink.

Just something to keep in mind if you looking for a pera beret, you don't want to end up with a "badged up" female one.

 

Date Code

K 1968
Z 1969
M 1970
X 1971
B 1972
L 1973 (1987)
O 1974
S 1975
R 1976
A 1977
U 1978
F 1979
E 1980
G 1981
I 1982
C 1983
H 1984
T 1985
P 1986
L 1987 (1973)
Y 1988
N 1989
D 1990

Size Chart

 cm -------Uk------- US

54 -- 6 5/8 -- 6 3/4

55 -- 6 3/4 -- 6 7/8

56 -- 6 7/8 --    7

57 --     7    -- 7 1/8

58 -- 7 1/8 -- 7 1/4

59 -- 7 1/4 -- 7 3/8

60 -- 7 3/8 -- 7 1/2

Nationalen Volksarmee.
Ground forces-Landstreitkrafte.
General, gabardine fabric, one piece cockade and yellow cap cord , red piping, red band. Size 61 and dated "T" (1985). VEB 1856.
Officer, gabardine fabric, single piece cockade and silver cap cord , white piping. Size 57 and dated "G" (1981).
Kommandantendienst  NCO Visor, gabardine fabric, single piece cockade and black plastic cap cord , white center band. Size 56 and dated "Y" (1988).
Paratrooper Officer Beret. Wool , embroidered cockade. Size 56, dated "1/G" (First quarter/1981).
A: Female Beret. Wool, two piece embroidered cockade. Size 55 and dated "P" (1986).
B: Female Beret. Wool, single piece cockade with nut and bolt attachment. Size 56, dated "C" (1983).
Female winter hat, gabardine fabric, single piece cockade. Size 50 and dated "L" (1987?).
Female winter hat with visor, gabardine fabric (?) seems "woolly".  Single piece cockade. Size 51, dated "T" (1985).
NVA marked Skimuetze cap, (A MdI marked Skimuetze cap is shown on the "Kampfgruppen" page. Same type of hat but this one is marked NVA and the other is MdI). Gabardine fabric, circular silver cockade. Size 56 and dated "I/C" (1st quarter 1983).
NVA Rain Pattern baseball-style cap. Textile circular cockade. Size 2-medium, dated "N" (1989).
NVA baseball style cap. The black outer covering on this hat is easily scraped off from the brown rubbery material underneath. Probably the Crappiest Cap ever made. If you should decide to buy one be sure to take a picture, the photo will out live the cap. Marked "NVA III 1856 D"
Female cap/kappe. Single piece cockade with nut and bolt attachment. Size  54, no date, no markings.
Female cap, gabardine fabric, two piece cockade. Silver piping. Size 53 and dated "L" (1973). (Note: the letter "L" was used for both 1973 and 1987.)
A: Non-career soldier side cap. Rank: Non-career EM's/NCO's. Wool fabric, textile circular cockade, no piping. Size  55 , and dated "E" (1980).
C: Later issue Career soldier side cap. Gabardine fabric, textile circular cockade, no piping. Size  56 , and dated "P" (1986).
Cooks hat- Kochmutzen. Unused, "made in East Germany" export tag sown on inside. Size 56.
Side cap for kitchen use. Unused, "made in East Germany" export tag sown on inside. Size 55.