BACKGROUND: In late 1940, with the impending German entrance into the North African campaign, tropical uniforms and equipment were quickly developed and issued in time for DAK, Deutsches Afrika Korps, (German Africa Corps), personnel’s arrival in Tripoli in February 1941. Eventually these tropical uniforms would be issued to personnel serving in southern areas of continental Europe. The design of the tropical issued uniforms essentially adhered to the pattern of the field-grey continental uniforms, although in a different color and material, and also followed the same basic war time modifications. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the army’s Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their uniforms from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase garments of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their uniforms from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored uniforms although the price may have been restrictive. Although Officer’s were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms it seems the majority of the tropical field blouses were issued from the military clothing depots as opposed to private purchase and as a result Officers quite often wore the same field blouses as the EM/NCO’s with the addition of Officer’s insignia.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Very nice quality, private purchase, open collar tropical Generalmajor tunic. Tunic features a vertical, four button front. The tunic has four pleated, front pockets with scalloped, button down flaps. The right breast has an General Officer’s quality, hand embroidered, national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted swastika in it’s talons, in bright, gilt wire threads with bright, gilt bullion and golden accent threads, mounted on a cut-out, dark, feldgrau wool base. The eagle is neatly handstitched in place. Award loops for wear of four awards and a ribbon/medal bar. The straight cut, non-adjustable, sleeves have deep, turned up French cuffs which are tacked into the upright position at both the inner and outer seams and have their top edges. The reverse of the tunic has a central, vertical, tail skirt vent. The tunic has sewn on shoulder boards featuring three, interwoven strands of Russian braiding with a central, silver/aluminum braid flanked by dual, gilt bullion braids mounted a red wool bases. The shoulder board’s retaining buttons are intact. The collar has nice quality, pre-July 15TH 1938 pattern, collar tabs with bright red wool bases featuring hand embroidered Arabesque style "Larisch" pattern ornamentation in bright, gilt wire threads. The Larisch pattern ornamentation consists of two, triple pointed, vertical prongs to both the top and bottom edges with a decorative, horizontal, arrow head shaped ornamentation to the forward edge and down-swept, flared tail shaped decoration near the reverse edge. The center of the Larisch ornamentation has a narrow, elongated section of the red wool base visible. The collar tabs are machine stitched to the collar. The interior of the tunic is fully lined in ribbed, greyish/green rayon with an off-white rayon sleeve lining. The lining has a horizontal, slash, pocket to the left breast and a small, horizontal, field-grey wool reinforced, slash to the reverse of the external left hip pocket for the dagger/sword hanger. The left side seam of the lining has a short, vertical, green rayon strap with a nickel/silver plated, steel friction clip, also for the dagger/sword hanger. The buttons are a of the bright, gilt washed, pebbled, types and all look to have original stitching. Original owners name tag removed from the inside pocket. The tunic is roughly size, 38" chest. Couple of small stains. Super RARE tunic with all original, untouched insignia. Nice!