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In 1957, Athenaum-Verlag Bonn published Das deutsches Heer ('The German Army'). The cover depicts a soldier of the newly established Bundesgrenzschutz (German: 'Federal Border Guard'), dressed in Bundesgrenzschutz-Splittermuster. [Image: Brad Turner collection.]

BGS-Splittermuster
Federal Republic of Germany

Most countries in Europe maintain — or have maintained — 'border guards' services, separate from their police forces and armies. The Bundesrepublik Deutschland ('German Federal Republic') is no exception: its Bundesgrenzschutz ('Federal Border Guard', BGS) was formed in 1951 — some years before the Bundeswehr ('Federal Defence') — and operates under the direction of the Bundesministerium des Innern ('Federal Ministry of the Interior'). Its organisation includes the élite Grenzschutzgruppe-9 ('Border Protection Group 9', GSG-9) counter-terrorism unit, which is considered to be among the best in the world.

At the time of its formation, the BGS adopted a camouflage pattern which was clearly derived from pre-war German Heeressplittermuster 31 ('army splinter pattern '31'). In fact, the similarity between the two camouflage patterns is so strong that it has even been suggested surplus printing rollers were used to produce Bundesgrenzschutz-Splittermuster ('BGS splinter pattern'). However, two characteristics distinguish BGS-Splittermuster from Heeressplittermuster 31: the former has a much lighter, pale beige background colour, and it reverses to solid white, whereas Heeressplittermuster 31 cloth is camouflaged on both sides.

BGS-Splittermuster was used in the manufacture of rectangular Zeltbahnen (shelter halves), as well as a two-piece reversible camouflage suit. These camouflage suits are quite rare, however, because BGS-Splittermuster appears to have been a short-lived design. In his collection, Steve Grammont has an example of Bundesgrenzschutz-Sumpfmuster ('Bundesgrenzschutz marsh pattern') that dates from 1952. From this, it seems that items featuring Bundesgrenzschutz-Splittermuster were produced for only one year and then dropped.

kamouflage.net is grateful to Steve Grammont, for his invaluable contributions to this article.

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