GAZ-67 and PGH-Effelder NVA soldiers

The GAZ-67 and the GAZ-67B (from January 1944) were general-purpose four-wheel drive Soviet military vehicles built by GAZ starting in 1943. By the end of the war, it was the Soviet equivalent of the World War II jeep. PGH Effelder (DDR) composition NVA soldiers from 50s/60s and a modern wooden model of GAZ-67(China).

T34 tank crew from PGH Effelder

These four composition tank soldiers were supplied by PGH Effelder (DDR) to increase the playing value of the T34 produced by Ankerwerken, MSB in 60s. They were apparently only sold together. The photographed model of T34 is a modern wooden DIY toy from China.

Bunkers and shelters for the NVA soldiers of PGH Effelder

In order to increase the play value of the NVA (DDR Army) composition soldiers of the PGH Effelder, various versions of wooden bunker systems were created by Hubert Hebestreit craft business in Lodersleben/Saxony-Anhalt (DDR). The "Winter" bunker model, which is pictured here, was created in the late 60s to the 80s.The NVA composition soldiers were produced by PGH Effelder in 60s.

NVA soldiers from VEB Lineol-Plastik Dresden (DDR)

The Lineol company was founded in 1904 by Oskar Wiederholz in Brandenburg, and in 1907 it was registered in the commercial register as "Toy factory Wiederholz, Fohrderstraße 10, Brandenburg". In 1914 the company grew from originally 2 to 150 employees. In 1923 the company was incorporated into the "Lineol-Aktien-Gesellschaft Brandenburg/Havel". After the war, in 1948 the Lineol company was expropriated and merged with the also expropriated company Ernst Paul Lehmann getting its new name "VEB Lineol-Patent Brandenburg". In 1956 the company moved to Dresden and produced NVA army composition soldiers under the name "VEB Lineol-Plastik Dresden". The Dresden production of composition soldiers ended in 1960.Then Haufe company from Kamenz took over the Lineol brand and its production equipment and continued to produce Lineol figures until 1962/63.

Great collection of DDR soldiers

DDR NVA army soldiers collection from colleauges - creators of http://www.ddr-spielzeugsoldaten.de. Gret collection ! East German toy soldiers from Lisanto, PGH Effelder, Lineol.

East German soldiers crossing a river on an inflatable boat

The first generation of PGH Effelder NVA (DDR army) "rubber" soldiers was painted in camouflage (Tarnfarben). PGH Effelder produced this type of soldiers from 1968 till 1979. The wooden inflatable boat is borrowed from Elastolin (Hausser).

NVA army soldiers from PGH Effelder

The National People's Army (NVA) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. NVA officers often served as combat advisers in Africa.Some of the first NVA advisors went to the Republic of the Congo in 1973. During the 1980s at various times the NVA had advisors in Algeria, Angola, Ethiopia, Guinea, Iraq, Libya, Mozambique, South Yemen, and Syria. These NVA "rubber" soldiers were produced by PGH Effelder (DDR) from 1979 to 1990.

NVA soldiers produced by Anton Röder “Lisanto”

The Anton Röder “Lisanto” company produced compsition soldiers before 1945 and then resumed its production during DDR time after the founding of the NVA. But the exact start of NVA figures is unknown. In the trade fair journal of the Leipzig trade fair for the spring fair in 1959, the company Röder advertised "plastic soldiers" for the first time. The advertisement with the statement "plastic soldiers" was last published for the spring fair in 1964. According to the last managing director of A. Röder, the company was instructed by the DDR state to stop the NVA figures production and hand over this production to PGH Effelder. This happened in the mid or late 1960s, the exact time is not known as well.

NVA composition soldiers from PGH Effelder

These composition DDR army (NVA - Nationale Volksarmee) soldiers were produced by PGH Effelder in the late 60s.

Kienel composition toy soldiers

In 30s Georg Phil. Kienel started production of composition soldiers. His company was based in Steinach, a town in Thuringia (Germany). Luigi Toiati provides characteristic of Kienel soldiers in his book "The History of Toy Soldiers" (2019): "Kienel ‘attained a fairly high quality’ ....and although his figures are unmarked, they are recognizable by the ‘healthy, farm boy appearance of their soldiers’". After 1945 Georg Phil. Kienel switched to production of wooden and tinplate toy cars.

DDR NVA army maneuvers

These DDR NVA army plastic soldiers were produced by PGH Effelder in the end of 80s. There is a remarkable traffic control figure that is presumably manufacturer's sample for traffic regulator. (basic figure "Soldier standing with pistol upwards" clearly recognizable).

Armoured vehicles of the Warsaw Pact

These plastic models (~1/30) of armoured vehicles were produced in DDR by Pneumant (VEB Plastaform Gräfenthal) company in 80s. You can see here PT-76 amphibious light tank, T-54 main battle tank and ZSU-57-2 Mobile self-propelled AA gun. These USSR designed armoured vehicles were operated by DDR NVA army and other countries of the Warsaw Pact (e.g. Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary). All these toy tanks are equipped by friction motors !

 

The 65th Anniversary of DDR National People's Army (Part 2)

More DDR NVA army soldiers from PGH Effelder....

The 65th Anniversary of DDR National People's Army

The National People's Army (Nationale Volksarmee - NVA, German) were the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), East Germany, from 1956 to 1990.The NVA was organized into four branches: the Landstreitkräfte (Ground Forces), the Volksmarine (Navy), the Luftstreitkräfte (Air Force), and the Grenztruppen (Border Troops). The German Democratic Republic (GDR) established the National People's Army on 1 March 1956 (six months after the formation of the West German Bundeswehr) from the Kasernierte Volkspolizei. This formation culminated years of preparation during which former Wehrmacht officers and communist veterans of the Spanish Civil War helped to organize and train paramilitary units of the People's Police. Though the NVA featured a German appearance – including uniforms and ceremonies patterned after older German military traditions – its doctrine and structure showed the strong influence of the Soviet Armed Forces.

Composition soldiers from PGH Effelder.
 

23rd of February - Red Army Day

The Red Army Day, 23 February 1918, has a two-fold historical significance: it was the first day of drafting recruits (in Petrograd and Moscow), and the first day of combat against the occupying Imperial German Army.

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