UNIFORMS IN THE CZECH ARMY AND SECURITY SERVICES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R016000220008-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 4, 2006
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: February 13, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

FEB 1952 -?"1"
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CLASSIFICATION
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.
-SECRET
SECURITY I NFORMAT ION
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
SUBJECT Uniforms in the Czech Army and Security Servitem
DATE OF
25X1 INFO.
25X1 PLACE
ACQUIREI
REPORT NO.
CD NO.
25X1
DATE DISTR.
NO, OF PAGES
13 February 1953
NO. OF ENCL$. / pages
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITED BY LAW. THE REPRODUCTION OF, THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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Army Unifortm
1. the following items of clothing and equipment upon
Czech Army in April 19498
(a)
Individual clothing
Cotton khaki dress uniform
1 Cotton khaki service uniform
3 Cotton khaki shirts
2 Cotton khaki :bias
2 pr Green cotton socks
1 pr Brown leather service shoes
1 pr Brawn leather dress shoes (low quarter)
1 Mol garrison cap
1 Leather belt
'2 pr Long winter cotton drawers
2 pr Short summer cotton drawers
1 Emblem for garrison cap
induction into the
never issued an undershirt either in the ArMy. PS,
no one in the Czech.:military sertice wore undershirts.
(b) Organizational Equipment
2 bed sheets (exchanged every 10 to 14 days)
1 pillow case (exchanged every 10 to 14 days)
2 woolen blankets
mattress
CLASSIF ATIONPill?w
AIR
FBI
SECRET
I SIR I BUT I ON
or SNB, and
gas mask
intrenching -shovel
LZae EnCloeure
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2 leather ammunition pouches ee Enclosure 2.)7
1 Czech bayonet, about 30 cm long
1 rucksack (field pack)
1 mess kit (two plates, cup, and knife, fork and spoon
unit)
1 7.92 mm, 1938 model, Zbrojovka rifle
1 aluminum water canteen with felt cover 2'S'ie Enclosure 27
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2. Upon transfer from the to the SNB on 16 Oct 49,
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25X1retain only the clothes wearing (dress uniform shoes, s irt,
tie, underwear, socks an e ) and turned in all other items. I
25X1 Ithe length of time between one issue and another,
familiar with the salvage system.
SNB Uniforms
3. The uniform was of khaki cloth, a mixture of wool and cotton. A cotton
khaki shirt and a khaki tie were worn with the uniform. The service
cap worn by members of the SNB was khaki with a red hat band to which
a Czech lion emblem was affixed. Until 1 Jan 51, the shoulderboarlyki
were red and the five-pointed stars on them were quite large. Since them
the color of the shoulderboards has been blue with a narrow white
border and small silver five-pointed stars.
but exchanged the army shoulderboards for those of the SNB. The
following were itemo issued in October 1949 upon I Itransfe15bi
the SNB.
(a)
(b)
Individual clothing
1 Whipcord, custom tailored dress uniform
1 Blue-gray rubberized raincoat
Cotton khaki shirts
2 Cotton khaki ties
Brown-leather dress shoes
1 or
2 pr
1 pr
pr
(low quarter)
Knee-length rubber boots (issued only to personnel
on border patrol)
Knee-length felt boots (issued only to personnel on
border patrol)
1 Garrison cap
1 Service cap
2 to Green cotton socks
4 pr
1 pr Leather gloves
2 pr Long winter cotton drawers
2 pr Short summer cotton drawers
Organizational equipment
2 bedsheets (exchanged every 10-14 days)
1 pillow case (exchanged every 10-14 days)
2 woolen blankets
1 mattress
1 pillow
1 Sam Browne leather belt
1 leather pistol holster
1 leather ammunition pouch
1 first aid pack - containing bandages, adhesive tape,
iodine
1 flashlight
1 Rucksack (field pack)
1 pr handcuffs,
1 pistol (German 9 mm Parabola)
1 SMG (Model 25)
2 T/54 grenades
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25
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PS Uniforms
5. All officers' uniforms were custom-tailored.
6.
all M1
issued items were expected to last at least three years, with the
exception of underwear, which was issued every six months. I
issue of the following clothing and equipment:
(a) Individual clothing
1 Woolen parade and dress overcoat
1 Woolen service overcoat
1 Whipcord dress uniform rlouse and trousers)
1 Cotton service uniform blouse and trousers)
1 Cotton field uniform (blouse and trousers)
1 pr whipoorrd dress breeches
1 pr Cotton service and field breeches
1 Yellow or green oilskin raincoat
1 pr Brown leather service and field shoes
1 pr Brown leather dress shoes (low quarter)
1 pr Rubber field boots (hip-length)
1 pr Felt field boots (valenki)
1 Service cap
1 Garrison cap
2 Green cotton shirts
2 Green cotton ties
1 pr Long winter cotton drawers
1 pr Short summer cotton drawers
8 pr Green cotton socks
1 Green woolen scarf
6 sets Wolfhound-head,:insignia Lee Enclosure 27
5 sets Shoulderboards for all issued overcoats and uniforms
(b) Organizational equipment
2 bedsheets (exchanged every 10-14 days)
1 pillow case (exchanged every 10-14 days)
4 woolen blankets
1 mattress
1 pillow
1 Sam Browne belt (Not issued to PS career NC0s)
1 brown leather pistol holster
1 pistol 7.65 mm, model 1950, Cezka Zbrojovka
1 SMG model 23 with two leather ammunition pouches
4-6 tent pegs
1 canteen with felt cover (same as army issue)
1 first aid pack with packet (same as SNB issue) 25X1
1 set of mess gear (same as army issue)
25X1 7. As noted
uniforms Lpee nclosure
Whipcord parade and dress uniform
Cotton service uniform
Cotton field uniform
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there were three different
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The dress uniform had shiny buttons and stars, and the service uniform
had dull buttons and stars. The field uniform had sewed-in pookettX1
without pleats.
pvts and drafted (short term) NCOs in the PS received the same issue
as their equivalents in the Army. Career NCOs in the PS and in the
Army were given the same issued as officers, except for shoulder-
boards. Blouses issued to officers and career NCOs had outside
pockets with pleats on the breast; the flap was buttoned by a gold
button. ffee Enclosure 97 Blouses issued to drafted pvts and NCOS
had no pleats on the outside breast pockets. The flap buttoned with
dull brown-.bronze colored metal buttons. In the PS, officers and
oareer NCO wore insignia of gold colored wolfhound heads. ffee
Enclosure 7,whereas drafted pvts and NOON had the same insIgnia but
of a dull rown-bronte colored metal.
9. The service cap was worn with the dress and servioe uniform by officers
and career NCOs. also see paragraph 12$ this report.q: The garrison
cap ffee Enclosure 27 was worn with the field uniform y officers and
oareer NCOs and had a gold colored emblem ffee Enclosure 0, item r.
Pvts and drafted NCOs wore only the garrison cap which was the same
color as that worn by officers and career NCOs although it had an
emblem of dull brown-bronze colored metal.
STB Uniforms
10. STB personnel usually wore civilian clothing. STB personnel working
in offices, however or those dealing directly with the public wore
uniforms. The only difference between the SNB and STB uniforms was the
color of the shoulderboards ffee paragraph 15 belog
JASAN BRAD aqd,JERAD Uniforms
1
11. Personnel of the JASAN, HRAD and JERAn wore uniforms which were
identical to uniforms worn by STB personnel. It was impossible
25x1 to distinguish JASAN, BRAD, or JERAB personnel
Many members of the organizations mentioned
above wore civilian clothes.
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rrom Wrb personnel.
ams21_1012agma_
12. The star insignia Lgee Enclosure A-.7 which laced the former
Czech cocarde, was worn on the garr son op see. Enclosure A .
was first introduced into the CSR in May 195 during a pare e
Prague and has been worn since then by officers and EM of the PS
And by Army officers. The stat was dark red in the center, and
lighter red near the points. The Czech lion was superimposed on-the
star. While the general design of 'the star was the same for both 25x1
officers, and BM, the Czech lion and the border of the star, on
officers' and career NCO's caps, were silver metal, whereas they
were a dull gray on the caps of drafted EM'S. I
25x1 I all members of the PS would be wearing it by the
end of 1952. 27nolosure A-1 shows the new garrison cap which was re-
placing the clap? The new garrison cap was only for members of the
PS; the design or officers and EM was exactly the same. However,
the buttons on the officers' cap and career NCO's cap were silver
colored metal and those for drafted EM, were of a dull gray colored
metal. The buttons, with crossed sabers, were the same as those
worn on shoulderboards and uniforms. ffee Enclosure C, items E and 19
25X1 the new star emblem was to be worn by PS and army
personnel with the field-uniform as well as the dress-uniform.
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13, In 1952 PS officers were to receive a completely new dress and parade
uniform, different from that of the Czech Army, but somewhat similar
to that worn by members of the Soviet MVD. The uniform was to con-
sist of a khaki coat for winter and a white coat for summer, the latter
to be worn with blue trousers or breeches that had a three mm wide red
stripe running along the outside seam. PS generals were to wear wIftir
stripes on their trousers. However, officers were to be permitted
to wear their old uniforms for field and service wear until they were
worn out. EM
25X1 were to retain the old
were to receive the new caps.
army uniforms until worn out, but
Ar f and PS Shoulderboards
14. Although career NCOs in the Czech Army and PS wore officer uniforms',
they still wore EM shoulderboards. Career NCO shoulderboard stripes
were different from those of drafted NCOs. In both the Army and the
? PS, career NCOs in the combat arms (artillery, armor, infantry and air
force) had gold stripes on their shoulderboards. I Ithz6x1
color of the stripes worn by career NCOs in the Corps of Engineers
? and the Signal Corps. I the Sigraa1
Corps and Corps of Engineers were also considered comnat branches.
Career NCOs in the service branches (Medical Corps, Transportation
Corps, etc) had white stripes on their shoulderboards. Drafted NCOs
had stripes on their shoulderboards corresponding to the color of
their branch of service.
15. All officers serving in the combat arms in the Army, PS, STB and SNB?
including staff and. supply officers, wore gold shoulderboards with silvel
stars on both the-dress and service uniforms. Officers serving in
the service branches of the Army, PS, STB and 2NB0 wore silver
shoulderboards with gold stars on both the dress and service uniforms.
,The shoulderboards on the field uniforms worn by all officers in the
combat and service branches of the Army and PS were khaki color with
stripes and borders corresponding to the color of their branch of
serviee and stars of a dull gray petal. STB and SNB personnel did not
wear field uniforms. Officers in the Czech Army wore their branch
insignia on their shoulderboards. NCOs and pvts did not wear branch
of service insignia on their shoulderboards, but their branch of
service could partially be determined by the color -of the stripes
on their shoulderboards. (A black base with a red border was worn
by several branches, eg, Artillery, Armored and AAA). EM in the Legal
Department- were an exception to this general rule. They wore their
branch of service insignia on the shoulderboard between the button
.and stripes denoting rank.
SNB and STB Shoulderboards
16, Since 1 Jan 510 SNB personnel have worn blue shoulderboards with a
narrow white border and-small five?pointed silver stars. A Mladsi
Strazmister (Junior Patrolman) wore one star, a Strazmister (Patrol-
man) two stars, a Statni Strazmister (Staff Patrolman) three stars
and a Vrchni Strazmister (Chief Patrolman) four stars. ee
Enclosure E7
IT. SNB officers, in the combat arms wore shoulderboards with a gold base,
silver stars and a blue border, in addition to one blue longitudinal
stripe for company grade ranks and two blue longitudinal stripes
for field grade ranks. The stars were five-pointed, and those worn
by field grade officers were larger than those worn by company grade
officers. Officers in the 'SW, Medical Corps, and service branches
wore shoulderboards with a silver base, gold stars, a blue border,
and blue stripes. The highest SNB rank was that of Brigadier General,
which had one very large silver star (larger than the stars on ths
shoulderboar of field grade officers) on a gold shoulderboard with a
blue border.
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18. Neither SNB or STB personnel wore collar tabs as did the PS and army
personnel. STB ranks were the same as the SNB .(Mladsi StraZmister
to Brigadier :;the highest STB rank). However* STB EM wore red-shoulder-
boards and SB officers wore shoulderboards with, red borders and
stripes.
JERAB, JASANx HRAD
19. Shoulderboards for these units were the same as those worn by 8Th
personnel.
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General
20. All EM had to turn in their uniforms when they were demobilized. There
was no difference between summer and winter uniforms. In cold weather,
troops wore overcoats over their uniforms.
21. Czech civilians did not wear articles that were a part of a military
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uniform. However, 1??lome Czech civilians wearing US Eisenhower
jackets and British 193 -45 style uniform Jackets. Since May 1952
officers and career NCOs have worn white shirts with brown ties,
while drafted EM continued to wear khaki shirts with khaki ties.
Decorations ffee,Inclosure .27
22. Decorations were worn only on the blouses of the dress and service
uniforms, and not on the field uniforms or overcoats. The actual
medals were worn only in parades. No insignia, patches, or stripes were
worn on the sleeves, the following decorations205X1
badges and insignia:
(a) Partisans, insi ia. This is a dull five-pointed silver star
s ow ng a T?sIn-with the inscription "Partisanski odznak"
(partisan emblem). This emblem was worn by men who participated
in resistance movements or underground work against the Germans
from 1939 to 1945. 2Mtl
was worn on the rignt side or the blouse, above the pocket.
(b) Military Academy emblem. This silver-gray emblem was worn b725x1
fieldgrade officers who attended a military academy (either
Czech or Soviet). It was worn on the right side, on the lower
part of the pocket.
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(C)
sEs?LITsovOdznalatnosti Ts Physical Ability emblem). The
ronze co r ore emblem was given to outstanding athletes and
sportsmen in honor of Tyra, the founder of the Sokol Athletic
Association. It was worn by officers and EM 'on the lower part
of the left pocket.
(d) Fuoikuv Odznak_(Fuik emblaAl. This emblem has a white center
inE-E-Tae and .a bronze caD5red border. It was given to
officers and EN who attended political schools, passed a difficult
political test, and were outstanding political workers. The
emblem was worn on the lower part of the left pocket or under the
left pocket.
Medal of 25 February 1948. This red medal with a white star
was worn only by officers and career NCOs who participated in the
coup dietat of 25 Feb 8.
Ribbons. I the various types of ribbons,
worn by' ofricers and EM. over the left upper pocket.
Insignia of M.SBorder Guarj was the head of a wolf hound.
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(h) Marksmanship Bad e. This was worn over the left Docket only by
. There were two classes of marksmanship, Inot ddii4tibe
which badge was for the first class and which was.for the second.
Odznak Vzorneho Vojaka (Emblem of a Model Soldier). This was worn
above the right pocket only by EC.? An EM could receive two or
more of these emblems, one for good driving, one for model
discipline, one for marksmanship, etc.
(i)
-end-
Enclosure A : New cap to be worn by PS only,
Al: New star to be worn by Army officers and PS-
B : SNB Uniform,
C : PS Uniforms and Decorations.
D : Shovel, Canteen, and Ammunition pouches.
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SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION
Encl,osure 4
1122r PS Can
reen red pipi
but to
with
crossed
swords
button with
crossed sword
black plastic
black eather
d. Cairn on other sketch)
SECRET ,ECTItITY INFORMATION
MOINNIOCOMIIMMIMIMONIRIM01.140110141.101MMININIVIMMOM
illmairripexilmaltar,??????,..ms
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Agglautt/I,
figajtatja,412ESzioll, Army aria pSCa
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ailver edge.
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SEGURITDIFORMATION-,
Enclosure B
SIM Uniforms as Issued after 1 January...1951_
Legend
1 Blouse of Staff Patrolman
(Statni Strazmister)
2, Overcoat of Chief Patrolman
(Vrchin Strazraister)
3a Shoulderboard of Junior-
Patrolman (Mladiai Strazmister)
4. Button design
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En,closure C
PS Uniform & Decorations
Leaend
1. Wolfhound insignia
2. Partisans insignia
3. Tyre Physical Ability emblem
4. incik Political emblem
5. Medal of 25 February 1948
6. Ribbons
7. Military Academy emblem
8. Two classes of marksmanship badges
9. EMblem of a model soldier
A. PS Captain's Dress uniform
B. PS officer trousers (green stripe along seam)
C. 1S officer overcoat; front view
D. TS officer overcoat; rear view
E. Cap with emblem (cap was of khaki cloth, without piping)
F.EMblem
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Enclosure
IDS Unifo Da ora
SEMI= SECURITY DWORMATIQN
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Canteen
Capacity: 1 liter
sicanT siccuR.rry INFORMATION
En1os D
Czech AmyUinuie4t
Ditrene Shovel Closed views of 2 types of rifle B
each holds 2 clips with 3 rounds.
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