BACKGROUND: German Naval uniforms and headgear were based on traditional designs that date back to the creation of the Prussian Navy in 1848, and although uniforms and headgear did evolve during the interim years many items used during the Third Reich would still have been quite recognizable to the Imperial sailor. The Frock coat was carried over from the Imperial German Navy on into the Weimar Reichsmarine era, (National Navy, Circa 1919-1933), and on into the Third Reich. The Frock coat was worn by all Officers with the formal and informal dress uniforms, with certain forms of the service dress uniform and the walking-out dress uniform. Regulations of September 6TH 1939 discontinued wear and production of the Frock coat to be reinstated at the successful conclusion of the war. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and headgear and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the OKK, Offizier Kleiderkasse der Kriegsmarine, (Officer’s Clothing Account of the Navy). Generally speaking officers bought nice quality, private purchase, uniform items but they could also choose to buy their uniforms directly from the military clothing depots. (Wilke) Wilhelm Wilke ( May 6 , 1878 – January 5, 1963 ) was a German rear admiral in the Imperial Navy . Wilhelm Wilke joined the Imperial Navy on April 7, 1896 . In 1909 he was a lieutenant captain (promotion on March 30, 1906) as an admiral staff officer at the naval station de North Sea . On March 22, 1913 he became Lieutenant Commander and was later until October 1916 Admiralty Officer of the High Seas Force , at the same time Fleet Navigation Officer and Navigation Officer on the Friedrich der Große . On board this large ship of the line he took part in the Battle of the Skagerrak at the end of May/beginning of June 1916 part. Until the end of the war he was head of department in the department for mobilization, military questions of maritime law and military ancillary interests of the Navy (A IV) of the General Navy Department in the Reichsmarineamt. After the war he was taken on by the Reichsmarine. On 21 January 1920 he became a frigate captain and on 1 October 1920 he became a sea captain . On December 31, 1923, he was discharged from the Navy in the character of Rear Admiral. (Source WiKi)

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Very nice quality, private purchase, deep navy blue doeskin wool construction, full length, double breasted style, frock coat features fold back, upswept, peak lapels and a small lay down collar. The frock coat features dual, vertical, parallel, rows of five, front closure buttons with three corresponding button eyelets on the right front panel and four on the left front panel, enabling the coat to be button either left or right handedly. The top button on each side are ornamental and not functional and the fold back peak lapels also have a single, ornamental button eyelet to each. Nice original officers eagle is handstitched to the jacket. Original awards loops for a ribbon bar. The sleeves have straight cut, non-adjustable cuffs and each sleeve has horizontally ribbed, woven gilt wire, horizontal rank tress strips. The frock coat has "sew on" shoulder boards in silver/aluminum, each mounted, on deep navy blue wool bases. The shoulder board retaining buttons are intact. The interior of the frock coat is fully lined in ribbed, black rayon with black and off-white sleeves. Tailors label remains. All the exterior buttons are a combination of the fire gilted, stamped magnetic sheet metal and alloy types and all feature an embossed, fouled, anchor on a horizontally ribbed field with a simulated, twisted, rope outer border. The buttons are all still clean and bright and appear to have their original stitching. Wilkes original name tag to the inside pocket along with the original purchase date of 1929. This jacket would have been one he purchased and wore after his retirement for parades and other functions. The jacket is roughly a size 34" chest. Shows the expected period use and wear but overall nice condition.