Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

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[Soviet_Kazimir]

Hello I simply wanted to ask a question that I have recently been thinking. Why are some items like uniforms so hard to find from the DRA. Were they not produced in the USSR? I also rarely see very good pictures of DRA soldiers scale of issue. I have seen glaces in videos and in some pictures but nothing where I could really clearly get an idea of what their soldiers on average wore. Anyway the only uniform items I have seen so far were a DRA kepi and a hat badge for a officers cap.  The search continues I guess....

[desantnik]

You have to remember what Afghanistan turned into after 1989. Not exactly a booming militaria market, no foreign tourism and pretty much everyone wanted to not be found to have supported the Communist government....

Its easy to imagine that everything must be as freely available as DDR or Soviet gear, but not when a war ends like that one did... (if you actually believe it ever did end!!)

I know of only one or two people with collections of DRA stuff, and thats mainly medals (i have a few too!) - only ever seen a couple of uniform items in private collections...

[People's Army]

Da!, Comrades in a Country so poor (as they rejected the advances of Progressive Socialism), anything of use is used.... Clothing, Boots, gear... all used up and gone the way of Flesh... except the odd item that is missed (as they also lost the advantages of a Centrally Controlled Command Society). 

 

[tain669]

the quality of uniforms from the era are pretty much rags among the standard soldier on the Afghan army. Read the Osprey book about the Russian Afghan war and you can see in the color plates the really sub standard fit of the uniform .I hope this helps

[Soviet_Kazimir]

Desantnik are there any pictures of these items in private collections?

[desantnik]

I seem to remember it showed up on WAF... but can't find it at the moment.

Anyway some threads you might like to read on the subject:

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133886

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89643

[Frontovik]

I have asked around about DRA stuff but with no sucess. I have only seen medals, an officers cap badge (purchased) and an officers parade belt. I haven't seen any DRA flags or uniforms either (probably all got burnt)
I have seen a few helmets which I think might be from the DRA but none for sale.
 2 days ago was "Victory Day" when on 28th April 1992 the Mujahideen captured Kabul and overthrew the Soviet backed government.
Don't really understand how they can call it victory day when the civil war just took another turn, with the Mujas fighting each other.

[People's Army]

I have asked around about DRA stuff but with no sucess. I have only seen medals, an officers cap badge (purchased) and an officers parade belt. I haven't seen any DRA flags or uniforms either (probably all got burnt)
I have seen a few helmets which I think might be from the DRA but none for sale.
 2 days ago was "Victory Day" when on 28th April 1992 the Mujahideen captured Kabul and overthrew the Soviet backed government.
Don't really understand how they can call it victory day when the civil war just took another turn, with the Mujas fighting each other.

Comrade,
 If you are unclear on any points, ask your Political Officer about it, he will explain the party line and your Internationalist Duties to allow their transition into a People's Democracy    to occur.


 

We are looking forward to seeing your Trophies.. 
 


 

[Soviet_Kazimir]

I wonder if their were any treasures of the people's government left in the old Soviet bases... Or they might have just been ransacked. Afghanistan is a tough country Desantnik is probably 100% correct that if it wasn't destroyed it was probably used! The only really nice thing I have seen from the DRA recently are Soviet produced posters showing the progressive lives of the Afghan people under Socialism. If I find some pictures I will be sure to post 

Found some notice that these must be older as the Afghan flag still has the Koran in it.  I think they might have been hung up in the USSR still interesting none the less:

[desantnik]

Don't imagine there are huge abandoned Soviet bases full of sh*t... the bases were handed back to the DRA in 1989 and looted usually before the last BTR had gone over the horizon. The only things left would probably be a selection of AP mines planted during the civil war... not a good idea to go to such places!

I have a couple of interesting things you might have seen...

DRA flag made in the DDR...



Soviet poster about working together...

[Frontovik]

DRA Flag. Made of Dederon.  It just doesn't look right on anything other than 100% DDR products. Mind you it's probably the only live example of that flag we will ever see.

[desantnik]

The state emblem on it is made of silk though

[Soviet_Kazimir]

Great poster!!  I love those friendship posters nothing gets more socialist then those! 

[desantnik]

You can see those rubbish DRA uniforms in that too - I'll bet those went back in the warehouse as soon as the photographer was done

[NVAdan]

Hi ,
Ive recently returned from a 6 month tour of duty in Afganistan ,my job was to train and fight with the new Afgan national army (ANA), I noticed some of their  equpiment was ex russian army/ DRA ,when the temp dropped in the winter a lorry load of russian 49 dated great coats turned up as warm kit for them, also 12.7 and PKM ammo was all 70s -80s dated ,the new afgan police uniform looks like a modern day DRA  outfit . as for loads of russian kit in old soviet bases still there I didnt see that much there is a bit for sale in the markets but very well used ,I did manage to liberate a few bits on compound searches,Desentnik is right the afgans are so poor they will pillgage anything and try to use or sell it ,they even pic up the brass for you after a contact I will try to post some pics of ops and kit if any ones intersted,
cheers Dan

[desantnik]

From an excellent FMSO document which is well worth a read:


Jalalabad was the first Soviet garrison handed over to the DRA. The Soviet 66th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade had been stationed there and took maximum effort to ensure that the garrison and its equipment was transferred correctly. The 66th left a three-month reserve of ammunition, fuel and food at the Jalalabad garrison. The garrison had barracks buildings, mess halls, steam baths and a hospital. The soldiers fixed everything that needed repair including the weapons and equipment that were going to be transferred to the DRA. Afghan inspectors from the Ministry of Defense test-fired all the weapons and drove the equipment before they accepted it. The soldiers cleaned the barracks and made up all the bunks with clean blankets and linen. The soldiers had to sleep outside the night before the turnover to keep the barracks spotless. On the morning of 14 May, 1988, the Afghan 1st Corps Commander signed for the garrison and the entire 66th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade left Jalalabad by convoy heading toward Kabul and eventually home. The Afghans took over the garrison and striped it bare by that afternoon. Soviet televisions, radios, air conditioners, furniture and bunks were now for sale in the city shops. They even stripped the doors, windows and window frames from the buildings. Several days after this, the DRA 1st Corps Commander requested urgent resupply from Najibullah. He stated that the threemonth reserve of ammunition, fuel and food had not been left. The 1st Corps Commander had actually personally signed for it. The 40th Army learned from this sad experience. In the future, they insisted that an MOD official sign for property and material and they videotaped the entire transfer procedure of inspection and acceptance.

http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/documents/Withdrawal.pdf

[Frontovik]

  Well I can't say I'm surprised, I've spent enough time with Afghans to know what they can be like  .
They say the 3 most important parts of the Pashtun code are "Hospitality, Revenge, Sanctuary".
But as the above example shows when it comes to money and dealing with people who are not your friends then it changes to "Steal, Make excessive profits, Lie".

When I was on OPTAG we had an Afghan give us a brief lecture on culture, he said that is was only recently that Afghans started to become corrupt, the above incident happened 20 years ago.

[desantnik]

Thought you would like that Comrade

[Slavyanskye Molotka]

I have some artist's drawings of DRA soldiers, to bad their in cali. From what I remember the uniforms where a greyish color and poorly made. If they where issues boots they where of warsaw pact manufacture eg. I read that se lucky ones whore czech boots that where better than the soviet boots! That or their boots where of local civilian manufacture. I don't remember their web gear type if any. When I go home on leave I'll try to scan em or something.

[desantnik]

I've got some more photos from a book I picked up the other week, will try and scan them in later.

[Mr.Spank]

DRA peeked my interest recently. Looks like Desantnik got a little distracted. I'd really like to see those pictures.

[desantnik]

I think I can remember what I was talking about... will attempt to do something with that later

[Soviet_Kazimir]

I spotted this picture in a Russian language photographers book on the war. Interesting to note the guy on the top left ( an officer I assume from the hat badge) with KLMK.

[Soviet_Kazimir]

Finally had the time and energy to revive this with some pictures for those interested:


















Anyone know the camouflage pattern the DRA para's are using?

[desantnik]

No, they aren't paras, they are commandos.

I have some real piccies of some of them that those drawings are based on. Its a groovy cammo but I've never seen it in real life anywhere. Probably even rarer than the nasty grey/brown uniforms.