BACKGROUND: The M34 overseas cap for wear by EM/NCO personnel was initially introduced on March 24TH 1934, with non-functional front buttons, a branch of service soutache and the Reichswehr era national tri-color cockade. Regulations of October 1935, did away with the buttons and altered the insignia utilized on the cap. Further regulations of July 21ST 1942 discontinued the M34 overseas cap in favour of the newly designed, more functional, M42 pattern overseas cap but the changeover was never fully completed. The German army originally adopted a slightly modified version of the NSDAP’s, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), national eagle by order on February 17TH 1934, with instructions to have it applied to all steel helmets, visor caps, and tunics by May 1ST 1934. Regulations followed on October 30TH 1935 that stipulated the national eagle was also to be applied to all field caps. On March 14TH 1933 the Weimar, (Circa 1919-1933), Reichswehr, (National Defence {Force}), era oval black, red and gold cockade was replaced with a circular cockade in black, white, and red and was utilized through-out the Third Reich period. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), and originally the early M34 and modified M34, (circa October 1935), overseas caps, were outfitted with an identifying branch of service soutache until regulations of July 10TH 1942 abolished the use of the soutache and instructed it to be removed from the caps, although the directive was not strictly adhered to. Of Note: The M34 overseas cap was only intended for EM/NCO’s ranks while officers ranks wore the old "Crusher" style visor cap until the introduction of the officer’s M38 overseas cap on December 6TH 1938. Officially wear of the old "Crusher" style visor caps was extended until April 1ST 1942.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: October 1935 pattern, field-grey wool/rayon blend construction cap with fold down, side and back panels with gently sloping, downward scallops to the front and forward sides. As is typical the fold down panels are stitched in the upright position at the front center of the cap. The cap has a field-grey painted, alloy, ventilation grommet to either side positioned just below the crown edge. The ventilation grommets retain all of their field-grey paint. Eagle has been removed. The front center of the fold down panels has a machine woven, national tri-color cockade, in black, white and red rayon threads on a diamond shaped, woven, field-grey rayon base with original stitching to the cap. Cap originally had soutache which has been removed in accordance to regulation. Size marked 54. Nice clean condition.