H033495 MOUNTAIN TROOP OFFICER'S VISOR CAP. (Schirmmütze) 

BACKGROUND: Visor caps were a standard item for all personnel during the Third Reich period and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individuals rank. Officer and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own caps and could choose to purchase them from the army clothing depots or to privately purchase visor caps of higher quality. Originally the insignia worn on the visor cap consisted the Weimar Reichsheer patterns which included a blackened leather chinstrap for all ranks. In February 1927 new chin cords for Officer ranks were introduced with silver cords for the ranks of Leutnant to Oberst and gilt cords for the ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall. Regulations of February 26TH 1936 also permitted senior NCO’s who were Officer Candidates to wear the Officers twisted silver/aluminum chin cord on their visor caps as opposed to the standard EM/NCO’s leather chinstrap. Of Note: Both the first pattern Reichsheer era visor cap eagle and wreath were replaced with the second pattern in March 1935. Also Of Note: On May 2ND 1939 the Oberkommando des Heeres, (Army High Command), authorized wear of a distinctive edelweiss tradition badge for Mountain Troop personnel and the design of the badge was based on a pattern worn by German Alpine troops in WWI. The badge came in three forms with a cloth version for wear on the upper right sleeve of the service uniform, a stemmed metal version for wear on the mountain cap and a stemless metal version for wear on the visor cap. Originally regulations, unsuccessfully, dictated the edelweiss’s were to be removed from wear if an individual was transferred out of a Mountain Troop unit. On November 12TH 1944 regulations were altered to permitted continued wear of the edelweiss after transfer out of a Mountain Troop unit as long as the individual had combat experience while serving with the Mountain Troops. The stemless pattern edelweiss was to be worn on the visor cap positioned below the national eagle and above the oak leaf wreath and national cockade. 

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, private purchase, field grey wool and rayon blend construction visor cap with a blue/green badge cloth centerband and mid green wool waffenfarbe piping to the crown edge and both the top and bottom edges of the centerband. The front center of the cap features a hand embroidered national eagle in bright silver/aluminum bullion and wire threads with tan accent threads mounted on a cut out wool base. The eagle is neatly handstitched to the cap. The eagle is positioned above a two piece, silver and gilt washed, stamped alloy construction, stemless edelweiss. The silver washed edelweiss features eleven extended, irregular petals and a separate, gilt washed, stamped alloy six bulb stamen. Both the silver wash to the petals and the gilt wash to the stamen are fully retained. The front center of the centerband has a hand embroidered oak leaf wreath in bright silver/aluminum bullion and wire threads encompassing a three piece national tri color cockade all on a cut out blue/green badge cloth base. The insignia is neatly handstitched to the cap. The cap has a twisted silver/aluminum chin cord which is secured in place by two, small, silver washed, pebbled, magnetic sheet metal buttons. The cap has a black lacquered vulcanfibre visor with a subtly raised lip near the forward edge. The interior of the cap is fully lined with a ribbed green rayon lining to the side panels and off white rayon to the crown. Sweat diamond is mostly complete and has the makers details printed on it. The interior of the cap also has a complete wide tan leather sweatband. Original owners initials are punched into the sweatband. The cap is roughly size 57/58. Nice pre war visor cap with the edelweiss added in May 1939 as per regulations..

GRADE ****                             PRICE $

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