Here's another "boat report" from up here in the PNW.........
On Wednesday, at about 4:45 pm, witnesses over at Clallam Bay, reported seeing a 30 - 37 foot fishing boat sink rapidly. No mayday was broadcast ...... A small motorboat and it's owner headed out from the marina dock, picked up the two men in the water and transported them back to the marina. When they arrived, the two men wrapped up in blankets, got in their truck and left.
The USCG reports that they still do not know who the two men are or why the boat sank! A salvage company will be raising the vessel so the USCG can investigate. I'm sure they will find a few "clues" on board when the boat comes up............. pretty fishy if you ask me.
Here's a link to the Peninsula Daily News story:
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20100827/news/308279985/coast-guard-searches-for-two-rescued-men-whose-boat-sank-of-clallam
Just a little update on my continuing research into the Swedish zeltbahns and when they were issued and used by the Swedish Army.
I'll start off with the Swedish "Three Crowns" hallmark...........
From what I have been able to determine from a pile of little clues and pieces from numerous internet sites, the use of three crowns by Sweden began in 1942. Prior to that date, a one crown stamp was used.
In regards to the dates that the Swedish zeltbahns that I have were used....................
The zelts were first issued in 1939 and were taken out of service in 1959. In 1959 the shape was changed from a triangle to a diamond.
From what I can tell, the Swedish Army issued the zeltbahns in camo, but did not issue out any uniforms in camo. In 1990, the army adopted camo uniforms using the same pattern, but substituted shades of green for all of the previous colors used in the old zeltbahns.
And for the last bit of "triva" on these zelts..............
The official Swedish term for the zeltbahn is "knappetalt" (with umlauts over the a's), or translated: "button tent".
The soldiers gave them the nick name of "ensamme varg", or translated: "lonely wolf".
"In Danish and Norwegian, they are called: "kneppetelt"." **NOTE: I ran across this previous bit of information in my research, but according to the comment below, I have that term wrong and I thank "M55q" for his correction........... he is a Danish speaker and military collector, so I think we can definitely consider him an expert on this topic :)
Now we're all up to speed on Swedish zeltbahns!
Here's yet another report of a boat fire here in the PNW. About 4am this morning a boat that was moored at the Jim Clark Marina on Harbor Island, West Seattle, exploded and burned inside its boat house. The fire spread to a neighboring boat house, but the fire boat Leschi arrived and saved the morning.
One boat and two boat houses lost..........
10:00 am update:
King 5 News in Seattle now reports that 3 boats and 3 boat houses were damaged or lost.
One boat burned to the waterline, one boat sank in 20 feet of water, and one boat was heavily damaged.
............. the perils and pit falls of mooring in a marina and in covered moorage!
On the same day the Panzer Jacket showed up, I received a shipment of two batches of "German Work Hats". I made a bulk purchase of size medium and size large hats, 10 hats in each size. The sizes ended up being euro 57 and 60. The hats are brand new and have never been issued.
I am fairly certain that these hats were produced for the East German Army at the very end of the cold war, just before the army was disbanded and the two Germany's were re-unified. For four months, from July 1990 to October, 1990, the East Germans used a crude copy of the West German target cockade instead of the communist emblem on their hats. The army was hoping that they would have a place in the new, re-unified Germany, but that was not to be the case. On Oct. 3, 1990, all of East Germany's armed forces and state police were officially disbanded and all of their uniforms and equipment declared surplus.
These hats are the identical cut and color of the original WW2 German Afrika Korps, M-43 caps that were used by Field Marshal Rommel's troops in North Africa and the Mediterranean. The target cockade is a quick and crude copy of the West German Army's cockade and matches the ones found on other documented, end of the cold war East German Hats. East Germany used the WW2, M-43 hats at various times throughout their history. The labels only state the size and that they are 100% cotton........ no other markings, which would fit for hats that were quickly produced to issue out to the East German troops so they would "fit in" with the West Germans.
These hats are also very unique in that they are a "exact copy" of the old WW2 style and are also the last hats used in that awkward four month end of the East German Army.
I will probably end up turning one of the hats into an Afrika Korp replica (even the cloth color is correct!). The fate of the other hats is still pending at the moment.................
Here's a shot of "The Desert Fox", Field Marshal Rommel, with some of his command soldiers who can be seen wearing the Afrika Korp M-43 caps:
